QUECHEE, Vt. (WCAX) – An Upper Valley resident almost fell victim to a check scam that state authorities are urging residents to watch out for.
If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. That’s the message from Lisa Bruce, who almost got taken for a ride by scammers.
The Quechee resident says the letter looked like it came from the IRS, but what really caught her eye was what appeared to be a $2,473.70 check in a separate envelope from the U.S. Treasury Department.
“I was excited,” said Bruce, who initially planned to make a digital deposit immediately. “Oh wow, you know, $2,000. I can really use this, and I got very excited.”
But instead, she decided to bring the check to the bank, where she quickly found out it was a fraud. “Absolute relief that I didn’t… my initial reaction to deposit it,” Bruce said.
The way it works, according to Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark, is the scammer follows up over the phone, saying they sent too much and demand money to be wired in return. “It’s government scams, it’s Craigslist scams, it’s Zelle scams. It’s a very common technique,” she said.
Clark says it’s also not uncommon for scammers to go phishing for personal information like Social Security numbers for a bigger theft down the road. She says there are signs that should be a red flag. “It is when someone is trying to separate you from your money. You can’t verify they are who they say they are. There is a sense of urgency, and also your emotions have been spiked.”
Bruce has been targeted by scammers in the past. She hopes her story will prevent others from becoming victims. “That is my concern. That other people… Do not cash this check,” she urged.
Anyone who thinks they are being scammed is asked to report it to the Attorney General’s Consumer Assistance Program.
