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Identify It:<\/strong> Scammers claiming\nto be government offices, like Social Security Administration or the Internal\nRevenue Service may claim your SSN has been compromised, or that you have back\ntaxes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What to Know:<\/strong> It is\nimportant to remember that these government agencies would never<\/strong> contact\nyou over the phone or through email. These agencies mail communications and\nwould never threaten you for information or payment over the phone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Treasurer\u2019s Office Scam<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Identify It:<\/strong> Government\nscams can come in many different forms other than the well-known IRS and SSN\nscam. Recently, CAP has been notified about a scam call that claims to be from\nthe State Treasurer and that the recipient owes money related to student loan\ndebt. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What to Know:<\/strong> Spot this scam\nby looking out for debt calls that threaten legal action if payment information\nis not given. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Government Grant Scam<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Identify It:<\/strong> Sometimes, government\nimpersonators claim that you are eligible for a federal grant. They say things\nlike, \u201cBecause you do not owe back taxes, you qualify for a government grant.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n What to Know:<\/strong> If you did not\napply for a grant, you shouldn\u2019t be contacted. \nYou would never have to pay for fees or taxes before receiving a grant.\nWatch out for false claims that you are entitled to something that you never\nknew about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Spoofing Government Numbers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Identify It:<\/strong> Scammers may\nsometimes use technology known as spoofing. This is when they mask their actual\nphone number so that your caller ID will show you a different number entirely. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What to Know:<\/strong> Sometimes they\nwill use this to make their number look like they are coming from your area\ncode, while other times the caller ID on your phone may even show as \u201cUS\nGovernment,\u201d \u201cIRS,\u201d or \u201cSS administration\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you suspect that you are being targeted by a scam, the\nbest thing you can do is not respond. If you answered the phone, then hang up.\nIf you have been emailed, do not respond. Do not call back any numbers that you\nare given. Never <\/strong>give out your personal or financial information to an\nunknown party claiming to be the government. If you are worried that some\nclaims may be legitimate, call the department directly<\/strong>, using a number\nyou know to be valid. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you would like to report a scam or have any questions, please reach out to CAP by calling us at 1-800-649-2424 or emailing AGO.CAP@Vermont.gov<\/p>\n\n\n\n For more information about government imposter scams, please\ncheck out the FTC\u2019s guide on how to recognize these scams and tips on\ncombatting them: https:\/\/www.consumer.ftc.gov\/articles\/0048-government-imposter-scams<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Contributing Writer:\u00a0 Mollie Shea Feeley Sources: It can be intimidating to receive phone calls that claim to be from the government. Some of these calls can be threatening, while others offer false opportunities for government grants or entitlements. Calls and scams impersonating the government have been … Continue reading ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/files\/2019\/08\/FTCIRSInfographic2.png\")
Content Editor: Crystal Baldwin<\/p>\n\n\n\n
https:\/\/www.consumer.ftc.gov\/articles\/0048-government-imposter-scams<\/a>
https:\/\/www.consumer.ftc.gov\/blog\/2019\/07\/whos-pretending-be-government-now<\/a>
Infographic source: https:\/\/www.consumer.ftc.gov\/articles\/0519-irs-imposter-scams-infographic<\/a>)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"