Consumer Scam Risks with VT Attorney General's Consumer Assistance Program

The Attorney General’s Consumer Assistance Program (CAP) at UVM helps Vermont consumers resolve disputes with businesses, protect themselves from fraud and access available services. The Consumer Assistance Program: 

• Runs a consumer hotline for information and assistance
• Provides a letter mediation service for consumers and businesses
• Tracks scam trends and provides educational resources
• Finds answers from Vermont State government and connects you with other resources

In this presentation Lisa Jensen, Assistant Director of the CAP will talk about scams on the rise and how the SLOW method can prevent a loss of money and/or personal information.  Scammers use every tool available to steal money and information from consumers. Vermonters filed 5,021 scam reports with the Attorney General’s Consumer Assistance Program (CAP) in 2020. Unfortunately, many scam encounters result in monetary loss in Vermont. In 2020, 249 Vermonters lost approximately $1.5 million, in total, to scammers. The most common scams associated with monetary loss were imposter scams (scammers posing as friends, family members, or romantic interests) and online classified listing scams (scams perpetrated on sites such as Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace). Scammers ask their victims to send money using a variety of methods, including gift card transactions, peer-to-peer payments apps like Venmo or CashApp, wire transfers, and cash or checks in the mail.  During the presentation, we will share prevention tips and invite you to become a CAP Ally to help protect your family, friends and neighbors.