CHICAGO — Attorney General Lisa Madigan today alerted Illinois business owners to a scam in which scammers send emails, or in some cases social media messages, posing as representatives of the Attorney General’s office in what is likely an attempt to con people into sending money or downloading malware.
“When we contact businesses about consumer complaints, my office never sends messages via social media and never emails asking businesses to open a web link or attachment to obtain more information. Businesses should never click on such a link or attachment,” said Madigan. “If you are unsure whether the email or social media message you have received is a scam, contact my office directly.”
Madigan’s office has received several complaints from Illinois business owners who have received emails from scammers pretending to be officials representing the Illinois Attorney General with false claims that complaints have been filed against the recipients’ businesses. Recipients are directed to a web link or attachment for more information about the alleged complaint. Madigan’s office warned that clicking on this link could install malware or viruses, such as ransomware or keylogging software, on their computers or networks.
Madigan urged business owners who receive the emails not to click any links, immediately delete the message and contact her office to report the correspondence by visiting her website or by calling her Consumer Fraud Hotline:
1-800-386-5438 (Chicago)
1-800-243-0618 (Springfield)
1-800-243-0607 (Carbondale)
If these jerks contact you, tell them to send you the “offical request” on the proper letterhead, by U.S. postal mail. Mail fraud is traceable, and will be prosecuted.
The clowns will disappear.
This is not a new scam. Back 30 years ago criminals would pose as agents for the Dept of Revenue to come visit an office to collect a settlement for business taxes they claimed were owed but people were so gullible that they did not comfirm that the “agents” were real.