by Attorney General Charity Clark
Scammers are coming for your business. The business impostor scam is where criminals pretend to be a business representative, a supervisor, an employee, a customer, or a potential business partner. Having gained your trust, they attempt via email or phone to trick you into sending them money. Sometimes, the scammers are phishing for personal data, like account passwords and bank account numbers, that they can use to steal your money – or sell on illegal online marketplaces.
Make no mistake: imposter scammers are sophisticated criminals. They often have pieces of your information, which are used to make their scam appear legitimate. Scammers are experts in human psychology. Their messages are designed to spark emotion, create urgency, and push you to act quickly before your rational thinking takes over.
When an employee rushes to click an unfamiliar link, they can inadvertently expose the personal data of colleagues, business partners, and customers. The potential impact of a scam can be far-reaching, including exposing your business to liability.
Protecting employees' and customers' personal and financial data must be a priority of any business. Here are some tips to avoid falling victim to a scam:
- Slow down and pause before acting.
If you can't reach the sender of the email in the moment, don't move forward. Talk it through with a trusted coworker or another manager. A quick conversation can prevent a costly mistake.
- Take time to verify the identity of the person contacting you using a known, trusted contact method.
Check carefully that the email address is legitimate. Scammers often use slightly altered email addresses to make them appear to come from a trusted sender. Once you are satisfied that the email address appears legitimate, confirm the request by calling them on a phone number you already have or speaking with them face-to-face before taking any action.
- Don't pay a bill or update information based on an unexpected message.
Customer payment information and human resource information should never be altered or released in response to a surprise email or text.
- Remember: gift cards are for gifts, not payments.
If anyone asks you to buy gift cards out of the blue, assume it's a scam.
If you encounter a scam, hang up and report it to my Consumer Assistance Program (CAP) at 800-649-2424. By submitting scam reports to CAP, businesses help track fraud at the state level and provide support to Vermont small businesses impacted by financial crimes. In 2025, CAP’s Small Business Advocate received 176 business scam reports. Among these cases, imposter scams remain one of the most reported business fraud types.
In addition to managing financial fraud reports, the Small Business Advocate within CAP helps business consumers resolve complaints and provides information and referrals to small businesses across Vermont to solve problems. In 2025, the Small Business Initiative assisted 284 small businesses in Vermont.
To receive alerts from the Vermont Attorney General, state agencies, and local government about scams impacting Vermont, complete the VT-ALERT registration at https://vem.vermont.gov/vtalert and select "Scam Alert." Alerts can be delivered to your phone by text message, recording, or email.
It’s only a matter of time before your business becomes a scammer’s target. You can be prepared and help prevent scams by learning about scams and sharing information with your community.
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