Tagged: illinois

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan is filing suit against a company for allegedly conning businesses into paying unnecessary fees with an official-looking letter. The bogus letters told companies to pay a $125 fee for an "annual minutes records form." Madigan's office says the letters were made to look like they were from the Illinois Secretary of State's office. Madigan says companies can toss the letters in the garbage because the fee isn't required by Illinois law.

Illinois state officials are donating computers from the federal government to help veterans find jobs.  The Illinois Department of Central Management Services and state Veterans Affairs says 100 refurbished computers will be given to organizations throughout the state so veterans can get online access to job training and state and federal resources.

The Illinois Department of Employment Security says a federal program that provided unemployment insurance beyond the state's initial 25-week coverage expires Dec. 29. Congress extended the Emergency Unemployment Compensation program earlier this year, but the extension included a provision to end the program later this month. It has provided long-term unemployed people with benefits for 20 weeks beyond the state program financed by Illinois businesses.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources says hunters harvested more than 99 thousand deer during this year's firearm season. The preliminary total is about 2,500 higher than last year.  I-D-N-R Forest Wildlife Program Manager Paul Shelton says hunters probably benefited from this year’s split season because of warmer weather.

A consumer advocacy groups says scams adding charges to people’s cell phone bills have almost doubled in Illinois this past year.  The Citizens Utility Board says scammers target cell users as wireless communication increases and new laws forbid cramming land lines. Cramming refers to third-party charges added to customers’ bills for services they never ordered.