Senior Scam Prevention and Fraud Resources in Vermont
Vermont seniors reported $9 million in elder fraud losses to the FBI in 2025, with 436 victims aged 60 and older. This page provides Vermont-specific scam prevention resources, official reporting contacts, and five years of FBI elder fraud data for the state.
Already been scammed? Read our First 24 Hours Emergency Guide for critical steps to take immediately.
I. Overview: Vermont’s Senior Population and Key Cities
As of 2024, Vermont has a population of approximately 645,000, with about 137,000 residents aged 65 and older, representing 21.2% of the total population , one of the highest percentages of seniors in the United States. Many of these older adults live in rural towns or small cities, which can lead to greater isolation and vulnerability to fraud.
Vermont’s seniors face growing threats despite the state’s small size. In 2025, losses reached $8.5 million (+105%). Investment scams surged 441% from $496K to $2.7 million, and tech support more than doubled (+135%). Romance scams were a rare bright spot, declining 21%. Vermont ranks #16 in per-capita victim rate.
The largest cities and towns with higher concentrations of older adults and reported scams are:
- Burlington (approx. 45,000 people)
- South Burlington (approx. 20,000 people)
- Rutland (approx. 15,000 people)
II. 2025 Victim Report: How Scammers Targeted Vermont’s Seniors
In 2025, Vermont had 436 victims aged 60+ who reported losses totaling $8,548,782 — up 79% in victims and 105% in losses compared to 2024 (243 victims / $4M).
Source: FBI IC3 2024 Annual Report. While Vermont has fewer victims due to its small population, the average loss per victim remains significant. View national statistics.
Loss by Crime Type
| Crime Type | 2025 Loss | 2024 Loss | Change |
| Investment | $2,686,833 | $496,333 | +441% |
| Tech Support | $2,701,557 | $1,150,772 | +135% |
| Romance | $476,060 | $604,795 | -21% |
| Lottery/Sweepstakes | $112,300 | $61,723 | +82% |
| Extortion | $72,050 | $3,690 | +1,853% |
| Government Impersonation | $961,949 | $623,501 | +54% |
Elder Fraud Loss Trajectory — Vermont
5-Year Elder Fraud Trend — Vermont (2021—2025)
| Year | Victims (60+) | Total Loss | YoY Change | Nat’l Rank |
| 2021 | 199 | $3,220,853 | — | #46 |
| 2022 | 188 | $5,663,838 | +76% | #45 |
| 2023 | 163 | $4,880,944 | -14% | #49 |
| 2024 | 243 | $4,177,269 | -14% | #52 |
| 2025 | 436 | $8,548,782 | +105% | #49 |
| 5-Year Total | 1,229 | $26,491,686 | +165% (2021—2025) | — |
Source: FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) Annual Reports, 2021—2025. Covers victims aged 60 and older. National rank is by total dollar loss among 52 states/territories. National totals: $1.7B (2021), $3.1B (2022), $3.4B (2023), $4.9B (2024), $7.7B (2025) — $20.8 billion stolen from American seniors over five years.
Top Crime Types Targeting Vermont Seniors (2025 vs. 5-Year)
| Crime Type | 2025 Victims | 2025 Loss | 5-Year Total | Growth (2021—25) |
| Tech Support | 58 | $2,701,557 | $7,383,160 | +198% |
| Investment | 26 | $2,686,833 | $7,141,179 | +189% |
| Gov. Impersonation | 28 | $961,949 | $3,234,983 | +167% |
| Romance | 21 | $476,060 | $2,637,705 | +6% |
| BEC | 16 | $475,122 | $2,604,444 | +63% |
| Personal Data Breach | 12 | $403,154 | $1,146,085 | +363% |
Top 6 crime types by 2025 losses. Growth calculated from 2021 to 2025. For national crime type trends, see our Crime Type Migration Analysis.
