Reports of scams to the Attorney General’s Consumer Assistance Program (CAP) totaled 5,154 in 2021, up just slightly from the previous year’s 5,021 reports. Two variations of the Computer Tech Support scam and the Online Listing scam claimed the number one, three, and seven spots respectively on CAP’s list of top ten scams in 2021, covering nearly a quarter of the total reports filed by Vermonters. Continue reading
By Crystal Baldwin My fellow Consumer Assistance Program (CAP) colleagues and I have heard hundreds of personal stories from those who have experienced loss due to scams. The effects of scams are devastating and overwhelming. We understand where you are coming from when you … Continue reading
For scam interactions and consumer transactions generally, you can apply the SLOW method to disrupt the unpredictable reaction response you are likely to experience by substituting a planned response instead. At the onset of the first communication, start with SLOW as … Continue reading
Vermonters filed 5,021 scam reports with the Attorney General’s Consumer Assistance Program (CAP) in 2020. The Social Security number phishing scam, which typically involves calls claiming that your Social Security number has been compromised, suspended, or linked to criminal activity, remained the most commonly scam for the … Continue reading
By Crystal Baldwin This time last year, I had no idea my whole life would be online—work, exercise, shopping excursions, and more. Now that pretty much every facet of my life, and likely yours too, involves the internet, we must be on … Continue reading