Scammers will say just about anything to get your money! Unfortunately, this includes pretending to be charities. For Military Consumer Month, we’d like to share some information about how you can securely give to legitimate charities who support our service members, and avoid scams.
If you receive a charity solicitation over the phone, ask questions!
As noted in our post from November 2018,
it’s important to do your homework before giving. Here are some steps you can
take:
Research the cause before donating. Helpful websites, like Charity Navigator and the Better Business Bureau’s Giving Wise Alliance (BBB), have information on charities.
Double-check solicitation mailing addresses and phone numbers. Ask fundraising callers to mail you the solicitation first, so that you can check the contact information.
Look for paid fundraiser information. A paid fundraiser is a third-party solicitation company that, aside from the fundraising campaign, is not affiliated with the charity. This means that a portion of the funds raised are split between the charity and the soliciting business. Vermonters can ask if a third-party fundraiser is involved. For information about paid fundraisers, see the “Charities” section on the CAP website.
Still unsure? If you receive a solicitation that seems suspicious, but just aren’t sure, give the Consumer Assistance Program a call: (800) 649-2424. We’re happy to help.
Contributing Writer: Madison Braz Content Editor: Crystal Baldwin
July
is military consumer month, and here at the Consumer Assistance Program (CAP)
we hope to spotlight the most common type of scams affecting service members
and veterans— imposter scams.
Last year, more than 36,000 service
members, veterans, or family members reported
an imposter scam nationwide. Imposter
scams take a variety of forms. For example, some imposters say they
are calling to offer technical support or that they are from the Social
Security Administration, while others pose as friends or family members with an
emergency. The common thread is that they all involve a scammer pretending to
be a trustworthy person, to convince you to send money or personal information.
Here are some examples of common imposter scams:
Social
Security Administration
The
scam: Scammers call and
pretend to be from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They say your
Social Security number (SSN) has been suspended because of suspicious activity
or it being involved in a crime.
What to do: Be wary of responding to unsolicited contacts, and never provide personal information to someone you don’t know. If you feel that your Social Security number has been compromised, call CAP for more information and visit identitytheft.gov to file a report.
Needy Friend or Relative
The scam:
Scammers claiming to be
a grandchild, friend/relative or romantic interest contact consumer, reportedly
in distress and needing money to be wired or transmitted with a reloadable
card, gift card (like iTunes), PayPal account payment, cash or check/money
order.
What to do: Call your friends or family members on
known phone numbers to ensure that they are safe. Never wire or otherwise send
funds unless you can verify the emergency.
Tech
Support
The scam: A phone call or pop-up message on your computer claiming to
be from Microsoft/Windows or another well-known tech company. The scammers will
say that there’s a virus or other problem with your computer and try to
persuade you to give them remote access to resolve the issue.
What
to do: If you get a
phone call you didn’t expect from someone who says there’s a problem with your
computer, hang up. Never call a
number in a pop-up that warns you of computer problems. Real security warnings
will never ask you to call a phone number. Legitimate customer service information usually won’t display
as a pop-up. Companies like Microsoft, Apple and Google do not call you to
notify you of malware on your computer.
Robocalls
The scam: If you answer the phone and hear a recorded message instead of a live person, it’s a robocall. Technology has made it cheap and easy for scammers to make illegal calls from anywhere in the world, and to hide from law enforcement by displaying fake caller ID information. The automated voice on the other end of the line may claim to be a utility, or government agency.
What to do: Hang up the phone, don’t call back, and do not provide any personal information.
Gift Card
Scams
You may be asked to take a picture of or read numbers off the back of the card, which is like sending cash. Don’t do it!
The scam: Some
imposters contact you with an urgent need for money, and ask you to pay with gift cards
right away. The imposters will often tell you to go buy popular gift cards
(like, iTunes, Google Play, or Amazon) at a store near you. Once you buy the
gift cards, the callers will then demand the gift card number and PIN on the
back of the card. Those numbers provide the scammer with immediate access to
the money on the card. After you provide these numbers, the scammers typically disappear
without a trace.
Gift cards are
like cash—if you buy a gift card and someone uses it, you probably cannot get
your money back. Remember, gift cards are for gifts to people you know and
trust, not payments.
What to do: If
you paid a scammer with a gift card, call the company that issued the gift card
right away and alert CAP. When you contact the company, tell them the gift card
was used in a scam. Ask them if they can refund your money. If you act quickly
enough, the company might be able to get your money back. Also, tell the store
where you bought the gift card as soon as possible.
