Criminal organizations are manipulating older Americans into turning over their life savings to foreign conspirators, and U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe is warning southern Illinois residents on the prevalence of imposter scams.
“Unfortunately, we’re aware of several instances where seniors in southern Illinois have been victimized by imposter scams, most recently in Williamson County,” said U.S. Attorney Crowe. “The Marion Police Department did extensive investigative work in the case, and we’re pleased to have them as a partner to gain justice for the victims.”
Imposter scams begin with a communication from the scammer in the form of a phone call, text or email from a seemingly reputable source like PayPal. The scammer will explain the victim has a suspicious purchase on their account, and if the victim did not buy the item, their account has been compromised.
For more on the scams, please see this week’s print edition.