AARP and Fraud Alerts

AARP Vermont provides seniors with a wide range of opportunities and benefits.  Begin by checking out the AARP Vermont website aarp.org/nearyou to find events in your area (some events are in-person; some events are via Zoom).

Are you looking for something to do in your community?  AARP Vermont offers a number of volunteer activities that will allow you to utilize the skills you developed as a professional educator

  • AARP Fraud Watch - Consider joining the small core group of volunteers who work to help Vermonters of all ages from becoming victims of fraud and scams.  As a retired educator, YOU are a perfect candidate with well-honed presentation and speaking skills.  Not certain about your content knowledge?  No problem.  We provide the training.  Contact Elliott Greenblott, egreenblott@aarp.org.

  • AARP Tax Aide - Tax Aide volunteers provide free assistance to Vermonters in the preparation of tax returns.  For more information, contact Laura McDonough at AARP Vermont - Associate State Director - Communications,   802-238-4963 or lmcdonough@aarp.org

  • Adult Driver Safety - Help others navigate the complexity of new vehicles, roadway changes, and aging.  If you have taught, you can teach others how to improve knowledge and driving skills.  Ask yourself - “When did I last review my driving skills and the changes that have taken place since I was 16 years old.  For more information, contact Laura McDonough at AARP Vermont - Associate State Director - Communications,   802-238-4963 or lmcdonough@aarp.org

FRAUD TIPS: Beware of scams!

Here are scams that are being noticed:

Election Fund-raising Scams

Criminals seek to take advantage of last minute fund-raising by political candidates, parties, and causes.  The intensity of fraudulent, urgent phone calls, emails, and social media appeals matches that of legitimate efforts.  Be certain of legitimacy before donating or providing information.  Don’t demonstrate your support by supplying credit card information until you are absolutely sure that the person or campaign requesting your support is not a criminal.  Verify identity using verifiable sources, not just the word of the person contacting you.  Also, beware of fraudulent surveys and polls.  It is possible to manipulate your responses to polling and survey questions and skew the meaning of questions to achieve a desired response.  The safest response - don’t participate;  Delete the email or hang up the phone!

Shopping Scams

Criminal lure their prey by offering “Fantastic” deals on highly sought gift, personal, and household items.  Don’t be attracted to “Too Good To Be True” sales that are posted in social media, pop-up windows, or emails.  If the price is ridiculous - IT”S A SCAM!  Never make payment unless you can verify the legitimacy of an offer.  If you’ve never heard of a company, don’t take a chance without checking legitimacy. (NEVER MAKE SHOPPING PAYMENTS WITH CASH TRANSFER APPS SUCH AS ZELLE OR VENMO; NEVER MAKE PAYMENT USING CRYPTO-CURRENCY (BITCOIN)

Charity Giving

As with the first tip, con artists are trying to take advantage of those wishing to help others.  It’s a double-bladed crime - the donor’s money is stolen and the recipient does not get the needed assistance.  Research your intended recipient by using the following websites that rate charities and non-profits:

These sites rate charities and non-profits on their use of donations and transparency.  If you cannot find the “charity” in any of these places - IT IS A SCAM!

Elliott Greenblott -  Co-ordinator, AARP Vermont Fraud Watch

From the April 2025 Newsletter:

As a widely recognized fraud awareness educator, I often receive questions and comments about scams from people across the country.  A frequent question is:  Do I need to have identity theft protection such as LifeLock in order to be more secure?

Answer:  Yes and no!  We all need to start with the understanding that all our personal information is readily available on the internet: birthdate, ID numbers (SSN, Medicare, Driver’s License), current and past addresses, names of family members, and much more).  The issue is not blocking criminals from gaining access to your information; it’s stopping them from being able to monetize it.  

Here is where the decision on protective software comes in.  Protective services collect information from you – the items mentioned above plus credit card and bank account numbers - and monitor your accounts.  You will be notified immediately if there is unusual activity.  They also alert other stakeholders of the problem (i.e. – something irregular happens with one credit card so they notify others on your watch list).  In the event that you suffer a financial loss, you will be reimbursed.

Sounds pretty good!  But everything they do is something you can do:

  1. Contact the three major credit bureaus to activate a credit freeze. Credit bureaus will then reject requests for copies of your credit report once a freeze is in place.  This is critical because lenders, landlords, and vendors often want to check your creditworthiness and to do that will need your credit report.

  2. Contact credit card companies and set alert notifications; you indicate a dollar amount for transactions which, if exceeded, trigger notification from the company of a possible issue.

  3. Activate Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).  MFA adds a level of security to your accounts by requiring the use of a security code in order to access an account. (You enter your ID and password and are sent a “passcode” by text message, email, or phone call which must be used in order to access your account).

  4. Regularly check your financial accounts; Don’t wait for a statement to arrive.  (You will need to set up on-line access to accounts – this is safe!).  Doing this allows you to see what is happening and gives you immediate information if there is any problem.

  5. Occasionally change account passwords.  This should not be done frequently but once or twice a year is fine.  If you receive notice of a problem in an account, change the password immediately or close the account and open a new one. (Safe passwords are 12-15 characters long with a random mix of upper case, lower case, numeric, and symbol characters)

So now I go back to the original question – do I need to purchase identity theft protection? My answer doesn’t change – MAYBE!  If you feel you can follow the steps outlined above, the answer is probably no.  If you want to pay for someone else to handle these things or feel you are better off letting the “professionals” work for you, research and select a service that fits your needs.

(FYI – I do not use an identity theft monitoring service)

Elliott Greenblott