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• • •
Ten Most Common Scams in Vermont in 2021
By CompassVermont.com
Reports of scams to the Attorney General’s Consumer Assistance
Program (CAP) totaled 5,154 in 2021, up just slightly
from the previous year’s 5,021 reports.
Two variations of the Computer Tech Support scam and the
Online Listing scam claimed the number one, three, and seven
spots respectively on CAP’s list of top ten scams in 2021, covering
nearly a quarter of the total reports filed by Vermonters.
Businesses were also targeted by internet-based scams in
2021. The Business Imposter Email Scam, where scammers
represent themselves as business personnel to extort funds,
had 62 reports fileda figure that did not make the top ten but
notably jumped nearly 50% from the previous year.
“The prevalence of internet-based scams in 2021 sends a
clear message about the importance of staying safe online in
our social and work lives,” said Attorney General T.J. Donovan.
“If you receive a suspicious contact, whether it’s made
by email, online message, or phone, know that CAP is here
to help.”
Impersonation scams remain of concern, with an adapted
law enforcement and lawyer imposter scam at the number four
spot in 2021, threatening arrest and lawsuits on unsuspecting
call recipients. The Family Emergency/Imposter scam, which
includes the Grandchild Imposter also known as the “Grandparent
scam” and needy friends and relatives asking for funds,
made the top ten list again in 2021. A similar scam, which
fabricates a romantic relationship or friendship of confidence,
the Romance Imposter scam, saw a 36% increase in reports.
As imposter scams are of ongoing concern in Vermont, CAP
recently distributed a video imposter scam prevention project,
highlighting three concerning imposter scams with high dollar
loss: the Romance Imposter scam, the Family Emergency/
Imposter Scam, and the Business Imposter Email Scam.
As highlighted in the prevention project, taking steps to
verify can help individuals avoid scams. A simple verification
process to follow for all scams is the SLOW Method:
S – SLOW DOWN
Scammers pressure you to act urgently. Don’t!
L – LOG THE CONTACT
Write down the info of the contact and disengage.
O – ONE CALL
Make one call to a primary contact and discuss the incident.
W – WHO CARES?
Call CAP to identify and report scams at 1-800-649-2424.
CAP reminds Vermonters to never give out personal information
or make payments to parties you cannot verify.
To the Editor
In the fall of the year the country fairs come to New
England, it is a tradition of the highest order. Many people
plan for months considering entries of pies, vegetables, maple
products, eggs, and crafts of all manner, animals are prepped
for months ahead in anticipation of show day.
There are rides for the kids, food to tempt any palate along
with displays for the home, garden, and garage. All around the
fairgrounds there are side shows, they may be on a green area,
in a lean-too near a cattle barn or any number of other places.
Those sideshows are always entertaining, there may even be a
future superstar among them, but it is in the evenings on the
racetrack, in the grandstand where the main event take place,
fans come from all over just to attend the main event, the main
event is usually a name recognized by everyone. It’s the big
time with lights and sound systems that cost as much as a
small house. A fancy bus for the star and huge tractor trailers
for the equipment may be parked nearby. Announcements of
the main event are made months ahead so folks can make
plans to attend.
• • •
George’s One-Inch Beef Stew
By G. E. Shuman
In case you hadn’t noticed, it’s been
pretty cold lately, and I think we all
need something to warm us up a bit.
So, I decided to share my quick recipe for
beef stew. It’s something I’ve refined over
the years, (If you believe
that, you shouldn’t.) and it’s super easy to
make. My family and neighbors love it, and
I hope you will too. Please note:
Measurements, quantities, and even
ingredients can be varied. (They always
are when I make it.) If there’s one
thing I can’t stand it’s following the
rules, even in following a recipe.
Anyway, here goes.
The very loosely defined and less
adhered to list of ingredients:
You will need 1-2 lbs. of beef, (whatever you can afford
right now, without selling your house) cut into approximately
one-inch cubes. (One of the reasons I call it one inch beef
stew.)
You will also need a bunch of carrots, peeled, and also cut
into one-inch lengths. (Another reason it’s one inch beef
stew.) I like chunky stew, so I use a lot of carrots and I try to
get those big fat over-grown looking ones and cut them a bit
diagonally. My five-year-old granddaughter taught me that
that shape is a rhombus. She really did. You could also use a
bag of those pre-peeled finger carrots, but I don’t like fingers
in my soup, so I don’t.
Now you need five or six average sized potatoes, cut, you
guessed it, into (approximately) one-inch cubes. You can peel
the taters first, if comp’ny’s comin’.
1 small can diced tomatoes. What more can I say about
that?
• • •
Scammers will ask for payment in all forms, including wire
transfer, cryptocurrency, cash, peer-to-peer payment, money
order, check, credit/debit card, and gift cards. If you have sent
money to a scammer, follow recovery steps now.
Vermonters can help stop scams by sharing information
with community members and by reporting scams to CAP
to support educational outreach. To report scams, complete
CAP’s online scam reporting form or call 1-800-649-2424.
The Top 10 Scams of 2021:
Computer Tech Support (Variation)
Social Security Number Phishing
Computer Tech Support (Traditional)
Legal Authority Imposter
Sweepstakes/Lotteries
Identity Theft
Online Listings
Medicare Card Phishing
Family Emergency/Imposter
Auto Warranty Expiration
1. Computer Tech Support (Variation)
The scam: A variation of the traditional Computer Tech
Support scam (see #3 below). You receive an automated
phone call, text message, or email claiming that you have been
charged for an online order, have an outstanding balance on
your account, or are sent an item you did not order. The scammer
then instructs individuals to call a number provided in the
scammer’s communications to get a refund or to resolve the
charge. At this point, they will ask you to provide your card
number to “confirm your account” or prompt you to provide
them remote access to your computer. As soon as the scammer
has remote access to your device, they can access every single
document, file, and transaction you have saved to your device.
How to spot the scam: Companies will not call with tech
support unless you requested that they contact you. If you receive
a package that you do not recall ordering, check your
statement history to see if you have been charged. Packages
without a return address are highly suspicious.
What to do: Hang up the phone immediately and do not
call back. If you receive an email or text regarding a package
delivery or order that has been made, do not click on any links.
Mark the email as “Junk” or “Spam”. Furthermore, never allow
remote access to your device to unknown parties. If you
are concerned about charges made to your accounts, log in to
your account directly and contact your financial institution. If
you receive a package that you did not order, mark it return to
sender and give it back to the mail carrier. cont. on page 21
I have written all this dear reader to paint a word picture for
you. The history of New England would be sorely incomplete
without including the role that Christianity has played in the
great Northeast. It was outcast Christians that fled from Great
Britain that settled along the shores of Massachusetts and
formed a strong foundation for America’s future. However,
the importance that Christianity has played in New England
has waxed and waned throughout its history.
Over the years I have asked many different people if they
are Christian In faith, usually the answer is ‘yes’, but unfortunately
their lifestyle doesn’t always agree with their answer.
What I think has happened, in so many cases, is that that
person has relegated their Christianity to “side-show” status
because the things of the world that have become their “mainevent”.
In revival, or in an awakening, Christianity becomes
the Main event, it is Jesus Christ and what He has done for us
that is moved into first place, He becomes our main event. I
pray that today you will make that transition in your life, you
will never be the same.
Charles Russell
Randolph Center
2 32 oz. cartons of beef broth. Ditto.
1-2 largish onions peeled, chopped. (You can’t ‘cube’
onions, but don’t worry about that.)
A 1-inch length of a quarter-pound butter stick. (Here we go
again.)
A little instant potato. (Don’t panic. It’s important.)
A smidgen of Garlic salt (I got the word smidgen from
my mom.)
A dite of salt. (I also got the word dite from my mom.)
A pinch or two of pepper. (I usually go for three pinches.)
A few glugs of olive oil to brown the meat.
A big ol’ pot with a cover to do it all in.
Now for the precision cooking instructions:
Glug the few glugs of olive oil into the big ol’ pot, on
the stove. (Important, turn on the stove’s burner too.)
Brown the meat in the pot, stirring occasionally if
you feel like it. Or, just sip on your coffee. That’s what I do.
If you want to get really fancy, throw the onions in now to
brown them too. Also, shake in some garlic salt. Then, and this
is important. Do nothing more to the meat! DO NOT DRAIN
IT! Just leave it in the pot and keep your fingers out of it.
Although that beef will taste pretty yummy if you give in to
temptation. (Personally, I can resist anything but temptation.)
Add both cartons of the beef broth and bring it all to a boil.
Now for the precision part: Throw everything else in,
except for the instant potato. We’ll get to that in a minute.
Return the pot to a hard boil, then simmer until veggies are
done. Sample a big carrot rhombus. If that’s soft, it’s all soft.
Now, about the instant potatoes. I shake a box of those
flakes over the pot, (For best results, remember to open the
box.) while stirring the stew. Add whatever quantity you want.
I just do enough to thicken the broth up a bit.
Guess what? You’re done, and so is this column. Enjoy, and
stay warm!