VERMONT — Vermont Attorney General William Sorrell is warning consumers who have filed or may soon file for bankruptcy of an emerging scam by impostors claiming to be the consumer’s attorney, the attorney’s partner or a member of their staff.
The perpetrators of this scam use software to “spoof” the Caller ID system so that the call appears to be originating from the phone line of the consumer’s bankruptcy attorney. Consumers are then instructed to immediately wire money to satisfy a debt that is supposedly outside of the bankruptcy proceeding. The perpetrators may be using information from public filings to identify consumers to target and the names of their attorneys.
The calls come late in the evening or during non-business hours to minimize consumers’ ability to verify the call by contacting their attorney. Consumers who receive such a call should not wire funds and should contact their attorney as soon as possible. These kinds of calls, along with any other scams, should be reported to the Attorney General’s Consumer Assistance Program online at www.uvm.edu/consumer, by email at [email protected], or by calling 800-649-2424.
The Attorney General’s Office is reminding all consumers to be wary of any calls they did not initiate that demand or solicit funds for any purpose. Currently active scams include calls from scammers posing as agents of the IRS, debt collectors for payday loans, family or friends in need of emergency assistance, and technical support for Windows computers. Consumers should never give out personal or account information to an unverified source.
For more information on financial frauds, identity theft and other scams, visit the Consumer Assistance Program website at www.uvm.edu/consumer. Consumers can also get regular updates about scams by following the Attorney General’s Consumer Assistance Program on Twitter @vtattorneygen, or by subscribing to the monthly “Pure Vermont” e-newsletter (email [email protected]).