THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2021 Page 19 AG Healey’s Office opens application period for grant program to help residents pay heating bills W ith energy prices on the rise this winter, Attorney General Maura Healey has announced a new grant program to help Massachusetts residents pay their monthly heating bills. “Each winter, tens of thousands of families across our state struggle to pay their heating bills and that’s only worsened with the unprecedented pandemic and rising energy prices,” Healey said. “Our goal with this program is to help give Massachusetts residents the fi nancial support they need to stay warm this winter.” Economic uncertainty related to the COVID-19 pandemic and volatility in global fossil fuel prices are leading to a spike in energy prices this winter. AG Healey’s Residential Energy Assistance Grant (REAG) will provide approximately $500,000 in funding to organizations that assist Massachusetts households in paying their energy bills. The program builds on the offi ce’s Natural Gas Fuel Assistance grant program by expanding the types of fuel sources that are eligible for assistance. In addition to natural gas, eligible fuels may include, but aren’t limited to, electricity, oil, and propane. The Natural Gas Fuel Assistance grant program has awarded more than $3 million over three years to organizations across the state including the United Way, the Lend a Hand Society, the Southeast Asian Coalition, the Massachusetts Association for Community Action. The AG’s REAG program is open to state agencies, municipalities, and nonprofi t organizations with eligible programs including those that provide direct assistance to residents by subsidizing their home heating costs or those that provide specialized assistance to customers in need including help translating application documents. Approximately 400,000 Massachusetts residential customers currently receive a low-income discount rate on their electric and gas bills, with more customers signing up for payment plans each week. Enrollment in similar programs is expected to increase with this winter’s high energy rates. The AG’s Offi ce is especially interested in proposals for programs that will provide funding to families who otherwise would not be receiving fuel assistance, or who are not receiving suffi cient help in paying their monthly heating bills. Successful applicants will be those that provide assistance to households that make 80 percent or less than the Massachusetts median income. Families that make 60 to 80 percent of the state’s median income are particularly vulnerable to this winter’s rising energy rates and are simultaneously ineligible for assistance from the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The REAG program is funded through a settlement that the AG’s Offi ce reached in September 2020 with the competitive electric supplier, Starion Energy, for using unfair and deceptive sales tactics to lure more than 100,000 Massachusetts customers into expensive contracts with high electricity rates. In advance of this winter’s rising heating rates, AG Healey launched a campaign in November to educate residents about the new and expanded programs available to assist them in paying their energy bills. As part of the campaign, the AG’s Offi ce has reached out to communities across the state to connect them with resources and to urge customers to contact their utility company to learn about the range of assistance programs that they may qualify for, including fl exible payment plans as well as balance forgiveness programs. For more information on the available programs, see the AG’s resource fl yer that is available in multiple languages. The grant program will start on Feb. 7, 2022 and run through June 15, 2024. Interested applicants can visit the AG’s website, www.mass.gov/ago/grants for more information and for application instructions. Questions about the grant program can be submitted by email to AGOGrants@mass.gov by 5 p.m. on Jan. 7, 2022. Applications must be received by 5 p.m. on Jan. 14, 2022. BBB warns against online puppy purchases T he demand for “quarantine puppies” and other pets increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing with it a spike in scams that has persisted even as virus-related lockdowns have abated. Online pet scams – in which an online search ends with a would-be pet owner paying hundreds of dollars or more to adopt a pet that ultimately doesn’t exist – are especially pervasive during the holiday season, when families might be looking to add a furry family member as a gift. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) advises extreme caution if shopping for a pet online. In addition to a shortage of puppies available due to high demand, earlier this year, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suspended imports of dogs to the United States from countries deemed at high risk of rabies. The United States typically imports one million dogs each year and has since updated the restrictions. People currently shopping for pets online are very likely to encounter a scam listing in an online ad or website. Knowing the red flags associated with this scam can help people avoid heartache and loss of money. Online shopping scam reports to BBB Scam Tracker skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and pet scams make up 35 percent of those reports in 2021. While pet scam–related reports are down slightly from 2020, they are expected to double this year to those reported in 2019, and more than four times as many were reported in 2017, when BBB published its fi rst investigative study about online puppy scams. Scammers frequently capitalize on high demand during the holidays by posting pictures of pets in Christmas hats and other gear. When a wouldbe pet parent pursues the listing, the scammer refuses to let the consumer meet the pet before buying – often claiming COVID-19 considerations. The scammer claims that the buyer must use a pet delivery agency of some kind, often an airline. BBB Scam Tracker has received many reports of fake web pages impersonating real businesses for this purpose. The scammer also might demand fees for vaccinations or other last-minute “needs.” Ultimately, the pet does not exist, and the consumer has lost money and emotional investment. The largest group of victims by age are those 25-35, followed by those 35-44. The average fi - nancial loss reported to BBB Scam Tracker was $1,088. While 82 percent of pet scam reports involved dogs, other reports included cats, birds and iguanas. The tactics used in pet scams continue to evolve. Scammers increasingly ask for payment through untraceable cash apps, such as Zelle, Google Pay, Cash App, Venmo and Apple Pay. A review of BBB Scam Tracker data finds that most reports listed Zelle as the payment method involving the purchase of online pets. Pet scams are a worldwide problem, with the United Kingdom and Australia reporting large increases in pet scam complaints in 2020 and 2021. Many pet scams originate in Cameroon, according to data from Petscams.com, which tracks and catalogues puppy scams. Law enforcement agencies in the United States and abroad have worked to apprehend pet scammers. In December 2020, the U.S. Department of Justice announced criminal charges against a Cameroonian national living in Romania; among other tactics, the suspect had claimed the pets he was selling had COVID-19, and he required would-be buyers to purchase a “vaccine guarantee document.” The BBB has issued the following recommendations for buying pets online: See the pet in person before paying any money. Consider a video call with the seller if there are concerns about meeting in person because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This way, you can see the seller and the actual pet for sale. More often than not, scammers won’t comply with the request, and it helps avoid a scam. Conduct a reverse image search of the photo of the pet and search for a distinctive phrase in the description. Research the breed to get a sense of a fair price you are considering. Think twice if someone advertises a purebred dog for free or at a deeply discounted price … it could be a fraudulent off er. Check out a local animal shelter for pets to meet in person before adopting. Who to contact if you are the victim of a pet scam Petscams.com: petscams. com/report-pet-scam-websites tracks complaints, catalogues puppy scammers and endeavors to get fraudulent pet sale websites taken down. Federal Trade Commission (FTC): reportfraud.ftc.gov to fi le a complaint online or call 877-FTC-Help. Better Business Bureau: BBB Scam Tracker (https://www.bbb. org/scamtracker) to report a scam online. Canadian Anti-fraud Centre: antifraudcentre-centreantifraude or call 1-888-495-8501 for scams involving Canada. Your credit card issuer: Report the incident if you shared your credit card number, even if the transaction was not completed.
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