During Medicare Open Enrollment, scammers may contact you about updating or switching coverage. Always take steps to verify unknown callers. If you are looking to update your plan, do so on your terms. First, get help navigating Medicare plans by connecting with Vermont programs and Medicare directly.
Call the Consumer Assistance Program at 1-800-649-2424 to report scams.
Author: Crystal Baldwin
Crystal manages the publication and distribution of the CAP Connection blog.
Student Debt Relief, or a Scam?
Now that the government is, in fact, giving certain qualified borrowers some student loan debt relief, watch out for student loan debt relief scams! Make sure you are connected to the most accurate information when claiming your portion of student loan forgiveness by connecting with legitimate sources. Never pay to claim your federal loan forgiveness. Ignore government solicitations. Hang up on callers asking for your personal information. When considering debt relief in Vermont, only seek out licensed debt adjusters.
Shred events help to prevent identity theft
Banks periodically host events where they gather one or more mobile shred trucks, equipped with an industrial shredder and invite the public to offload their shredding. Shred events help prevent fraud and financial identity theft by giving people an easy way to dispose of confidential paperwork. News of data breaches and the message to stay safe online and protect your electronic information remains true and important. And still, some of the more involved and impactful crimes of identity theft, such as the creation of new accounts and huge losses, are often committed by people close to us: a relative, supposed friend, or neighbor. Some of these folks may know exactly where you keep your boxes of personal files. Destroying documents that you no longer need is the best method to prevent potential theft and misuse of that document. Keeping such documents around your home, or neglectfully discarding them in original form makes you more susceptible to identity theft.
When Computer Tech Support is a Scam
Computer tech support scammers are imposters that immediately gain trust by using well-known company names like Norton, Microsoft, or Apple, or by expressing a desire to help fix a daunting problem. Ranking third among the scams with the highest dollar loss, $695,240, in Vermont in 2021, this scam is historically successful due to its ability to establish a sense of familiarity and legitimacy garnered by the scammer’s suggested affiliation with a company and their technical prowess.
SCAM ALERT: BEWARE OF “COURIERS” COLLECTING CASH IN FAMILY EMERGENCY SCAM
In a new variation of the family emergency scam in which scammers are demanding that cash be handed over in person to a “courier.” By presenting a fake emergency in which their loved one needs help getting out of trouble, scammers pressure panicked family members, including grandparents, into acting before they can realize it’s a scam. CAP advises Vermonters to slow down and follow a plan to not get scammed. Use the SLOW method in urgent situations.