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.
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.
Free Cybersecurity Training for VT Small Businesses
The Consumer Assistance Program of the Vermont Attorney General’s Office is hosting the Cybersecurity for Small Businesses Training, a free webinar about protecting your small business from data breaches, scams, and cyber-attacks. Representatives from the Vermont Attorney General’s Office will be joined by Microsoft on September 29th from 9:30-10:30 for a free virtual presentation on cybersecurity… Continue reading Free Cybersecurity Training for VT Small Businesses
Vermont Business Imposter Email Scams Are on the Rise
Scammers are impersonating employees or familiar business representatives’ emails and contacting company bookkeepers and office administrators asking them to change bank account information, direct deposit information, or asking them to write checks. By impersonating an employee’s email address or creating a fake personal email for the employee, scammers can steal money from businesses and steal paychecks from employees. Vermont businesses and non-profits should always verify email addresses and speak directly with an employee or business representative in person or via phone when sending money or changing payment information.