{"id":1196,"date":"2021-12-16T10:53:28","date_gmt":"2021-12-16T15:53:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/?p=1196"},"modified":"2024-06-11T15:10:09","modified_gmt":"2024-06-11T19:10:09","slug":"introducing-family-imposter-emergency-scam-prevention-videos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/introducing-family-imposter-emergency-scam-prevention-videos\/","title":{"rendered":"Introducing: Family Imposter\/Emergency Scam Prevention Videos"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>By Crystal Baldwin<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"361\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/files\/2021\/12\/FamilyImposterKnowYourRelationshipsTakeStepstoVerify-1024x361.png\" alt=\"Family Imposter: Know your relationships-take steps to verify\" class=\"wp-image-1200\" style=\"width:625px;height:220px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/files\/2021\/12\/FamilyImposterKnowYourRelationshipsTakeStepstoVerify-1024x361.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/files\/2021\/12\/FamilyImposterKnowYourRelationshipsTakeStepstoVerify-300x106.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/files\/2021\/12\/FamilyImposterKnowYourRelationshipsTakeStepstoVerify-768x271.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/files\/2021\/12\/FamilyImposterKnowYourRelationshipsTakeStepstoVerify-1536x542.png 1536w, https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/files\/2021\/12\/FamilyImposterKnowYourRelationshipsTakeStepstoVerify-2048x723.png 2048w, https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/files\/2021\/12\/FamilyImposterKnowYourRelationshipsTakeStepstoVerify-500x176.png 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;I need help&#8230;&#8221;<br \/><em>\u201cI\u2019m in prison\u2026\u201d<\/em>&nbsp;<br \/><em>\u201cI\u2019m in the hospital. I need help\u2026\u201d<\/em>&nbsp;<br \/><em>\u201cI had a bad car accident, and people are injured\u2026\u201d<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>No matter what the scammers say when they initiate the&nbsp;family imposter\/ emergency&nbsp;scam,&nbsp;it&nbsp;is sure to spike emotion. Scammers&nbsp;call,&nbsp;claiming to be one of your most cherished loved ones\u2014your grandchild\u2014and ignite fear that those you care about are in dire need.\u202fWith emotions running high,\u202fhow can you not engage with the call, stay on the line, and find out more? You are worried and feel helpless because all you&nbsp;have to&nbsp;validate this story is the phone in your hand and the fear of&nbsp;<em>what if<\/em>.\u202f&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What if you do nothing and your grandchild really is in trouble?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\":30 - Avoiding the Family Imposter Scam\" width=\"584\" height=\"329\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/PaRNpdAygis?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">:30 &#8211; Avoiding the Family Imposter Scam video. Hear the whole story at <a href=\"https:\/\/ago.vermont.gov\/cap\/scam-prevention-through-awareness-and-education\/family-imposter-scams\">https:\/\/ago.vermont.gov\/cap\/scam-prevention-through-awareness-and-education\/family-imposter-scams<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I considered these very questions when&nbsp;writing the script for the newly released Avoiding the Family Emergency Scam&nbsp;videos.&nbsp;I recalled the stories of actual Vermont&nbsp;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.&nbsp;As our volunteer actress, Ruth Wallman,&nbsp;relays as the&nbsp;unsuspecting&nbsp;grandparent in the video,&nbsp;\u201c<strong>What was I supposed to do? He needed my help!&#8230;I like to be there for my family.&nbsp;But,&nbsp;this just went too far.<\/strong>\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"940\" height=\"788\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/files\/2024\/06\/SLOW-for-Imposter-Scams.png\" alt=\"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\u00a0(CAP) at 1-800-649-2424 is your local Vermont resource for scam prevention.\" class=\"wp-image-1774\" style=\"width:253px;height:229px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/files\/2024\/06\/SLOW-for-Imposter-Scams.png 940w, https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/files\/2024\/06\/SLOW-for-Imposter-Scams-300x251.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/files\/2024\/06\/SLOW-for-Imposter-Scams-768x644.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/files\/2024\/06\/SLOW-for-Imposter-Scams-358x300.png 358w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 940px) 100vw, 940px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The SLOW method. Share this strategy with someone you care about.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>In\u00a0creating this video series,\u00a0I hoped to\u00a0help Vermont families find a way to still be there for their families when emergencies arise\u00a0by arming\u00a0them\u00a0with\u00a0useful verification strategies to decipher\u00a0between\u00a0a scam\u00a0and\u00a0an actual\u00a0family crisis.\u00a0Verification of the family imposter scam starts with the SLOW method, a scam response strategy I created specifically to pause and identify scams. It\u00a0urges people to <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Slow Down<\/span>, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Log the Contact<\/span>, make <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">One Call<\/span> 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\u00a0(CAP) at 1-800-649-2424 is your local Vermont resource for scam prevention. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\":60 - Avoiding the Family Imposter Scam\" width=\"584\" height=\"329\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/gPVFfp4u060?