Senior Scam Prevention & Fraud Resources in Illinois
Illinois seniors reported $189 million in elder fraud losses to the FBI in 2025, with 7,701 victims aged 60 and older. This page provides Illinois-specific scam prevention resources, official reporting contacts, and five years of FBI elder fraud data for the state.
Already been scammed? Read our First 24 Hours Emergency Guide for critical steps to take immediately.
I. Overview: Illinois’ Senior Population & Key Cities
Illinois is the sixth most populous state in the U.S., with a 2024 estimated population of 12.5 million. Of these residents, about 2.1 million are aged 65 and older, making up 16.8% of the state’s total population. As Illinois’ population ages, the number of fraud cases targeting older adults continues to rise, especially online scams, phishing, tech support fraud, and impersonation schemes.
The state’s three most populous cities are:
- Chicago (approx. 2.7 million people)
- Aurora (approx. 180,000 people)
- Naperville (approx. 150,000 people)
These cities are home to growing senior communities and bear the brunt of Illinois’s fraud crisis. In 2025, Illinois seniors lost $189 million to fraud (+42%). Investment scams led at $73 million, while government impersonation surged 71% to $16 million and lottery/sweepstakes climbed 68% to $5.8 million. Local efforts to protect older adults depend heavily on awareness, early reporting, and coordinated response.
II. 2025 Victim Report: How Scammers Targeted Illinois’ Seniors
In 2025, Illinois had 7,701 victims aged 60+ who reported losses totaling $189,491,209 — up 27% in victims and 42% in losses compared to 2024 (6,064 victims / $134M).
Loss by Crime Type
| Crime Type | 2025 Loss | 2024 Loss | Change |
| Investment | $73,129,501 | $57,486,686 | +27% |
| Tech Support | $34,412,473 | $22,291,747 | +54% |
| Romance | $14,770,418 | $12,182,142 | +21% |
| Lottery/Sweepstakes | $5,806,370 | $3,449,586 | +68% |
| Extortion | $185,023 | $393,393 | -53% |
| Government Impersonation | $16,040,576 | $9,407,033 | +71% |
Elder Fraud Loss Trajectory — Illinois
5-Year Elder Fraud Trend — Illinois (2021—2025)
| Year | Victims (60+) | Total Loss | YoY Change | Nat’l Rank |
| 2021 | 3,097 | $42,109,664 | — | #10 |
| 2022 | 2,495 | $75,905,639 | +80% | #10 |
| 2023 | 2,886 | $137,940,620 | +82% | #5 |
| 2024 | 6,064 | $133,794,241 | -3% | #9 |
| 2025 | 7,701 | $189,491,209 | +42% | #10 |
| 5-Year Total | 22,243 | $579,241,373 | +350% (2021—2025) | — |
Source: FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) Annual Reports, 2021—2025. Covers victims aged 60 and older. National rank is by total dollar loss among 52 states/territories. National totals: $1.7B (2021), $3.1B (2022), $3.4B (2023), $4.9B (2024), $7.7B (2025) — $20.8 billion stolen from American seniors over five years.
Top Crime Types Targeting Illinois Seniors (2025 vs. 5-Year)
| Crime Type | 2025 Victims | 2025 Loss | 5-Year Total | Growth (2021—25) |
| Investment | 459 | $73,129,501 | $217,378,619 | +1,995% |
| Tech Support | 813 | $34,412,473 | $110,792,393 | +326% |
| BEC | 152 | $16,446,110 | $65,796,806 | +37% |
| Gov. Impersonation | 365 | $16,040,576 | $39,915,338 | +484% |
| Romance | 282 | $14,770,418 | $56,867,707 | +78% |
| Personal Data Breach | 384 | $8,207,888 | $19,674,437 | +947% |
Top 6 crime types by 2025 losses. Growth calculated from 2021 to 2025. For national crime type trends, see our Crime Type Migration Analysis.
What the data reveals: Illinois ranks #10 nationally in total elder fraud losses at $189 million, up 42% from $134 million in 2024, with 7,701 seniors victimized. Investment scams grew 27% to $73 million — a more moderate increase than most states. Tech support fraud rose 54% to $34 million, and government impersonation increased 71% to $16 million. Lottery and sweepstakes losses rose 68%, from $3.4 million to $5.8 million. Statewide, that comes to roughly one senior victim for every 1,650 Illinois residents.
National context: Illinois ranks #22 in per-capita victim rate (60.59 per 100,000), above the national midpoint. As the most populous state in the Midwest with 2.1 million residents over 65, Illinois’s fraud trends often reflect broader regional patterns. The 42% year-over-year loss increase is below the national average of 57%, but investment fraud, now $73 million and up nearly 2,000% since 2021, has become the state’s dominant elder-fraud threat and warrants targeted prevention efforts.
For the full national picture, including how Illinois compares to every other state, visit our national hub page with interactive data and rankings.
