Author Archives: Crystal Baldwin

About Crystal Baldwin

Crystal manages the publication and distribution of the CAP Connection blog.

Giving Season Go-To’s

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Giving gifts, whether to friends or organizations with meaningful missions can bring warmth and cheer during this cold time of year. Help yourself and others avoid holiday purchasing pitfalls by slowing down throughout your consumer transitions, taking steps to verify, and reaching out to your trusted community supports when questions arise. Talking about our consumer experiences—the good, the not so good, and the detrimental—can help others make informed purchasing decisions. Here are a few things I have learned:

  1. Give wisely – You can look up charities thoroughly before giving. You can see how they allocate funds and whether giving to them will count as a tax deduction. The EIN of charities are even online so that you can verify the organization exists.
  2. Plan out your online shopping – Always doublecheck the URL (website) is the one you know and trust before proceeding. For new stores, research thoroughly before buying by checking state business registrations, looking up BBB information, and searching for complaints online. Always ask friends for their opinion. All the information gathering will help you make an informed decision.
  3. Avoid fake ads – Just because you see it online, does not make it real. It can be the nicest looking professional graphic design around and it can still be a scam. If you are seeing ads that interest you while perusing the internet check it out on the site you know to be valid. Most sites have a promotions section so that you can see the latest deals being offered.
  4. Watch your “spaving” – That’s spending to save. Do you really need that extra set of doll boots that gets you to the site’s $150 free shipping minimum, or are you just spending more to get shipping (a $10 charge) for free? The same goes for buying bulk products you don’t use or need and participating in “buy more, save more” events (if you spend $100, you get 25% off).
  5. Use store rewards when it benefits you – When you sign up for store memberships with rewards programs, your consumer activity is tracked. The rewards program comes with an incentive for you to spend more to earn more rewards. (Another kind of buy more, save more). Periodically, you receive a coupon or credit representing the rewards you have earned that you can apply toward your future purchase. Store rewards can lead to savings when you use them to buy things for which you have a use.
  6. Pay with a credit card when you can, because credit cards come with built-in consumer fraud protection. A smart consumer spending choice is only charging what you can pay back right away so that you can pay off the amount without incurring more debt.
  7. Always watch out for scams – Scammers thrive during this busy time. When we have a lot going on, we become more susceptible to scams.

During this time of giving and kindness, keep your friends, family and community close, keep talking and you will help each other avoid consumer problems and scams.

If you have encountered problems with the purchase of goods or services in Vermont, you can contact the Vermont Attorney General’s Consumer Assistance Program by calling 1-800-649-2424, or by going to our website at ago.vermont.gov/cap.

Scams are crimes that we can try to avoid

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By Crystal Baldwin

A heartfelt thank you to Jeanette Voss and Martha “Mickey” Pullen for sharing your stories in a recent Seven Days article, Cyber Scams Are Leaving Older Vermonters Destitute, Frustrated and Saddled with Tax Debt. Your stories help us understand that scams are malicious criminal operations that succeed through thievery. You have helped others to see that responding to a scam is deeply human and natural. Scams are crimes. Scams are never the fault of the people they harm.

Findings by the Federal Trade Commission as well as AARP support that we humans are most likely to respond to scams when our emotions (positive and negative) are elevated—from anger to love, we have recently experienced two or more stressful life events, are living in isolation, and have increased exposure to scam encounters.

It could look like this: A new mom on maternity leave who lost her beloved father receives a call about an unpaid IRS tax debt. When scammers use carefully scripted dialog, the notion of unpaid taxes seems plausible. One may question whether claimed dependents had been properly updated, or if a burial tax was overlooked.

This new mom receiving an unwanted call from the IRS was me. During the call, I felt panic rise as I readied myself to engage. My sleep deprivation and my baby saved me. Upon receipt of the call, I was rushing out the door with my crying child. I decided I was too tired and overwhelmed to engage in a meaningful conversation. Exasperated, I said, “I just can’t right now,” and hung up. Once I was seated in my car, I expressed a long exhale. In that moment, I started laughing as I said aloud, “That was a scam!” My baby was not amused.  

When involved in a scam our brains are likely to experience an “amygdala hijack” —a term defined by Emotional Intelligence expert Daniel Goleman. This hijack is a natural response to emotional stimuli. When it is triggered, our response bypasses the orderly and fact-checking part of our brain. Scammers trigger this hijack by using manipulative psychological tactics. In the recent experience I shared above, my emotions helped me out of a tough situation. But I have experienced scams before where my emotion-based actions led me to monetary loss.

