Tag Archives: SLOW down and follow a plan to not get scammed

Introducing: Business Imposter Email Scam Prevention Videos

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By Crystal Baldwin 

Businesses get scammed by imposters, too. This notion was news to me when my office received our first business imposter email scam report about five years ago. A small law firm had transferred $30,000 as directed to do so in an email. In yet another scam involving a real estate law office, it was more than $100,000 of the seller’s money that had been unwittingly transferred to a scam account. 

:30 – Avoiding the Business Imposter Email Scam. Hear the whole story at ago.vermont.gov/cap/business-imposter

We’ve heard from a retailer, who was in the process of completing their annual supply order: a container of supplies for the holiday season, with their supplier in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong supplier’s email was hacked, and the Vermont small business responded to a valid email address of the supplier to provide updated account information—to a scammer. Charities and small membership organizations have been subjects of this scam as well. 

Recently, we heard from a nurse, who, with kind intentions to appreciate fellow frontline workers purchased gift cards as suggested by their supervisor in an email, was responding to a business imposter email scam. 

In each of these scams, the personnel involved were simply following standard operating procedure: you get an email from a figure of authority to complete a financial transaction, and you do. It is easy to assume that this kind of scam won’t happen to you or your business, but with ever-evolving technology and growing capability of scammers to deceive, it is becoming more important for businesses to be on the lookout for and arm against scams.  

:60 – Avoiding the Business Imposter Email Scam video. Hear the whole story at ago.vermont.gov/cap/business-imposter

Whether an email system is hacked and the scammer takes control to send out the transfer request, or a scammer creates a fake account email with all the boss’ credentials, these emails appear as though they are coming from a legitimate source within the business.  

  • Often, when using mobile email services, only the email sender’s name is plainly visible, rather than the entire email address. So, if the email address is “yourboss@yahoo.com,” you don’t see the Yahoo account extension unless you click on the email.   
  • Another tactic scammers use is copying the signature block of the person of authority. Scammers can easily copy signature blocks used in external out-of-office autoreply messages by receiving a reply message that includes the signature block. All the scammer had to do was send an email to get the autoreply with the signature block.  

There are countless ways in which scammers can infiltrate business systems. Businesses can never be too cautious in protecting themselves and their customers from scams. In an effort to help businesses prevent scams from derailing operations, we produced the Avoiding the Business Imposter Email Scam videos and toolkit, which includes scam warnings and actual steps that businesses can take to verify funds transfer requests.  

Avoiding the Business Imposter Email Scam video. Learn more at ago.vermont.gov/cap/business-imposter

Learn more at ago.vermont.gov/cap/business-imposter 

Get more information for businesses from the Consumer Assistance Program. 

Report Scams:  

If you or someone you know has encountered a scam in Vermont, report it. Use the Consumer Assistance Program’s online scam reporting form. 

Help us stop these scams by sharing this information with your colleagues and business personnel. 

Introducing: Family Imposter/Emergency Scam Prevention Videos

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By Crystal Baldwin

Family Imposter: Know your relationships-take steps to verify

“I need help…”
“I’m in prison…” 
“I’m in the hospital. I need help…” 
“I had a bad car accident, and people are injured…” 

No matter what the scammers say when they initiate the family imposter/ emergency scam, it is sure to spike emotion. Scammers call, claiming to be one of your most cherished loved ones—your grandchild—and ignite fear that those you care about are in dire need. With emotions running high, how can you not engage with the call, stay on the line, and find out more? You are worried and feel helpless because all you have to validate this story is the phone in your hand and the fear of what if.   

What if you do nothing and your grandchild really is in trouble?

:30 – Avoiding the Family Imposter Scam video. Hear the whole story at https://ago.vermont.gov/cap/scam-prevention-through-awareness-and-education/family-imposter-scams

I considered these very questions when writing the script for the newly released Avoiding the Family Emergency Scam videos. I recalled the stories of actual Vermont families receiving such alarming calls in the middle of the night with nothing to go on but the urgency of the call, the deep love for their family member, and the desire to resolve the issue at hand. As our volunteer actress, Ruth Wallman, relays as the unsuspecting grandparent in the video, “What was I supposed to do? He needed my help!…I like to be there for my family. But, this just went too far.” 

Slow Down: Scammers pressure you to act urgently. Don't! Regain your calm. Log the Contact: write down the info of the contact and disengage. One Call: make One Call to a primary contact to discuss the incident. Warn others by sharing your scam story and report scams to help prevent them. The Consumer Assistance Program (CAP) at 1-800-649-2424 is your local Vermont resource for scam prevention.
The SLOW method. Share this strategy with someone you care about.

