Wouldn't it be great if we had so few scams going in Illinois that you could easily guess which scam claims the most victims here in our state?

Well, we don't, and you can't.

Maybe if you're someone who closely follows scam alerts you might get lucky and guess it correctly, but with so many different scams (and variations on scams) being run against Illinois residents, it will still be tough.

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Here's a clue. It has to do with shopping. (Getty Images)
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And, it has to do with online shopping. (Getty Images)
And, it has to do with online shopping. (Getty Images)
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The Number One Way Scammers Grab Money And Personal Information Is To Use Our Love Of Online Shopping Against Us

According to a report from the Rockford Regional Office of the Better Business Bureau (BBB), there are thousands of different ways for the unscrupulous among us to trick people out of their money.

You've got romance scams, investment scams, employment scams, home repair scams, and so much more...but none of those are the number one scam in Illinois.

Here are a couple more clues as to what the top scam is:

Getty Images
Getty Images
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Getty Images
Getty Images
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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 Illinois residents who reported an online shopping scam lost money.

Rockford BBB, Facebook
Rockford BBB, Facebook
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Rockford BBB, Facebook
Rockford BBB, Facebook
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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.

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