What the data reveals: Vermont’s elder fraud losses more than doubled to $8.5 million in 2025 (+105%), with 436 seniors victimized (+79%). Investment scams surged 441% from just $496K to $2.7 million, and tech support fraud more than doubled (+135%) to $2.7 million — the two categories are now virtually tied as the top threats. Romance scams decreased 21%, one of a few declining categories. Government impersonation rose 54%. Statewide, that comes to roughly one senior victim for every 1,487 Vermont residents.
National context: Vermont ranks #16 in per-capita victim rate (67.23 per 100,000), well above the national midpoint — despite ranking #49 in total losses. This is one of the widest gaps between total and per-capita rankings in the country. Vermont’s 105% loss growth rate is nearly double the national average of 57%. As the second-least-populous state, even a small number of high-value scams can dramatically move the percentages, but the per-capita rate shows the risk is real and above average.
For the full national picture, including how Vermont compares to every other state, visit our national hub page with interactive data and rankings.
III. Emergency and Official Contacts
Local Police Departments – Elder Fraud and Financial Crimes
1. Burlington Police Department – Investigative Services
- Phone: (802) 658-2704 (non-emergency)
- Website: www.burlingtonvt.gov/Police
- Handles reports of fraud, scams, and elder abuse.
2. South Burlington Police Department
- Phone: (802) 846-4111
- Website: www.southburlingtonpolice.gov
- Contact for identity theft, fraud, and suspicious financial activity.
3. Rutland City Police Department
- Phone: (802) 773-1816
- Website: www.rutlandcity.org
- Offers support for scam victims and elder safety education.
FBI and Federal Scam Reporting
FBI Albany Field Office (covers Vermont)
- Phone: (518) 465-7551
- Website: www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/albany
Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
- Website: www.ic3.gov
- For reporting online scams, phishing, cyber fraud, and elder financial abuse.
Vermont Attorney General – Consumer Assistance Program (CAP)
Office of the Attorney General – CAP Elder Protection Initiative
- CAP Hotline: (800) 649-2424 (in-state only)
- Website: ago.vermont.gov/cap
- Assists with fraud complaints, scam education, and dispute resolution.
Senior Services and Medicare Fraud Support
Vermont Adult Protective Services (APS)
- Report Line: (800) 564-1612
- Website: dail.vermont.gov
- Investigates financial exploitation, abuse, and neglect of vulnerable adults.
Vermont Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP)
- Phone: (877) 272-8720
- Website: vermontelders.org
- Provides education and support for identifying and reporting Medicare fraud.
Vermont Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living (DAIL)
- General Info: (802) 241-2401
- Website: dail.vermont.gov
- Offers statewide resources for elder care, protection, and financial safety.
Take Action Early. Talk. Report. Share.
- Vermont seniors lose millions of dollars each year to avoidable scams.
- Be alert to red flags: urgent messages, unexpected requests for money or personal information, and unfamiliar callers.
- Visit our Education Center for prevention tools, sample call scripts, scam red flags, and step-by-step reporting guides.
- It’s never too early to ask questions. You are not alone. Help is available.
Recent Vermont scam news
Recent news coverage of scams affecting Vermont seniors, updated from our alerts desk. Each item links to the original outlet; victims and defendants are kept anonymous.
A physician explains why memory loss raises the risk of falling for a scam
A physician who also cared for her mother through Alzheimer's disease writes that memory loss and mild cognitive impairment are linked to a higher risk of falling for scams and financial exploitation. Part of the danger, she explains, is a condition called anosognosia, where a person with cognitive decline may not recognize that money is missing or that they were deceived. She recommends families start money conversations early, before decline sets in, treat scam awareness as a shared family responsibility rather than a private embarrassment, use phones that screen or block unknown callers, review accounts and credit reports together regularly, and consider a limited power of attorney while the person can still take part in that decision.
Read at Being Patient →Before the holidays, make a family plan to spot scams
With holiday calls and visits picking up, a fraud risk analyst is urging families to agree on a verification plan before a crisis call ever comes in, covering tactics like a caller claiming a grandchild has been arrested, a fake bank or government warning that an account is at risk, a tech support pop-up, or an online relationship that turns into a investment pitch. The core advice is to pause, verify, and talk: hang up, call the person or agency back using a number you already know, and loop in a trusted family member rather than acting alone. Suspicious contacts can be reported to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov or the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. Agreeing on this plan now, before the holiday season's spike in calls and visits, gives families a calm playbook instead of a panicked decision.
