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The most popular fraud of 2023 was online shopping scams, according to an annual report by the Better Business Bureau of Chicago and Northern Illinois.

The nonprofit on Thursday released its list of 2023’s top 10 scams seen in Chicago and Northern Illinois. For the fourth consecutive year, “online purchase” ranked No. 1, with fake websites being the top issue. 

Steve Bernas, the BBB’s president and chief executive, said scammers are using the latest technology, including AI, to fool people.

“It’s hard to keep up with these scams. I mean, they just keep coming in and adding new twists to them,” Bernas said. “In the old days, you’d have to climb a telephone pole to put up an advertisement at the end of the highway, you know, or to send a letter out, stamp and mail it to everyone. Now, you can reach millions of people in minutes, and that’s what the scammers do.”

A recent online purchase scam involved a Facebook account masquerading as O’Hare International Airport’s “luggage department.” The account posted an ad that said: “Get a suitcase with baggage for just 9,95$ Chicago O’Hare International Airport sale lost luggage that has been in store for more than 6 months. According to the regulations it has to be disposed, but we have decided to sell it for just 9,95$ each. To get all the details and participate, click on ‘Order’ button and take a moment to answer a few questions.”

Comments under the posting were filled with people claiming the offer was legitimate, with many providing images of open suitcases filled with personal belongings as proof. Many of the accounts appeared to be recently created, stolen or fake, according to Block Club Chicago. 

O’Hare posted a statement Jan. 4 on Facebook debunking the claims.

“An Internet scam is making the rounds on social media, promoting an opportunity to buy unclaimed luggage at O’Hare,” the post read. “It’s not true, and you should always contact your air carrier with questions about misplaced luggage.”

Passengers with lost baggage can fill out a form on the Transportation Security Administration’s website.

Meta said in a statement that it took down the post and corresponding account.

“Scams, fraud and abuse aren’t new challenges. They happen online and offline and across the entire technology industry. But given the reach and impact of Meta’s technologies, we know we have a big role to play in combating it,” Facebook spokesman Tracy Clayton said in an email.

Bernas said he encouraged consumers to report the scam, and others, to the BBB Scam Tracker to save others from being victimized.

“If it’s too good to be true, it probably is. You’ve got to do your homework,” Bernas said. 

Other top scams

Phishing was the second most common scam for the third year in a row. Phishing targets individuals and companies through email or text messages to try and get the victim to share personal and banking information. Clicking on hyperlinks in a phishing scam can also lead to malware being installed on a person’s electronic device.

“Phishing’s really an alarming one because it’s hitting businesses just as much as consumers,” Bernas said. “It’s getting to a point where we’re telling consumers not to click on any link. Don’t answer your phone unless it’s in your contact list, let it go to voicemail. And if you think it’s your bank saying they need to call, call your bank or go to the bank’s website directly.”

Employment scams rounded out the top three on the BBB’s list, with reports of fake job opportunities. The popularity of virtual hiring and remote work, the BBB said, makes it an attractive option for scammers looking to steal someone’s identity or banking information. Scammers will go so far as to conduct multiple interviews to make the con believable, Bernas said.

Meanwhile, advance loan fee scams dropped from No. 5 in 2022 to No. 7 in 2023. These scams ask people to put down a deposit when applying for a loan.

The BBB urged consumers to take precautions, like creating difficult passwords to protect against identity theft or using a credit card for online purchases, and to keep their personal and banking information safe. 

The bureau said consumers reported 3,500 scams locally to BBB in 2023, up from about 2,600 in 2022, adding that online purchase scams accounted for about a third of all reports.

“The only way to put scammers out of business is to not give them your business, but the only way to stay away from scams is become educated about them,” Bernas said.

The top 10 local scams of 2023 were:

1. Online purchase
2. Phishing scams  
3. Employment 
4. Counterfeit products 
5. Home improvement scams
6. Health care/Medicare/Medicaid 
7. Advance fee loans 
8. Identity theft 
9. Tech support
10. Debt collections 

If you’ve spotted a scam or were the victim of one, you can report it to the BBB ScamTracker, or visit the nonprofit’s website: bbb.org.