Scams

Protect yourself, your family and friends

Scammers are always dreaming up new ways to get your money.

Your best protection is to simply hang up when you think it might be a scam call, or stop the online conversation.

After you hang up, you can look up the real number for the company, utility, charity or government agency. Then call them directly.

You will find helpful information on the Vermont Attorney General’s website. It has information on:

common scams
what to do to stop a scam
reporting a scam
how to sign up to receive scam alerts by text, voice message or e-mail

The Attorney General's website also lists details about the top scams in Vermont in 2023 and includes informational videos.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says Vermonters lost $10 million to fraud and scams in 2021! They say recent top scams seen in Vermont include imposter scams; foreign money offers and fake check scams; prizes, sweepstakes and lottery scams; and identity theft.

See our menu of links for information about other common scams:

Also watch out for:

tech support scams (hang up and call the official phone number for the company)
computer pop-up alarms or alerts (turn off your computer or phone)
FEMA scams (hang up and call the official number)
fake charities (hang up and call the official number for the charity)
utility disconnection scams (hang up and call the official number for the company), and
home contractor scams.

Red flags

Someone asks you not to tell anyone else about your conversations.
They say you need to make a quick decision or action.
They ask for numbers for your bank accounts, Social Security or Medicare.
They want remote access to your computer.
They ask you to pay with cash, cryptocurrency or gift cards or wire money.
Does the situation sound far-fetched? Or too good to be true?

See more tips at the end of this article by Seven Days about recent scam victims in Vermont.

How to report a scam

In Vermont, report the scam to the Vermont Attorney General's Consumer Assistance Program and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) if you think you’ve experienced a scam. Learn how on our Consumer Rights page.

Stop payment

Also, stop payment if money has been sent (by wire transfer, mail, gift card, or any other means) to a scammer. Contact the bank or institution you sent it through right away to stop the money before it is picked up. Usually the funds are picked up quickly by scammers, but it’s worth trying.

Related information

You can also learn about Identity Theft on our website.