Read at Philadelphia Today →Fake 'psychic' letters promising a windfall defrauded thousands of older Americans of millions
Federal prosecutors describe a mail fraud scheme that sent personalized letters made to look like they came from a psychic, telling recipients they were due a financial windfall that required a payment to 'unlock.' Thousands of people across the country, many of them elderly or otherwise vulnerable, sent checks that were deposited into accounts opened under the fake psychic names and then moved overseas, collecting more than 4 million dollars over several years. No real windfall, inheritance, or prize ever requires you to pay money up front to receive it. If a letter like this arrives, the safe move is to slow down, do not mail a check or payment, and talk it over with a family member or call the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov before responding.
Read at JNS →Medicare 'brace scam' case shows how to catch durable medical equipment fraud on your statement
A major federal case made news this week over a nationwide scheme that billed Medicare for back, knee, shoulder, and wrist braces that patients never needed. Fraud operators used offshore call centers and sham telemedicine visits to generate unnecessary prescriptions, then billed Medicare for the equipment. The scheme generated more than $365 million in fraudulent claims, with Medicare paying out roughly $199 million before it was caught. Beneficiaries can protect themselves by reviewing their Medicare Summary Notice for any brace or equipment charges they do not recognize, declining unsolicited calls offering a free brace, and contacting their local Senior Medicare Patrol program if something looks wrong.
Read at Medical Daily →DOJ's eighth annual elder fraud report tallies 350 enforcement actions in a year
The Department of Justice's eighth annual Elder Justice Report, covering July 2025 through June 2026, found the government pursued nearly 350 criminal and civil enforcement actions against 712 defendants linked to more than $4.8 billion stolen from more than 711,000 older victims. The cases spanned about 40 different scam types, from investment and tech support fraud to government impersonation, and nearly half involved schemes run from overseas. The department also pointed to $52 million in federal funding for elder abuse victim services working alongside its criminal cases. For families, the scale is a reminder to slow down before wiring money or sharing account access, and to verify any urgent financial request by calling the company or agency directly at a number you look up yourself.
Read at U.S. Department of Justice →What to do right away if a loved one has been scammed
A cybersecurity educator described helping a neighbor in her 70s after a scam that started with a locked bank account and what sounded like a tech support call, but was actually scammers. A fake warning claimed her computer had been hacked and told her to contact Microsoft, and the callers convinced her to move her savings into cryptocurrency to keep it safe, money that was then gone for good. The piece lays out concrete first steps for any family facing this: call the bank right away, save every text, email and transaction record, report the crime to local police and the FBI's IC3.gov (or identitytheft.gov if an identity was stolen), lock down every account with a new password and two-factor login, and stay alert because scammers sometimes target the same person again. The core message: slow down, and verify any urgent computer or bank warning by calling the real company yourself at a number you look up independently, never one given to you during the call.
Read at The Washington Post →IV. Learn More: Vermont Scam Prevention Guides
Explore Vermont-specific guides on the most common scams targeting seniors in your state:
- Tech Support Scams in Vermont — Learn to recognize fake pop-ups, phone calls, and remote access schemes.
- Investment Scams in Vermont — Protect your retirement savings from fraudulent advisors and crypto scams.
- Romance Scams in Vermont — Spot the warning signs of fake online relationships designed to steal money.
- Government Impersonation Scams in Vermont — Know what real government agencies will never ask you to do.
- How to Report Scams in Vermont — Step-by-step guide to reporting fraud and starting recovery.
For national-level data on each scam type, see our Investment, Tech Support, Romance, and Government Impersonation national guides.
See how Vermont compares. Curious where Vermont ranks in the national picture? Stolen Trust, our 2026 special study, ranks every state and territory using five years of FBI data and lays out one practical plan to fix elder fraud.