Attorney General lists top 10 most frequent scams Illinoisans fell victim to in 2023

Danny Connolly
·2 min read
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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — This week is National Consumer Protection Week, and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul is highlighting the scams and consumer complaints which affected the state’s residents in 2023.

“During National Consumer Protection Week, I encourage Illinois residents to visit my office`s website and social media channels to learn more about common consumer complaints and how to protect themselves from fraud and scams,” Raoul said.

With Raoul’s Consumer Fraud Bureau, officials saved consumers more than $9 million through mediation and secured more than $76 million through enforcement actions in 2023.

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In 2023, the Attorney General received 19,450 written complaints, along with tens of thousands of phone calls. The top 10 categories of scams and consumer complaints for Illinois residents in 2023 are:

  1. Construction/home improvement repairs — 2,091 reports

  2. Identity Theft — 1,885 reports

  3. Consumer Debt — 1,683 reports

  4. Motor Vehicle/Used Auto Sales — 1,678 reports

  5. Promotions/Schemes like phishing and phone scams — 1,343 reports

  6. Internet/Mail Order Products –1,249 reports

  7. Telecommunications — 932 reports

  8. Motor Vehicle/ Non-Warranty Repair — 831 reports

  9. Motor Vehicle/New Auto Sales — 647 reports

  10. Government Agencies — 513 reports

Home repairs has been the number one category for complaints from Illinois consumers for three years in a row. Raoul said homeowners often leave complaints after unsatisfactory work or because of contractors who do not show up to repair after a down payment is made. The attorney general has tips to avoid home repair scams.

Identity theft complaints moved up to the number two spot from last year. The attorney general recommends being very private about sharing your personal information online and changing important passwords often.

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Raoul also advises consumers to alert on responding to unsolicited calls and texts. Especially with the rise of AI, scammers have more technology to fool unsuspecting customers.

Any Central Illinoisan who wants to report fraud or a consumer complaint can call the Attorney General’s Springfield Consumer Fraud Hotline at 1-800-243-0618 or by visiting his website.

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