In creating this video series, I hoped to help Vermont families find a way to still be there for their families when emergencies arise by arming them with useful verification strategies to decipher between a scam and an actual family crisis. Verification of the family imposter scam starts with the SLOW method, a scam response strategy I created specifically to pause and identify scams. It urges people to Slow Down, Log the Contact, make One Call to a primary contact to discuss the incident. Warn others by sharing your scam story and report scams to help prevent them. The Consumer Assistance Program (CAP) at 1-800-649-2424 is your local Vermont resource for scam prevention.

:60 – Avoiding the Family Emergency Scam video. Hear the whole story at https://ago.vermont.gov/cap/scam-prevention-through-awareness-and-education/family-imposter-scams

Engaging with others is a crucial verification step, because scammers often demand secrecy in family emergency scams and make would-be valid claims that they would be too embarrassed or ashamed, or afraid of ensuing punishment if other family members were made aware of the damning incident. 

Family support and open, frequent communication among families is essential to putting an end to the family imposter/emergency scam. If questions remain, family cannot be reached or communications are limited, contacting a third-party organization, like CAP is the next best step. CAP is familiar with scams and can help to identify them. By contacting CAP, you can also make a scam report, which helps our office identify and alert the public about scam trends.  

Help protect yourself and others by taking time to watch the video. Review the information on our website, and encourage those you care about to learn more about scams and prevention strategies to stop them.   

Avoiding the Family Emergency Scam video. Learn more at at https://ago.vermont.gov/cap/scam-prevention-through-awareness-and-education/family-imposter-scams

Learn more at https://ago.vermont.gov/cap/scam-prevention-through-awareness-and-education/family-imposter-scams 

Read more blogs about family imposter scams.  

Report Scams:   
If you or someone you know has encountered a scam in Vermont, report it. Use CAP’s online scam reporting form.    
  
Help us stop these scams by sharing this information with those you care about.  

Introducing: Romance Scam Prevention Videos

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By Crystal Baldwin

Anyone who has overheard the conversation of online streaming video game players on opposite sides of the globe knows that real and true friendships can form online between parties that have never met before. As shared in the following open letter, this is how scam prevention advocate Pat McCarty’s online relationship began just two years ago.  

:30 – Avoiding the Romance Scam video. Hear the whole story at ago.vermont.gov/cap/romance-imposter

From Pat McCarty:
Until it happens to you, it’s impossible to understand; a man or woman freely sending money to someone they’ve never met in person. But I’m here to tell you, even the most cynical, worldly, educated, and discerning person can, and does, get scammed!  

There are hundreds of different scams out there, I got caught up ‘catfished’ into a ‘Romance Scam’ that crippled me financially, undermined my self-confidence, and ended up breaking my heart. I was a 58-year-old, recent divorcée after a 30 year marriage, living on my own for the first time in my life. I’m a college graduate, fairly bright, cynic, who doesn’t suffer fools gladly. But, I’m also a Christian woman, who tries to help those in need, and THAT is what my scammer preyed upon—my compassion for others.  

I was not out looking for a mate, date, or companion on some dating site. I was playing Words With Friends online, which I often did. And that is where this scammer targeted me. The conversation was very generic at first, but slowly, over weeks, developed into an online friendship. From there, it took a turn into a private chat room, and then he had me right where he wanted me! It’s a long twisting story, but ended with me selling all my gold jewelry, sending every spare cent I had to him, as these scammers are polished and sophisticated, they have a plausible story for EVERYTHING! At the point I actually sold my car, my only transportation, to “help” him. I knew I’d ‘jumped the shark,’ and started doing some digging myself!  

What I found was heartbreaking, infuriating, and devastating.  

:60 – Avoiding the Romance Scam video. Hear the whole story at ago.vermont.gov/cap/romance-imposter

That was 2 years ago. After some time, good therapy, and scam-specific education, I no longer see myself as a victim, but as a SURVIVOR! My life is mine again, my finances are healthy again, and I’ve taken back my power by volunteering at a Fraud Watch call-in center, advising others how to get out of scams like mine and so much more. With literally hundreds of scams out there, and new ones popping up daily, I’m so honored to help others get out of their scams and find THEIR power again. And, if I’ve learned anything, it’s that literally ANYONE can be scammed! I hear stories every day of those who thought it would NEVER happen to them. Knowledge is power. Learn all the red flags and warnings….BEFORE it  happens to you!  

As Pat relays, enlisting in a scam-specific education to learn more about scams in order to stop them, is the best defense against scams. Today, our office announced the release of the Avoiding the Romance Scam prevention video (embedded throughout this post in varying lengths), an effort produced here in Vermont, based on true accounts of scams experienced by our neighbors like Pat. Help protect yourself and others by taking time to watch the video. Review the information on our website and encourage those you care about to learn more about scams and prevention strategies to stop them.  

