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January jobs report: Unemployment rate falls to 4%, wages rise more than forecast; Trump signs order imposing sanctions on International Criminal Court over investigations of Israel; Ten Commandments in public schools debate reaches South Dakota; Virginia ranks among worst states for wage theft; Mexican long-nosed bat makes appearance in Arizona.

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Attorney General Pam Bondi strikes a Trump tone at the Justice Department, federal workers get more time to consider buyouts, and an unclassified email request from the White House worries CIA vets.

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During Black History Month, a new book shares how a unique partnership built 5,000 schools for Black students, anti-hunger advocates say ag communities would benefit from an expanded SNAP program, and Americans have $90 billion in unpaid medical bills.

IL residents should know scam warning signs

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Wednesday, October 30, 2024   

Financial publication Forbes ranked Illinois ninth on its list of the "10 Most Scammed States" last year, with 285 incidents for every 100,000 residents.

The Federal Trade Commission is trying to help people stay off the list. National tragedies, like the recent hurricanes, may be used to lure someone into handing over money, credit card numbers or confidential information. And the election has prompted some to donate to bogus political causes or spread false information.

Matt Schiltz, staff attorney for the Midwest regional office of the Federal Trade Commission in Chicago, said impostor scams are the most frequently reported type of fraud.

"Unfortunately, I've seen reports that people are using artificial intelligence to clone voices, or at least trying to," Schiltz pointed out. "The person calling may sound like a friend or a family member or a famous person, a politician."

He advised people who have received a suspicious phone call or email requesting money or private information to slow down and talk with a trusted family member or friend before taking any action, since scammers often use urgency as a way to get victims to act first and think later.

Schiltz pointed out fraudsters create new, more persuasive scams by improvising from old ones. Someone posing as a bank employee contacts a potential victim and informs them they need to move their money into another account, for protection against tampering or government seizure. They offer to transfer the funds to a second employee -- actually, an accomplice -- who transfers the money into their own account. Schiltz stressed the agency is working on several different fronts to combat such schemes.

"The FTC has a new impersonation rule that gives the agency stronger tools to combat the scams," Schiltz noted. "We actually brought our first case under the impersonation rule earlier this year."

He suggested visiting FTC.gov/imposters to learn more about spotting a scam. And he encourages anyone with knowledge of a scam to contact the agency at ReportFraud.FTC.gov.


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