Vermont AG to Speak at AARP Fraud Summit

Vermonters 60 and over lost nearly $5 million to fraud in 2023, according to the FBI’s most recent data. That’s up from $1.6 million in 2020.

To help counter the upward trend, AARP Vermont will host a fraud prevention seminar on Tuesday, May 13, with the state’s attorney general, Charity Clark, delivering the keynote address.

In an email to the Bulletin, Clark (D) said there’s a “common misconception” that older people are more vulnerable to fraud. “The truth is scams happen to everyone,” she said.

She will use her speech to talk about common schemes reported to the AG’s Consumer Assistance Program, share practical tips for spotting scams and offer guidance on what people should do if a loved one is targeted.

The free event will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Delta Hotels in South Burlington.

Elliott Greenblott, 76, a longtime AARP volunteer who delivers fraud prevention presentations across the state, will also be speaking at the seminar.

“One of the objectives of the criminal is to build you into an emotional state where you’re not thinking,” he says. “You’re reacting to that emotion.”

Greenblott encourages people to limit what they share on social media, beef up their passwords and freeze their credit with the three major credit bureaus.

Clark advises the public not to respond to unsolicited calls, texts or emails and to slow down and step back if they are dealing with someone they don’t know. Instead, she says, talk to a trusted person, such as a family member or law enforcement official. (The AG’s Consumer Assistance Program can be reached at 800-649-2424.)

The summit is open to the public and lunch will be provided. To learn more or RSVP, visit events.aarp.org/fightfraud25.

—Michelle Cerulli McAdams