phone scams

If you receive a call from someone claiming to be the Illinois State Police, double check who's actually calling you. Don't fall for a new scam targeting Illinois residents.

How widespread are spam calls here in Illinois and throughout the country? Think about this for a second: over the last year, nearly 60 million Americans say that they lost money as a result of being phone-scammed.

When you read about scams like this, it's easy to fall into a "that happens to other people" mentality. However, when you look at the numbers of people in Illinois and around the country who've lost significant sums of money, keep in mind that it could easily happen to you.

Scam artists are looking to get at your money and personal information in so many different ways that it's hard to keep track. Luckily, the Better Business Bureau is on the case.

The Rockford Office of the Better Business Bureau and Director Dennis Horton keep track of the scams and cons going on in our area to keep you from losing out.

It seems like nearly everyone has gotten one of these IRS scam phone calls. You know, the old "you-owe-us-money-so-give-me-your-personal-information-so-you-won't-go-to-jail" call. I've gotten several, but being aware that it's a scam, I just hung up. A cop in Eau Claire, Wisconsin decided that he'd go me one better and call them back.

It's always something. At least when you're talking about the world of scams. Lots of people employing lots of tactics, all with the bottom-line goal of separating you from your money or personal information. The latest is being called the "Spoofing Scam," and according to ABC News, this scam uses technological trickery combined with the lure of money to trick victims into giving up pers