The Stopping Scams Together initiative encourages our community of Vermonters to identify scams and share success stories of stopping scams together. Many Vermont partners and individuals are already doing the work to understand scams and stop them. You can help too. Share your success story of stopping a scam on social and use #StopScamsVT.
Tag: SLOW Method
Top 10 Scams of 2022 Released by Attorney General’s Office
BURLINGTON, VT – Reports of scams to the Attorney General’s Consumer Assistance Program totaled 3,685 in 2022. In keeping with the previous year’s trend, a scam claiming that an unauthorized order was placed, or a package is pending delivery, sometimes naming Amazon, took the number one spot on the list, totaling 19 percent of the… Continue reading Top 10 Scams of 2022 Released by Attorney General’s Office
Medicare Open Enrollment Scammer, or the Real Deal?
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.
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.
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.