Vermont Attorney General's Office advising caution for holiday shopping, donations
The Attorney General's Office is asking people to report scams if they occur and to be diligent with doing their research to make sure everything is as it appears.
The Attorney General's Office is asking people to report scams if they occur and to be diligent with doing their research to make sure everything is as it appears.
The Attorney General's Office is asking people to report scams if they occur and to be diligent with doing their research to make sure everything is as it appears.
This time of year, people should be aware of how they are donating and spending money to make sure it ends up in the right hands.
The Vermont Attorney General's Office wants to make sure people don’t fall victim to scams.
“Across the board, you know, it's essential that people do their research,” said Crystal Baldwin, consumer assistance program coordinator in the Vermont Attorney General’s Office. “And this could mean any number of things, and you're talking about a charity, or you're talking about a website that you're looking to purchase from online.”
Baldwin said there are a few major types of charity schemes that are reported to the AG’s office. Some include scammers pretending to be a religious leader asking for donations or natural disaster scams.
“The caller might say, their 'x' charity, and they're just not,” Baldwin said. “So, unless you actually request them to send you mailing, or you just follow up directly with the number or contact information you know to be valid. It's difficult to know that you actually were scammed.”
So far, 20 scams have been reported to the office this year, and they don’t know if any money was lost.
In the Upper Valley, Willing Hands is raising money on Giving Tuesday. They’ve raised over their goal and are now well past $60,000 raised.
“We work really hard to make sure that we can pick up as much healthy food as possible, and not let it go to waste and then deliver it to food shelves,” said Krista Karlson, outreach and development manager at Willing Hands. “So, when you donate to us, you're really supporting sourcing food.”
They’ve never been used in a scam but still have similar warnings for people looking to donate.
“Make sure that you're giving through secure donation platforms and if you're writing a check, like make sure it's addressed to the right place,” Karlson said.
Willing Hands updates its donor database every time there is a donation, and they cash checks quickly, giving everyone peace of mind. There is also a very practical way to make sure your donation makes it into the right hands.
“Make sure you have some sort of relationship with the organization you're giving to, which is why small community nonprofits are so great because the people donating and the people benefiting from the services are living in the same community so you can see the impact,” Karlson said.
The Attorney General's Office is asking people to report scams if they occur and to be diligent with doing their research to make sure everything is as it appears.