Naperville residents reported losing nearly $5.5 million to scammers in 2024, a sum authorities say is a dramatic increase from previous years.
“The number is staggering,” said Julie Smith, crime prevention specialist with the Naperville Police Department.
In the wake of the uptick, Naperville police are hosting a webinar Wednesday to educate residents on scammers’ latest tactics and to offer ways that community members can protect themselves.
“Residents are being targeted regularly by scammers through phone calls, text messages, emails and even computer pop-ups,” Naperville Police Chief Jason Arres said in a news release. “Scammers are always changing their tactics so it’s critical to keep up with current trends and learn what to look for when you’re communicating with someone that might tip you off to a scam.”
Though noting “there (have been) so many” different kinds of scams reported to police in 2024, Smith cited a few frequently-used tactics.
Among the top swindles is one in which people extort money by pretending an arrest warrant has been issued for the victim, Smith said. The scammer might tell the person that an arrest warrant has been issued because they failed to go to jury duty, but if they were to pay a fine — typically by sending gift cards or making a wire transfer — the warrant will go away, she said.
Another “rapidly growing” fraud is known as pig butchering, Smith said. The scammer meets his/her target through various means — text messages, dating apps, social media platforms — and works to develop trust so that the victim thinks they have a meaningful relationship.
Eventually scammer steers the victim toward bogus investments that they say will produce high-yield returns in virtual assets, such as cryptocurrency, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.
“They use complex manipulation and trick investors. … And then when you try to access your funds or get them out, (the scammers say) there’s fines to pay or different fees — every excuse in the book for you not to get your money back out and then the scammer takes all your money,” Smith said.
The other top scams Naperville residents fell victim to last year involved online commerce and various phishing schemes, Smith said. The former typically involves scammers seeking deposits and personal information through platforms like Facebook Marketplace.
Phishing is when scammers use email or text messages to try to steal your passwords, account numbers or Social Security numbers, according to the Federal Trade Commission. These messages often tell you a story to trick you into clicking a link or opening an attachment.
Police investigate reported fraud cases but often can’t prosecute anyone because the suspect lives in another country or has been paid through gift cards that, once sent, cannot be recovered, Smith said. In most of those cases, “and it’s the same thing with cryptocurrency, it’s very difficult to recover funds,” she said.
Smith emphasized that scams can happen to anyone. Last year, victims ranged in age from 15 to 91.
“We’ve had people come (to the police station) lobby and they’re like, ‘I can’t believe I fell for this. I have two master’s degrees,’” Smith said. “So it just shows that when you’re in the moment, sometimes you’re not clearly thinking because of these complex schemes and the sense of panic that they instill.”
The degree to which Naperville residents fell victim to scams last year is also “probably much more than $5.5 million lost because that’s just what was reported, and so many people don’t report because they might be ashamed.”
To avoid getting scammed, Smith cautioned against downloading or using unfamiliar applications, clicking on suspicious links, or paying additional fees or taxes to withdraw money that’s already been invested.
Other tips she stressed include:
- If it’s too good to be true, it usually is.
- Don’t be afraid to end conversations with people you don’t know.
- If you find yourself on the phone with a scammer demanding you stay on the line while en route to the bank, go to the front desk of the Naperville Police Department instead.
Smith also warned that the advancement of artificial intelligence technology will make every scam seems even more realistic by making it difficult to discern what’s real and what isn’t.
Wednesday’s webinar will begin at noon. Registration is not required and participation is free and open to the public. The webinar can be accessed at www.naperville.il.us/ScamAwareness. For those unable to attend live, a recording of the webinar will be posted to the city’s website.
The Associated Press contributed.
