Attorney General Lisa Madigan also hosted a consumer fraud roundtable discussion with Peoria-area law enforcement and community groups. The goal was to discuss how to identify and avoid consumer scams revolving around student loans and identity theft. Peoria County Sheriff Mike McCoy says many people don’t think to call law enforcement when they’re victims of fraud:
“Some of them call a bank, some call a credit union, some call a church. And so I think the group that met with the Attorney General, it was an educational part for everybody. And so they now are getting the information on how to reference people to the right place, how to help them get the help that they need,” McCoy says.
The state Attorney General’s office has a resource guide on it’s website for people who are victims of identity theft or consumer fraud. Madigan says residents can protect themselves by checking their monthly bills, getting copies of their credit report and putting alerts on credit cards to monitor transactions.