Scammers are always looking for the easiest victims of their crimes, and now they have found a new group – our veterans.
A series of scams targeted at veterans of any age, but especially older ones, have become prominent in recent months. Most of the scams focus on two areas – benefits or identity theft.
The benefit scams include offers to make an upfront payment in cash in exchange for future disability or pension payments but at a fraction of the value, fraudulent investment advisors suggesting the veteran can get additional benefits by overhauling their investment holdings, creating a phone number similar to the ones veterans actually use to find approved health care providers in the VA system and charging for military records.
The identity theft scams include people calling and saying they work for the VA and need to update records. Hang up on these calls. The other identity theft scam deals with scammers claiming to be employment specialists who need your personal information to help you find jobs.
Other common scam efforts against veterans include a GI Bill marketing scam, phony discounts on products and services and fake rental properties.
These veteran-targeted scams have become so popular that AARP and the U.S. Post Office have teamed up to create Operation Protect Veterans. To learn more call, the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 1-877-908-3360.