What are the most common scams?
In 2018, the most common scams affecting Vermonters were: IRS Imposter Scams, Social Security Phishing Scams, and Computer Tech Support Scams. Below is some information about how to identify these scams and what you should do:
- IRS Imposter
The scam: A phone call claiming you owe “back taxes” or payments to the government allegedly from the IRS or “US Treasury and Legal Affairs.” They may threaten you with arrest or investigation.
How to spot the scam: The IRS will never call you at home to threaten legal action. Any information provided by the IRS will be provided to you through the mail.
What to do: Don’t respond to these callers. If you think you may actually owe back taxes, hang up and contact the IRS directly at 1-800-829-1040. Do not provide any information to the caller.
- Social Security Number Phishing
The scam: An attempt to obtain your Social Security number by posing as the Social Security Administration or a business. They may try to get access to your Social Security number by telling you it has been compromised or stolen.
How to spot the scam: If Social Security (or any government body) wanted to contact you, they would not call to ask for your personal information, especially your Social Security number, over the phone.
What to do: Be wary when responding to unsolicited contacts and never provide personal information to unknown contacts. Try not to pick up the phone for numbers you do not recognize.
- Computer Tech Support
The scam: A phone call or pop-up message on your computer claiming to be from Microsoft/Windows, Apple, or another well-known tech company. They will say that there’s a virus, malware, or other problem with your computer and try to persuade you to give them remote access to resolve the issue.
How to spot the scam: Legitimate customer service information usually won’t display as a pop-up. Companies like Microsoft, Apple, and Google will not call you to notify you of malware on your computer.
What to do: Never provide remote access to your computer to a stranger or click links from an unknown sender in an e-mail or pop-up message. If you get a call from “tech support,” hang up. Also, be careful when searching for tech support phone numbers online. Some users have been scammed by calling illegitimate company phone numbers.
Need More Resources?
Make sure to visit the other sections dealing with protecting against scams: