The Illinois Attorney General is warning Illinois residents of phone scams in which callers pose as representatives of the Social Security Administration, the Illinois State Police, and other public utilities. There are also similar scams via email and of course romance scams as Valentine’s Day approaches.

Attorney General Kwame Raoul says that phone scams involve scammers spoofing phone numbers, which cause other caller ID devices to display making it look like a legit phone call when in reality it’s not. These scammers will claim they are collecting on a debt but usually want gift cards, wire transfers, or to have you give up confidential information in order to avoid losing benefits, be arrested, or potentially “have your utilities shut off.” Attorney General Spokesperson Anne Thompson says to always try and verify the identity of whoever you are talking too.

The Attorney General’s Office is also warning of valentine’s day scams which scammers target victims on dating apps or through social media.  According to the Federal Trade Commission, romance scams stole more than $143 million in 2018. Thompson says that one-way scammers get you is by telling you they live far away and they need money for travel expenses or medical expenses.

If you have been scammed or need to report a scam do so on the Attorney General’s website or call the consumer fraud hotline at 1-800-243-0618.