Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart issues warning about scammers this holiday season
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The holidays are here, and so are the scammers.
With that in mind, the Cook County Sheriff's office wants to make sure your information is safe.
In a startling statistic from the AARP, about 76 percent of U.S. consumers have experienced some type of fraud. The age group often targeted is senior citizens.
Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart said Tuesday that his department continues to see a steady increase in cybercrimes.
But most cases often go unreported, because victims are too embarrassed to come forward.
"We don't even hear about all of it, and there is literally nothing to be embarrassed about," Dart told a group of seniors Tuesday. "These are craven people who have - literally, literally, there are no boundaries. There's none."
Dart's advice is – don't click on links or give information to any phone numbers or emails you don't recognize.