If ever you are unsure about a scam, give CAP a call. We take scam reports every day and are familiar with the type of scams out there, so can help issue spot the red flags when something suspicious arises. Call us at 800-649-2424.
Contributing Writer: Madison Braz Content Editor: Crystal Baldwin
“Nationally, of the 60+ age cohort, 1 in 10 adults experience some form of mistreatment each year.”[1] National Center on Elder Abuse
“For every case of reported elder abuse, neglect or exploitation, about 23 instances go unreported.”[2] VT Attorney General’s Office and the Department of Aging and Independent Living
Elder abuse occurs in many forms: physical
abuse, sexual abuse, psychological abuse, neglect, abandonment and financial
exploitation. Elder abuse can occur in any setting and can be by a person
or entity. There could be a preexisting relationship of trust—and in most
cases victims know their abuser—or a connection can be new.[1]
Each of us can play an important role in preventing elder abuse. The first step is recognizing and identifying signs of abuse. These steps are outlined by the Attorney General’s Elder Protection Initiative and the Department of Aging and Independent Living in this linked release commemorating World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.
Knowing how to contact the agencies and organizations that can assist is essential to eliminating elder abuse. To simplify the reporting process, the following is a list of resources.
REPORT
CONTACT
Life-threatening situation
911
Suspected elder abuse, neglect or exploitation, including financial exploitation
If you are still not sure who to contact, call United Ways of Vermont 2-1-1 information and referral hotline (dial 211 or 802-652-4636). They are a great resource, connecting Vermonters to organizations and agencies. They have committed to enhancing their referral work specifically for calls related to elder abuse and exploitation.
We can all commit to ending elder abuse by serving those in our communities that may be preyed upon. Here, at the Consumer Assistance Program, to help prevent financial exploitation in scams, we distribute scam alerts and encourage recipients to share the information with friends, neighbors and loved ones. Anyone can sign up by calling us at 800-649-2424, or by visiting our website ago.vermont.gov/cap/stopping-scams. The Elder Protection Initiative has even more information on how you can help on the Get Involved page.
At the Consumer Assistance Program (CAP), we always get a bit nostalgic during graduation season. It is a time of passage as we bid farewell to students that once worked in our office as part of our service-learning course. We hope that they will take with them the skills they learned while providing service to citizens of Vermont. Specifically, we hope they will know how to spot scams. We caution students to be especially suspicious about student loan consolidation scams.
We urge graduates to beware of student loan consolidators that lure grads to pay for their services when the amount of school loans seems daunting. Scammers may claim to offer consolidation services, require payment, and then offer nothing in return. In Vermont, all debt consolidation companies, also known as debt adjusters and debt management companies, must be licensed with Vermont’s Department of Financial Regulation.
As student loans come due, there are many
resources available to students to help navigate repayment:
Vermont students can access VSAC for free guidance by calling 800-862-3177
If you are contacted by a company soliciting payment from you to help manage your student loan debt, hang up. Instead, connect with student loan management options by reaching out to the resources above. If you have been contacted by a scam consolidation company, contact the Consumer Assistance Program at 800-649-2424 to report it.
Health is very important. To stay healthy, we may get the urge to try new health care products or medicine without knowing a lot about them. Unfortunately, health care scams loom. Below is what you should know about health and medical product scams.
Health and medical product scams try to convince the
consumer that there is a “cure-all” medicine, treatment, or product at a very
low cost. These scams may surface as an email, an advertisement on the internet,
or as a phone call. The scammers may claim to be linked to doctors or
hospitals. The offers may look real, but the products could be fake and
endanger a person’s health.
Signs to spot a health or medical product scam:
An unsolicited email/advertisement offering a popular medication at a very low price.
The products are very cheap and offer “cure-all” characteristics.
The seller claims a prescription is not necessary.
You’ve never heard of the product.
The mentioned doctor is not real.
There is no scientific data on the product.
If you find a new health and medical product that you are
unsure of, always ask a trusted and licensed healthcare professional about it. If
you find a suspicious healthcare website, do not give any personal information
or financial information. Always do research and get the facts to stay informed
and stay safe.
If you or anyone you know has engaged with a scam, please contact the Consumer Assistance Program at 800-649-2424.
