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.
New federal bill would let banks hold transactions up to 90 days to stop wire fraud against seniors
A member of Congress has introduced the Protecting Elders from Wire Fraud Act, which would let banks place a hold of up to 90 days on a transaction leaving a senior's account when financial exploitation is suspected, giving time to determine whether the transaction is legitimate. The bill would also require financial institutions to notify a trusted contact associated with the account when a hold is placed, and it would give banks safe harbor from liability when they act in good faith to prevent a suspected scam. Supporters point to FTC data showing $334 million lost to wire fraud in 2025. The bill is still in the early stages of the legislative process, with no funding details, effective date, or committee action yet reported. The takeaway for families: ask your own bank whether it already offers a trusted-contact option or a hold policy for suspicious transactions, since these tools are becoming more common even before any new federal law passes.
Read at Antelope Valley Press →IRS warns of rising senior scams ahead of National Grandparents Day
Ahead of National Grandparents Day, the IRS and federal investigators are warning that scams targeting older adults keep evolving. In "grandparent scams," callers pose as a grandchild claiming to be hospitalized, in an accident, or under arrest, demanding money right away and pressuring the victim not to contact police or other family members to check the story. In a newer twist on romance scams, criminals target widows and widowers on dating sites, build a relationship over time, then claim an overseas emergency, sometimes using AI to alter their voice or appearance on video calls; victims never meet them in person and only ever send money. Common warning signs across both: contact you did not initiate, requests for personal or financial information, and pressure to act immediately. If you get a call or message like this, slow down, hang up, call the family member directly using a number you already have, and never send money or personal information based on an unverified emergency claim. Report suspected fraud to the National Elder Fraud Hotline, the FBI's IC3.gov, or the DOJ's Elder Justice Initiative.
Read at KATV →Seven Medicare fraud red flags to watch for after CMS blocked $1.6 billion in improper payments
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services says enforcement actions have stopped more than $1.6 billion in potentially improper Medicare laboratory payments, part of a broader crackdown on Medicare billing fraud. Consumer red flags to watch for include: someone asking for your Medicare number in exchange for a "free" test or product, a lab test or medical equipment showing up that you never ordered, a caller claiming Medicare "wants" you to get something, anyone offering cash, gift cards, or other perks for your Medicare information, a statement listing a diagnosis or service that doesn't make sense, or pressure to ask your doctor for something you don't need. The advice: compare your Medicare claims against your own appointment calendar and receipts, review your Medicare Summary Notice regularly, check your claims through your secure Medicare account online, and report anything suspicious to 1-800-MEDICARE or your state's Senior Medicare Patrol.
Read at Saving Advice →Inside one senior center's fight against scams: 'Stop, Think, Verify'
The National Council on Aging profiles a Florida senior center's approach to fraud prevention, built around a simple habit: stop, think, verify before responding to any unexpected call, text, or email. Staff describe cases where an older adult lost nearly a lifetime of savings before family stepped in to help monitor the accounts, and use real examples to teach a short list of universal red flags: pressure to act immediately, a supposed relative in an emergency, a government agency demanding payment, a prize that requires a fee, requests for sensitive information, or threats of legal trouble. Their core message: a bank will never tell you to buy gift cards, and the IRS will never ask you to buy Apple gift cards to settle a debt. Other safeguards recommended include freezing your credit, setting up account alerts, and avoiding links or phone numbers you did not look up yourself.
Read at National Council on Aging →AI is making elder fraud harder to spot, and their adult children are picking up the pieces
USA Today and Moneywise report that AI is helping scammers research victims, write convincing scripts, and even generate deepfake voices, images, and video, making elder fraud more convincing and harder to catch than ever. Some scammers now scour published obituaries for identifying details, a spouse's name, employer, and hometown, to target grieving widows and widowers while they are most vulnerable. In one case described, a grieving widow lost more than $7,000 after callers claimed they had worked with her late husband to hide tax issues and that she had to pay to protect what was left of her inheritance. More adult children, many already stretched thin caring for both kids and aging parents, are becoming go-between liaisons for their parents' accounts: locking down bank access, redirecting mail, and asking doctors not to hand paper records to caregivers. Shame keeps many victims quiet, experts say, which only deepens the losses. The FBI logged more than 200,000 fraud complaints from people 60 and older in 2025, totaling $7.7 billion in losses, an average of about $38,500 per case, numbers experts believe are still an undercount. The advice for families: talk openly with aging parents about current scams before a crisis, not after, watch for unusual attention right after a loved one's obituary is published, and if a loss does happen, save screenshots and documentation right away and report it.
Read at USA Today →American Bar Association's 'Scam of the Month' warns about utility shutoff threat calls
The American Bar Association's Senior Lawyers Division runs a monthly 'Scam of the Month' column, and this edition focuses on callers who threaten to shut off electricity, gas, or water within hours unless you pay immediately. The column warns that scammers can spoof caller ID to look like your real utility company and may even mimic a company's phone menu and confirmation codes to sound convincing. Their advice: hang up, take a breath, and call the number printed on your latest utility bill, not any number the caller gives you, since a real utility company will always let you verify before cutting off service. If you feel pressured on the phone, simply tell the caller you will call the company back yourself.
Read at American Bar Association →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.