BBB Says That This Is The #1 Scam Illinois Is Falling For

There have been scams around as long as humans have been around, which means that there are thousands of different ways for the unscrupulous among us to trick people out of their money.

According to a report from the Rockford Regional Office of the Better Business Bureau (BBB), the number one way to illicitly grab money and personal information from others is to prey upon our fascination with online shopping.

Coming In At Number One On The List Of Scams Being Successfully Perpetrated Against Illinois Residents Is Online Shopping And Purchasing

Not only are online shopping/purchase scams sitting in the top spot, the most common type of online shopping and purchase scam is the Puppy Scam.

Online scams of all sorts (not just the Puppy Scam) were more likely to result in a reported monetary loss than scams committed in person or via phone. Nearly three-quarters (74.9%) of the people who reported an online shopping scam lost money.

Impersonation Is One Of The Most Common Tactics Used To Perpetrate A Scam

Think about the companies that we have the most trust in. Scam artists have thought of those companies, too--and they'll use those company names and logos to trick you.

BBB's Dennis Horton:

Scammers have more success with their targets by pretending to be well-known and trusted companies, government agencies or organizations. In 2021, Amazon became the most impersonated organization reported to BBB Scam Tracker, with twice the number of reports as the second-most impersonated brand, the Social Security Administration. Publishers’ Clearinghouse ranks third, followed by PayPal, fourth. Facebook rose to 10th place.