II. Emergency & Official Contacts
Local Police Departments – Fraud & Elder Services
1. Chicago Police Department – Financial Crimes Unit
- Phone: (312) 746-6000 (non-emergency)
- Website: home.chicagopolice.org
- Tip: Ask to be connected to the Financial Crimes Division or Elder Services.
2. Aurora Police Department – Fraud & Scam Reporting
- Phone: (630) 256-5000 (non-emergency)
- Website: www.aurora-il.org
- Tip: Request to speak to a financial crimes or elder outreach officer.
3. Naperville Police Department – Senior Services Team
- Phone: (630) 420-6666 (non-emergency)
- Website: www.naperville.il.us
- Specialized units work on elder abuse, scams, and public education.
FBI & Federal Reporting Tools
FBI Chicago Field Office
- Phone: (312) 421-6700
- Website: www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/chicago
Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
- Website: www.ic3.gov
- Use to report scams, phishing, investment fraud, or romance fraud online.
Illinois Attorney General – Elder Fraud Division
Office of the Illinois Attorney General – Senior Citizens Consumer Fraud Bureau
- Senior Fraud Hotline: (800) 243-5377
- General Consumer Fraud: (800) 386-5438
- Website: www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov
- Offers direct support, fraud alerts, scam tracking, and case assistance for elder victims.
Other Official Support Services for Older Adults
Illinois Adult Protective Services (APS)
- Statewide 24/7 Hotline: (866) 800-1409
- TTY: (888) 206-1327
- Website: www.dhs.state.il.us
- APS investigates reports of abuse, neglect, or exploitation of seniors.
Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) – Illinois
- Phone: (800) 699-9043
- Website: www.illinoissmp.org
- Provides education on Medicare fraud, medical identity theft, and overbilling schemes.
Illinois Department on Aging – Senior Helpline
- Phone: (800) 252-8966
- Website: ilaging.illinois.gov
City of Chicago – Senior Services Hotline
- Phone: (312) 744-4016
- Website: www.chicago.gov/aging
- Connects seniors to benefits, legal aid, scam prevention workshops, and APS.
Prevention Starts with You
- Save these numbers or print and post them where you or loved ones can easily access them.
- If you or someone you care about suspects a scam, call early, don’t wait.
- Visit our Learning Center to understand the red flags of online fraud and how to respond.
- Illinois seniors lose millions annually to scams — but informed communities are powerful defense systems.
Recent Illinois scam news
Recent news coverage of scams affecting Illinois seniors, updated from our alerts desk. Each item links to the original outlet; victims and defendants are kept anonymous.
Palos Park, Illinois police to hold two scam-prevention seminars for seniors
The Palos Park Police Department in Illinois is holding two free scam-prevention seminars for older residents on August 4, 2026, covering phishing, smishing, vishing, fraudulent tax schemes, and identity theft, along with how to recognize warning signs and respond safely. The department points to the FBI's 2025 elder fraud data showing seniors lost about $7.7 billion to scams nationwide, affecting more than 200,000 people, a 37 percent increase in complaints from the year before. Free, local sessions like this give older adults and their families a chance to ask questions and build habits that make it easier to slow down and verify before acting on an unexpected call, text, or email.
Read at Patch →Scammers target Medicare cards and medical equipment needs, experts say
A library session taught older adults how scammers use fake Medicare and medical equipment offers to reach their money.
Read at Chicago Tribune →U.S. Attorney's Office marks World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, warns of impostor schemes
A federal prosecutor's office marked World Elder Abuse Awareness Day by warning seniors about government and business impostor scams.
Read at Troy Times Tribune →Illinois woman loses $40K in banking spoof scam
An Illinois woman lost $40,000 to scammers who spoofed her bank's phone number to gain her trust.
Read at MSN →Here's how Illinois is stepping up to help seniors
Illinois is adding new safeguards to help protect older residents from financial abuse and scams.
Read at The Edwardsville Intelligencer →Banks oppose bill to prevent fraud on elderly, disabled
Illinois lawmakers push a bill requiring banks to report suspected financial exploitation of older adults.
Read at Advantage News →IV. Learn More: Illinois Scam Prevention Guides
Explore Illinois-specific guides on the most common scams targeting seniors in your state:
- Tech Support Scams in Illinois — Learn to recognize fake pop-ups, phone calls, and remote access schemes.
- Investment Scams in Illinois — Protect your retirement savings from fraudulent advisors and crypto scams.
- Romance Scams in Illinois — Spot the warning signs of fake online relationships designed to steal money.
- Government Impersonation Scams in Illinois — Know what real government agencies will never ask you to do.
- How to Report Scams in Illinois — Step-by-step guide to reporting fraud and starting recovery.
For national-level data on each scam type, see our Investment, Tech Support, Romance, and Government Impersonation national guides.
See how Illinois compares. Curious where Illinois ranks in the national picture? Stolen Trust, our 2026 special study, ranks every state and territory using five years of FBI data and lays out one practical plan to fix elder fraud.