Sauk Village school bus driver battling cancer loses thousands to fake loan scam: 'It's gone'

SAUK VILLAGE, Ill. (WLS) -- The Better Business Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission say you should never pay for a loan. That's a scam.

But people are falling for loan scams because of inflation and post-COVID-19 pandemic struggles.

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Loans being offered online ask you to pay a certain amount of money "first," but the loan never shows up.

South suburban Sauk Village resident Ann Zroski thought she was getting help. Instead, she lost thousands.

"I have cancer for a second time. I'm a school bus driver, and I'm laid off temporarily. I've got house taxes, groceries, a bunch of back bills to pay," Zroski said. "And they said, 'I can give you a $10,000 loan.'"

The "loan" letter to Zroski stated that she had to pay an upfront "collateral" fee of $1,016. But then, she said, representatives on the phone said her credit was bad and she had to pay another $2,200. She wired the money to a man named Sean.

"It's gone. It's gone where I could have used that money to pay these bills," Zroski said of the more than $3,000 she lost.

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Zroski said representatives from the company initially reached out to her by text. She says she never got the loan and now, she can't find anybody.

"And I never heard from her again," Zroski said.

The loan agreement was through a company called McConnellsburg Financial Group, but the website is now down.

ABC7's Jason Knowles left messages, but did not hear back.

The I-Team found that the business address on that letter to Zroski came back to an office building in Boise, Idaho, but the building owner, Kevin Hogle, told ABC7 his address was being used without his knowledge, and the loan company does not have a lease with him.

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"Yeah, it's terrible, which is why, when we first got a call, you know, we thought it was unusual, and then we got a second call, and then immediately started investigating and trying to figure out what we could do to stop them," Hogle said.

Hogle is also, coincidentally, a consumer fraud attorney, so he was able to report the business and get the company's website taken down.

Chicago area Better Business Bureau President Steve Bernas says the BBB is seeing a rise in loan scam complaints because times are tough.

"According to law, you cannot charge an advance fee for a loan," Bernas said. "They ask for an application fee, but they tell you that you're guaranteed to get the loan. So, consumers down on their luck are looking for ways to get out of that underwater."

Bernas says the crooks not only take your money but can also steal your identity.

"People are filling out applications and giving away their banking info, their Social Security numbers. It's a double scam," Bernas said.

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Zroski says she is now monitoring her credit, and she wants other people in need to not get tricked.

"Never pay money to get a loan. I learned the hard way because it's a scam," Zroski said.

You can report loan scams to the BBB, the FTC and the FBI's internet crime complaint center if it is cyber-related. And remember, no legitimate lender will ever ask for payment before you get a loan.

A GoFundMe has been started for Zroski.