Scams frequently occur in isolation. Because of this, one of our best prevention strategies is to stay connected with our communities. That way, whenever you encounter something that is unexpected, urgent, unsettling, or unknown, you can engage a trusted contact, or community organization. This trusted support serves as your sounding board. They will help you to ask questions and expose the scam. Regularly engaging your trusted contact, such as when thinking about buying from a new website or making a high-dollar purchase, helps you to form scam avoidance habits. As burdensome as it may seem to activate a prevention strategy involving others, think of it like locking your door. It is a safety measure that will hopefully stop a thief from stealing from you.

Key Prevention Tip: When it's unexpected, urgent, unsettling, or unfamiliar: Slow down, Take steps to verify, Get community support.

If you have responded to a scam, know that you are not alone. Please report all scams to the FBI’s IC3.gov so that they can aggregate data to identify scam activity.

Steps when funds or personal information have been jeopardized:

STEP 1:
Immediately contact the Financial Institution’s Fraud Department.

STEP 2:
Immediately report to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center: ic3.gov or call 1-800-CALL-FBI
If personal information may have been stolen or compromised:  IdentityTheft.gov provides step-by-step recovery guidance or call 1-877-438-4338

STEP 3:
Consider engaging a trusted contact who will support you through the process.

STEP 4:
Engage Vermont supports when you need additional help:

VT Attorney General’s Consumer Assistance Program:
 ago.Vermont.gov/cap

VT Department of Financial Regulation:
dfr.Vermont.gov

Local law enforcement inquiry

United Ways of Vermont 2-1-1 Information and Referral Hotline

Stay safe and be well, Vermont.

Email Extortion Using Photos of Home

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In a new twist in the email extortion scam a photo of your home is sent with the threat to send compromising photos and videos of you to your contacts. Threats like these instill great fear and worry. The scammer advises you to scan a QR code, directing you to pay with Bitcoin or provide them with access to your computer. If you do not cooperate, they threaten to share your embarrassing photos and videos to your contacts.

In today’s internet age, information is easy to obtain. To find your home, scammers search related information about you to locate your address. Then, they use mapping programs like Google Street View to capture a picture of your house—even when thousands of miles away. While using Google Street View in Vermont, I was able to view the front façade of a hotel in Italy when referencing its address.

If Google Maps or another mapping service has traveled your street, a street view picture of your home likely exists.

Additional ways this photo may be obtained is through prior real estate listings, or potentially local tax appraisals.

These e-mails are scams. If you receive one of these e-mails, DO NOT send money and do not allow remote access to your computer. Only scan QR codes of known parties.

Tips from the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (ic3.gov):

  • NEVER send compromising images of yourself to anyone, no matter who they are or who they say they are.
  • Do not open attachments from people you do not know. Links can secretly hack your electronic devices using malware to gain access to your private data, photos, and contacts, or control your web camera and microphone without your knowledge.
  • Turn off your electronic devices and web cameras when not in use.

If you are receiving email extortion threats:

  • Remember you are not alone as thousands are impacted by this scam.
  • Stop all interaction with the extortionist and do not be embarrassed or afraid to contact law enforcement.
  • File a complaint with the FBI IC3 at www.ic3.gov.

You can call CAP at 1-800-649-2424 if you need help determining if you have encountered a scam.

You can help stop scams by sharing this information with your community.

Reference:

Ic3.gov – https://www.ic3.gov/media/Y2021/PSA210902
www.icactaskforce.org/resource/RS00510153/view

Avoid Scams and Fraud During Flood Recovery

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Vermonters have become all too familiar with the difficulties of disaster flooding. We know from experience that as we seek to recover, time is of the essence. We may bypass research gathering steps to respond as quickly as possible to the most pressing needs. When encountering urgent, unexpected, or unfamiliar consumer transactions, like agreements for repair, or disaster recovery, avoid scams and fraud by slowing down and taking steps to verify. Engage trusted contacts to help consider the next steps and to help you make informed consumer decisions.

As we recover: Avoid Scams. Phony charities, government (FEMA) relief, dubious contractors. Ago.vermont.gov/cap
Printable Flood Resources

You can further avoid scams and fraud by looking out for the following known disaster scams:

Government imposter relief scams may claim to be the Federal government or the State of Vermont or FEMA. FEMA scams manifest as fraudulent inspectors that request fees for service, or administrative personnel that call to “verify” your information but are phishing for your personal information. Such relief help scams may even claim they can speed up your FEMA relief application for a fee.

