Elderly Oswego Woman Loses $2,400 In Telephone Scam, Police Say

OSWEGO, IL — A 74-year-old woman is out $2,400 dollars after falling victim to a scam caller, according to the Oswego Police Department. The callers convinced the woman to buy $2,400 in gift cards to help upgrade her iPad.

At about noon on Friday, Oct. 11, the woman received a call in her Bellevue Circle home when the caller told her she needed to pay for software upgrades to her iPad by purchasing the gift cards, police said in an incident report. The woman reported the incident Saturday morning, police said.

Scammers targeting the elderly has been a problem in Illinois and across the country for years. Over a 15-month period starting in 2017, Illinois' elderly population lost nearly $4.2 million in scams, most being perpetrated over the phone, according to one report. In the summer, a west suburban man was convicted of committing home repair fraud against elderly residents.

According to AARP, these are the top scams targeting the elderly in Illinois:

• IRS impersonation scam
• Elder financial abuse
• Unsolicited phone calls
• Government grant scams
• Grandparent scams