Avoiding the Romance Scam video. Learn more at ago.vermont.gov/cap/romance-imposter

Learn more at ago.vermont.gov/cap/romance-imposter

Read more blogs about romance scams. 

Report Scams:  
If you or someone you know has encountered a scam in Vermont, report it. Use CAP’s online scam reporting form.   
 
Help us stop these scams by sharing this information with those you care about.  

Imposter Scams: Take Steps to Verify. Video Scam Prevention Project

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By Crystal Baldwin

Learn more at https://ago.vermont.gov/imposter-scams/

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 reflect, “This just isn’t me,” after having sent thousands of dollars. We feel your confusion when you say, “I don’t know where I went wrong.” We band together to rally your call to action to “do something,” because we too “don’t want this scam to happen to anyone else.” 

In chasing the call to do something, in 2019 we applied for a grant through the Sears Consumer Protection and Education Fund to produce three scam awareness and prevention videos with a uniform message for consumers to “Know Your Relationships: Take Steps to Verify.” We were awarded this grant in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, which slowed, but could not stall our efforts in completing this important project. 

Me in character on the Twincraft Skincare set.

I wrote each script, calling on personal accounts of courageous Vermonters, who were willing to share their stories with one goal in mind: to help prevent scams from happening to others. We drew up character breakdowns, hoping for a diverse cast and put out a casting call for volunteers. In the end, we had two professional actresses, Ruth Wallman and Chloë Clark, donate their talent and expertise to the cause. For the remaining roles, we relied on our personal network of generous souls, including our Assistant Director’s son, Lars Jensen, and neighbor, Dave Saraceno. The remaining roles were brought to life by CAP personnel, Cameron Randlett, Charity Clark, and me. Without any formal acting experience, I was not first in line to fill the role, but when our casted actress relocated as our filming deadline encroached, I stepped up. We finally had a concrete filming date with a spectacular set, thanks to the kindness of Twincraft Skincare to offer up their space. I couldn’t let them or this project down.  So, I put on my actor-in-training hat and broke a couple of legs—so to speak.  

This experience, from start to release date, has reinforced my commitment to providing compassionate service to the people of our state. In completing this project, we have compiled so much more than videos and information. The videos, packaged with our online resources, equip consumers to be aware about imposter scams and apply specific mechanisms to stop scams in their tracks. I am proud of my team and the final product we present to you now. 

Throughout the month of December, we will be showcasing the three produced videos, which highlight three very common scams with dollar loss: the romance imposter scam, the family emergency/imposter scam, and the business email imposter scam. It is our hope that as each video is showcased, it will be shared widely by you. As I hoped to instill throughout this work—this information is best in the hands of everybody. Please share it. 

:30 – Avoiding the Romance Scam video. Hear the whole story at ago.vermont.gov/romance-imposter
:30 – Avoiding the Family Imposter Scam video. Hear the whole story at ago.vermont.gov/family-imposter
:30 – Avoiding the Business Imposter Email Scam video. Hear the whole story at ago.vermont.gov/business-imposter

The SLOW Method to Stop Scams

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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 a strategy to help you take steps to verify. 

Slow down! Log the Contact. Make One Call to a primary contact. Who cares? Reach out to CAP at 1-800-649-2424.
Stop scams with SLOW

S – Slow down – scammers pressure you to react urgently. Don’t! Instead, take a breath and find your calm by doing what is immediately natural to you.   

L – Log the contact – write down the information of the email, or phone call. If they are on the phone, you can tell them you will call them back, even if you don’t intend to. Then, disengage. 

O – One call – make one call to a primary contact, such as a friend or family member and discuss the incident. It works best if you have pre-established who this will be; someone you can trust no matter what. The contact is a sounding board, who will ask questions and help you get curious about the interaction. Some questions might include:  

How do I know the contact is who they say they are? –What proof is there? Where can I verify their contact information that is not part of the communication I received? –Was my credit card charged? What other parties can I contact that might know more about this? How can I be sure this is not a scam? 

W – Who cares? Contact another party or organization in your life who cares. The Consumer Assistance Program (CAP) can help you identify scams and report them: 1-800-649-2424 and ago.vermont.gov/cap 

In the age of the internet and free flowing technology, scammers hope to capitalize at every turn. You can prevent scams by practicing SLOW in all your consumer transactions now—and commit to being a primary contact for others. Everyone can help stop scams by following a scam prevention plan and sharing scam knowledge with your community.