{"id":1030,"date":"2020-11-24T15:21:19","date_gmt":"2020-11-24T20:21:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/?p=1030"},"modified":"2020-11-24T16:07:00","modified_gmt":"2020-11-24T21:07:00","slug":"the-awful-covid-19-hardship-benefits-and-compensation-scam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/the-awful-covid-19-hardship-benefits-and-compensation-scam\/","title":{"rendered":"The Awful COVID-19 Hardship Benefits and Compensation Scam"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Today, our office issued a scam alert\u00a0to warn about\u00a0a scam that\u00a0monopolizes on our COVID-19 hardship.\u00a0\u00a0The email claims that the Vermont Department of Labor has recognized\u00a0the difficulty the pandemic has caused and will pay $3750\u00a0starting today.\u00a0 All\u00a0that is needed is\u00a0identity verification.\u00a0What Vermont family\u00a0couldn\u2019t\u00a0use this extra help?\u00a0 Especially\u00a0while\u00a0many Vermonters enter the holiday season.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to a recent UVM study, 1 in 3 Vermonters are food insecure (Niles, et al. UVM<\/a>).  You and I may have guessed that.  The lines at food drives<\/a> and food shelves<\/a> have gotten longer, not shorter.  The Everyone Eats<\/a> program is overloaded with participant families.  Vermonters are hungry, in search of hope, and then in comes this email promising prosperity and money.  It is despicable.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just think what you could do with that money.  You could buy a traditional Thanksgiving meal at the grocery store, like you always used to. You could ensure your family is well fed over holiday breaks.  You could give your children a winter season worth remembering.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, with this scam and all phishing scams, the scam keeps going once the information has been provided to the scammer.  Accounts are opened in your name without your knowledge or consent.  The scammers could even use the information they have gathered to apply for unemployment insurance benefits in your name.          <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Screen capture of scam email claiming COVID-19 benefits and compensation will be issued.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The fact that a scam outfit would capitalize on the pandemic is inconceivable.\u00a0\u00a0Let\u2019s\u00a0teach these scammers a lesson.\u00a0 The more who know about this scam, the less will\u00a0respond.\u00a0 Share this information with your community and others you care about.\u00a0 When you share, be sure to let others know if they receive one of these notices:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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