Scammers are always waiting for an opportunity to steal from you. Illinois residents are being told to watch out for a new scam where a scammer impersonates the state attorney general in emails threatening debtors with legal action if the debt remains unpaid, reports the credit.com blog.
Some Illinois residents reported getting emails from accounts that appeared to be sent by a representative from Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s office.
In the emails, the fake representative demands payment. Also attached to the emails is a “final warning†letter with a  seal, saying the consumer will face prosecution by the attorney general if they don’t pay up.
“This email is an outright scam. Do not respond to anyone claiming to represent my office with demands for money or threatening prosecution. Instead, call our Consumer Fraud Bureau immediately at 1-800-243-0618,†says Madigan on the attorney general’s website.
Madigan’s office warns that consumers who have applied for loans online may be at  risk for the scam because they have provided their personal and financial information to companies that then sell the information to either lenders or, in some cases, scammers looking to use the personal information for profit.