Take even the most savvy and safe consumer, add an urgent payment request, a hefty dose of pressure, some scary threats, and there you have it — instant scam.
Anyone of any age can fall victim to financial scams, and many locals do, the Naperville Police Department says. Naperville residents reported losing nearly $5.5 million to scams in 2024, and the cons that tricked residents then are still going on now.
Hoping to arm people with knowledge to steer clear of scammers, the NPD recently hosted a Scam Awareness Webinar. Crime Prevention Specialist Julie Smith, and Chris Reading, a detective with the financial crimes unit, reviewed the top types of scams and the best ways to avoid becoming a victim.
Fake warrants imitating law enforcement
Smith said this type of fraud spooks victims because scammers make victims believe they’re in trouble with the law. There’s “threatening language” and calls to act immediately to avoid being arrested, but Smith says — slow down, even when scammers’ messages urge you to act now.
To avoid these scams, Reading said to remember: no law enforcement agency will ever attempt to collect payment for a warrant or any criminal charge over the phone. Legitimate agencies will never ask for payment in gift cards of cryptocurrency, but financial criminals almost always do.
“That should be your first red flag,” he said.
Online resale gone bad
Scammers in this realm pose as both fake buyers and fake sellers.
Fake buyers pretend they paid you by accident, Reading said. They make a “ghost transaction” so your online money-sending accounts, such as Zelle, PayPal or Cash App appear to have received a payment.
“You end up sending that money back,” Reading said, “so you paid the scammer that money, and you’re out that money.”
Fake sellers send invoices for things you didn’t buy, then pressure you for payment, or charge you for an item and never provide it, Smith said.
To avoid these, the NPD advises checking the profiles of any online sellers on resale platforms, keeping all transaction-related communications within the platform, and using the internet safe sale zone at the police department.
“If someone doesn’t want to meet you at the police department, they’re probably not worth meeting,” Smith said.
Phishing for dollars
These scams use a believable premise — overdue payments, problems with online accounts — to get you to call a scammer or follow a link and make a payment.
There’s a common one related to unpaid tolls circulating now (Reading said he’s seen it about six times on his own phone lately). A red flag is when there are misspellings in web addresses or email addresses, and the English, linguistics, and grammar are slightly off, Smith said.
Protect yourself from phishing by mousing over email addresses to make sure they’re legitimate — instead of slight variations on actual company names — and by verifying information independently, without following links in unexpected emails.
Fake virus? Smells like a tech support scam
A popup message appears on your computer, saying your computer has a virus, and you MUST call this number immediately to fix it.
Don’t panic and dial, Reading says. Instead “take the extra step and contact those companies that are saying that you need to fix this.” If the message appears to come from your antivirus software, close your browser without interacting with the popup, then contact the antivirus company directly.
If there is a problem, you can run a virus scan, check your devices for suspicious apps or extensions, consider a reset to factory specifications, or seek professional IT help.
Long-term investment and cryptocurrency fraud
These ones take time, and they often come from people who befriend you online — sometimes even romantically. Someone will pose as a financial expert and invite you to invest in cryptocurrency or some unknown app. As they gain your trust and get you to chip in small amounts, they make it seem as though your contribution is earning a strong return.
“You want to go withdraw (your investment), but you suddenly can’t get in contact,” Reading said. “You’re locked out of this account, and you can’t access that money.”
And that’s when you’ve been conned.
In this case, protect yourself by carefully researching potential investments and not buying into pressure to “act fast,” Smith said. If someone says an investment is a “sure bet,” be suspicious; all investments come with risk.
“Don’t send any money to anyone that you’ve met online,” Smith said, “and certainly don’t take their investment advice.”
What to do if you’ve been the victim of financial scams
Financial scams are advancing in complexity, Reading said, so if you fall victim, there’s no need to be ashamed.
Instead, contact your bank and close any fraudulent accounts. Then, report the crime to police, either online, in-person at 1350 Aurora Ave., or by phone at (630) 420-6666 to request an officer to come to you.
Additional steps include checking your credit report and reporting the fraud to the Federal Trade Commission.
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