Mason Cautions Residents Against COVID-19 Scams

GURNEE, Ill. – As the coronavirus outbreak continues to take a financial toll on individuals and businesses, state Rep. Joyce Mason, D-Gurnee, is reminding residents to stay vigilant for scams.

“It’s shameful that individuals are using this crisis to take advantage of others, but unfortunately, people who commit fraud are not sympathetic to the unprecedented circumstances we’re in,” said Mason. “In fact, many of them see this pandemic as a prime opportunity to make a profit.”

Mason is encouraging residents to stay up to date on the latest tactics used in scams by signing up for the Federal Trade Commission’s fraud alerts at www.ftc.gov/scams. Mason is also urging residents who suspect a person is attempting to commit fraud to report the incident to the office of Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul. To report fraud to the attorney general, please visit www.ccformsubmission.ilattorneygeneral.net.

“Con artists may claim to be selling coronavirus test kits or pretend to be the Internal Revenue Service calling about your federal stimulus check. If you receive unsolicited texts, emails or phone calls from an unknown person, don’t click on any links or give out any personal information. Instead, take time to research the message you received or speak about it with a trusted friend,” Mason said. “While older adults may be frequent targets of fraud, it’s critical for all of us to be on guard for scams and report them to the attorney general’s office as soon as they occur.”

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