From McHenry County:

Be on the Lookout for Scams

WOODSTOCK, Ill. – McHenry County Clerk and Recorder Joe Tirio is cautioning people to be vigilant against scams after one of his employees received a home warranty scam attempt in the mail.

When Tirio called the number on the letter warning that the employee’s home warranty was set to expire, the operator told him that they worked for McHenry County – and promptly hung up when Tirio informed him who he was.

“While many scam attempts are obvious – from outlandish threats of fines and imprisonment to letters and emails chock full of laughable spelling and grammar errors – there are others that aren’t as easy to detect,” Tirio said.

“County residents, especially seniors who are more often targeted, need to be on their guard against efforts to steal their money or their private information.”

Every type of scam, from phone calls to phony letters and fake look-alike websites, has red flags that can be easily caught.

The Better Business Bureau maintains an informative and easy-to-understand guide to various scams at www.bbb.org/all/spot-a-scam, which also offers visitors the opportunity to sign up for weekly scam alerts.

People can also visit www.bbb.org/scamtracker to look up and report items they suspect are potential scams.

“While many scams are easily detectable – McHenry County government is not in the home warranty business – you can always call and ask if anyone suspicious is claiming that they are working on McHenry County’s behalf,” Tirio said.

The County Clerk and Recorder’s Office offers a free service called the Property Fraud Alert Program, which offers personal notification by email, text message or phone call if a document is recorded in their name.

You can sign up by visiting www.propertyfraudalert.com, or calling 800-728-3858. To learn more about the alert system, click here.