June 22, 2023

Are Veterans a Popular Target for Scams?

About Nicole Pajer

Nicole Pajer is a Los Angeles-based freelance published in The New York Times, Woman's Day, AARP, Parade, Wired, Glamour, People and more.

Scammers love to take advantage of people, stealing money from them however they can. And one demographic that is a particular hot target for these thieves is veterans. Some statistics have indicated that up to seven in 10 active duty service members and military vets have found themselves to be victims of at least one digital crime. And in 2021, it was reported that scammers were able to steal an estimated $267 million from this demographic. If you’re a veteran yourself or have a friend or family member who served, you’ll want to be extra vigilant about keeping an eye out for scams. Here are some important things to know.

Why are veterans so appealing to scammers?

A lot of this has to do with the benefits and financial compensation that veterans are eligible for. “Veterans often receive monthly benefits, which are typically a fixed amount, so that a scammer can appear to know much about benefits without legitimately being from the VA, the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS), or a reputable organization like AAFMAA,” explains Mike Meese, President of AAFMAA (the American Armed Forces Mutual Aid Association, which is the longest-standing, non-profit financial solutions provider exclusively serving the US military community). He explains that the details of VA benefits can also be complex, which are difficult to understand under normal circumstances. And scammers can take advantage of this confusion.

Scammers claiming to represent the VA or another organization that supports veterans can easily get a foot in the door. “Throw in the fact that veterans are often older and tend to be more socially isolated--many of them thanks in part to mental health issues they picked up while serving--and you have a recipe for an ideal scam target,” adds Ann Martin, an analyst with CreditDonkey.

Veteran scams to look out for

“The most common types of scams on veterans are fake military charities/causes and fake requests to update their military records, according to a 2021 AARP study,” says Meese. However, scams also include fake technology support, fake vacation or lottery prizes, and fake military/veteran special discounts and deals. Scams where identity thieves impersonate VA representatives or other government employees and request access to personal information (social security numbers, banking details, etc.) are also common. “They’ll typically cite needing this information urgently to validate or update benefits like healthcare, VA loans, and other services,” Meese explains.

The Better Business Bureau also warns against the following scams that are often directed at service members:

Phony jury duty summons: In this type of scam, a caller will contact you, claiming to work for the local court system. They will then typically notify you that you did not show up for jury duty and there is now a warrant out for your arrest. “When the victim says they never got a summons, the caller will ask for a credit card number or Social Security number to clear up the matter,” explains Lisa Schiller, Director of Investigations and Media Relations with the Better Business Bureau.
Misleading car sales: Be on the lookout for websites posting classified ads that may offer false discounts for military personnel. These postings might also claim to be selling cars from soldiers who have been deployed and need to sell their car fast. Signs of such fake ads may include “upfront fees will be required via wire transfer, or the vehicle will have problems after purchase,” says Schiller.
Expensive life insurance policies: Military members can also be targets for high pressure sales pitches about unnecessary and expensive life insurance policies.

What information should you never give out?

Meese stresses that the VA will never call and ask you for specific information. “If anyone calls you and says they are from the VA, take down the info and call the VA back to verify,” he says. Never give out your social security number, bank account or routing number, or passwords to anyone over the phone or in writing via text or email. Similarly, never give out credit card information. And you will never be asked to pay to receive any of your benefits.

How to protect yourself from scams

“Seniors can protect themselves from veteran scams by blocking robo call numbers and not clicking on email links from email addresses or text numbers they do not know,” suggests Meese. With email in particular, don’t just rely on the display name of the sender as it appears in your inbox; hover to view the actual email address. If it seems suspicious (i.e. a mash of letters/numbers at an unknown website domain) or otherwise doesn’t match who the sender is claiming to be, block and delete without clicking anything else. “If someone contacts you and asks for personal, financial, or military information, follow the instructions above such as hanging up and doing your own research or contacting your institution directly,” Meese says.

Schiller also recommends not to wire transfer money to anyone you don’t know, as it’s “practically impossible to track.” Instead, pay or donate by credit card, as charges can be more easily disputed. Don’t click on emailed links from addresses you aren’t familiar with and make sure not to give away personal information on websites you are not familiar with. It’s also a good idea to make sure your computer’s software is always up to date so you have the latest software that can protect you. Do this on your devices and phone as well.

And Tatiana Tsoir, CPA, MBA, a transformative business and finance coach says when in doubt, ask for help. “A VA, a local library, a community center, your kids, your relatives and friends who are more aware of the scams - run stuff by them!” she says. Even if you’re sure it’s not a scam, check it out to be sure. “Google the organization sending the letter pretending to be legit, find their contact us space, and call them directly,” she adds. “Find out what’s happening. Always keep your antennae out for scams.”

What to do if you think you’re being scammed

The most common warning sign that something is a scam is usually being contacted out of the blue, such as by phone, email, or text asking you to provide and confirm a series of personal, financial, or military information. Any request for payment or donation in an unusual way such as through PayPal or Venmo, Zelle, gift cards, or cash, says Meese, should also be considered a red flag.

If you feel like you are being scammed, don’t give out any personally identifiable information or financial information. “If something feels off, hang up the call, or close the web browser, and contact your bank or the VA directly from their publicly listed contact information to verify the authenticity of the request,” says Meese. You can then speak to a representative directly on their end to see if there is something on your account that needs resolving. You can also file a report with the local police. If you are contacted regarding a donation to a charity, research and contact the charity directly and do your own research to see if this is a legitimate organization.

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