Avoid this scam:  Connect with FEMA directly online. Seek updates regarding whether emergency declarations have been made: https://www.fema.gov/disaster/declarations and follow updates from the Vermont Emergency Management.

Phony charities that solicit funds claiming to support recovery efforts. The Vermont way is to help our neighbors. We all want to help, whether it is through volunteering or donating money. Sadly, scammers use the same contact methods as legitimate charities (phone, online, mail).

Avoid this scam:  Please only give to valid charities that you have thoroughly researched and vetted. Use tools like the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance and Charity Navigator to research charities before you donate.

Dubious contractors may appear with promises to restore damages immediately in exchange for immediate payment. Such contractors urge you to act fast, may offer lower prices, and do not have credentials—though they might say they are “registered and insured,” these are unverified statements.

Avoid this scam: Vermonters must be extra critical about hiring home improvement contractors. Never pay in full upfront for a home improvement project. Make sure you have a contract. Reference our Home Repair How-To Checklist for more tips on finding and hiring home improvement contractors.

Please watch out for these scams and report them to the Consumer Assistance Program by phone at 800-649-2424 or online at ago.vermont.gov/cap

More: Visit the Federal Trade Commission on spotting and avoiding post-disaster scams: https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-avoid-scams-after-weather-emergencies-and-natural-disasters

Update August, 20, 2024: “FEMA announced that federal disaster assistance is available to the state of Vermont to supplement recovery efforts in the areas affected by severe storm, flooding, landslides and mudslides from July 9-11, 2024” (https://www.fema.gov/press-release/20240820/president-joseph-r-biden-jr-approves-major-disaster-declaration-vermont).

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day: Help in Your Community

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By Crystal Baldwin

As we prepare for World Elder Abuse Awareness Day this Saturday, please read and share: “Finding Help,” a guide on help options for Vermonters experiencing elder abuse, exploitation and neglect. 

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day: Building Strong Support for Elders - National Center on Elder Abuse - My Community, your community - free of elder abuse
National Center on Elder Abuse – World Elder Abuse Awareness Day

When considering care for our loved ones, there is a lot to think about . Who should help manage their money? Should someone live with them, and who? Can we afford to hire an in-home caregiver? Should we seek out assisted living care, or think about an adult day option? Once everything is finally sorted out, we can exhale. But should we? As our parents checked in on our wellbeing as children, once our elders are set and settled, we must continue to check in on them, too, with great care and concern for their wellbeing. 

On this World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, we must be vigilant and aware of the risk factors and signs of elder abuse. We must serve as supportive connections to older adults in our communities to prevent their social isolation—one of the main elder abuse risk factors (ncea.acl.gov). As someone who has cared for a vulnerable elder, I know firsthand that it can be difficult to know where to turn for help, advice, and guidance.   

Finding Help: Abuse, Exploitation & Neglect in Later Life - link to guide
Finding Help – A resource guide produced by the VT Attorney General’s Office and the Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living

Last fall, the Vermont Attorney General’s Elder Protection Initiative and the Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living launched the Finding Help: Abuse, Exploitation and Neglect in Later Life help guide, a resource for Vermont’s most vulnerable and those who care for them. The guide walks through how to recognize abuse and exploitation, help options outside of government, as well as how to report elder abuse or exploitation to government for response. This resource outlines free services provided by an array of organizations and state agencies, including: 

  • Elder abuse hotlines and helplines 
  • Case managers and social workers 
  • Domestic & sexual violence organizations 
  • Legal services; and 
  • Other community-based organizations and professionals 

You can help prevent elder abuse and exploitation. I encourage you to share and save a copy of this guide and keep it among your most referenced resources. Also, consider printing out the following abbreviated resource guide and share it with the elders in your life.  It includes some of the primary referral resource hotlines and can be kept handy close to the phone for easy reference.   

Resources for VTer's 60+ Vermont 2-1-1 VT Area Agencies on Aging 1-800-642-5119 VT Adult Protective Svcs 1-800-564-1612 VT Office of the Public Guardian 1-800-642-3100 UVMMC Case Mgmt and Social Work Team 1-802-847-3553 SASH 1-802-863-2224 Blueprint for Health - contact a Primary Care Physician. National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-372-8311
Resources for Vermonters 60+. Print and share.

Resources: 
NCEA: https://ncea.acl.gov/
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day: https://worldelderabuseawareness.com/about-weaad/