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">:60 &#8211; Avoiding the Family Emergency Scam video. Hear the whole story at <a href=\"https:\/\/ago.vermont.gov\/cap\/scam-prevention-through-awareness-and-education\/family-imposter-scams\">https:\/\/ago.vermont.gov\/cap\/scam-prevention-through-awareness-and-education\/family-imposter-scams<\/a> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Engaging with others is a crucial verification step, because scammers often demand secrecy in family emergency scams&nbsp;and make would-be valid claims that they would be&nbsp;too embarrassed or ashamed, or afraid of ensuing punishment if other family members were made aware of the damning incident.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Family\u00a0support and open,\u00a0frequent communication among families\u00a0is essential to putting an end to the family imposter\/emergency scam. If\u00a0questions remain,\u00a0family cannot be\u00a0reached\u00a0or\u00a0communications are limited, contacting a\u00a0third-party\u00a0organization, like CAP is the next best step.\u00a0CAP is familiar with scams and can help to identify them.\u00a0By contacting CAP, you can also <a href=\"https:\/\/ago.vermont.gov\/cap\/scam-prevention-through-awareness-and-education\">make a\u00a0scam report<\/a>, which helps our office identify and alert the public about scam trends.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Help protect yourself and others by taking time to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lIzL8T3sR1I\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">watch the video<\/a>.\u00a0Review the information on our website,\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/ago.vermont.gov\/cap\/scam-prevention-through-awareness-and-education\/imposter-scams-toolkit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">encourage\u00a0<\/a>those you care about to learn more about scams and prevention strategies to stop them. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Avoiding the Family Emergency Scam\" width=\"584\" height=\"329\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lIzL8T3sR1I?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Avoiding the Family Emergency Scam video. Learn more at  at <a href=\"https:\/\/ago.vermont.gov\/cap\/scam-prevention-through-awareness-and-education\/family-imposter-scams\">https:\/\/ago.vermont.gov\/cap\/scam-prevention-through-awareness-and-education\/family-imposter-scams<\/a>  <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Learn more at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/ago.vermont.gov\/cap\/scam-prevention-through-awareness-and-education\/family-imposter-scams\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/ago.vermont.gov\/cap\/scam-prevention-through-awareness-and-education\/family-imposter-scams<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/?s=grandparent&amp;submit=Search\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Read more blogs about family imposter scams<\/a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Report Scams:<\/strong>\u202f\u00a0\u00a0<br \/>If you or someone you know has encountered a scam in Vermont, report it.\u202fUse CAP\u2019s\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/ago.vermont.gov\/cap\/scam-prevention-through-awareness-and-education\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">online scam reporting form<\/a>.\u202f\u202f\u00a0\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0\u00a0<br \/>Help us stop these scams by sharing this information with those you care about.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>No matter what the scammers say when they initiate the\u00a0family imposter\/ emergency\u00a0scam,\u00a0it\u00a0is sure to spike emotion. Scammers\u00a0call,\u00a0claiming to be one of your most cherished loved ones\u2014your grandchild\u2014and ignite fear that those you care about are in dire need.\u202fWith emotions running high,\u202fhow can you not engage with the call, stay on the line, and find out more? You are worried and feel helpless because all you\u00a0have to\u00a0validate this story is the phone in your hand and the fear of\u00a0what if.\u202f\u00a0Verification of the family imposter scam starts with the SLOW method, a scam response strategy I created specifically to pause and identify scams. It\u00a0urges people to Slow Down, Log the Contact, make One Call to a primary contact to discuss the incident, and call an organization in your life Who Cares, such as the Consumer Assistance Program\u00a0(CAP) at 1-800-649-2424.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/introducing-family-imposter-emergency-scam-prevention-videos\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4480,"featured_media":1200,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[704864,639468,704865,639477,639481,402199,481474,494301,505456,639479,639478,505544,639486,484616,482450,639384,704866,639489],"class_list":["post-1196","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-scampreventionisawareness","tag-stopscams-2","tag-stopscamswithslow","tag-takestepstoverify","tag-verifyrelationships-2","tag-cap","tag-consumer","tag-consumer-assistance-program","tag-elder-protection-initiative","tag-familyemergency","tag-familyimposter","tag-grandchild-imposter","tag-grandparent-scam","tag-scam","tag-scams","tag-slow-down","tag-slow-down-and-follow-a-plan-to-not-get-scammed","tag-slow-method"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1196","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4480"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1196"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1196\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1773,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1196\/revisions\/1773"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1200"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1196"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1196"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1196"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}