Avoid Being Scammed

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Scams targeting veterans are on the rise, especially among imposters seeking access to personal identification information and fraudsters soliciting payments.

Tactics include:

• Creating fake identities and impersonating government officials as Veterans Administration claims processors, bank representatives, IRS agents and sheriff’s officers.

• Phishing attacks via fake emails, text messages and postcards regarding extra benefits, Social Security check credits, free coupon offers and suspicious activity or log-in attempts on accounts.

• Payment requests via such non-traditional means as gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency and pre-paid debit cards.

• Building trust through social media interactions related to employment opportunities, romance and military buddies.

As a protection against fraudsters and scammers, the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) advises:

• Never share banking information

• Verify the identity of anyone asking for personal information

• Don’t click on unknown or suspicious messages

• Use trusted payment methods

• Be wary of social media requests

• Maximize privacy settings for all social media accounts

These top scams and prevention methods were the highlight of a recent presentation by VBA representatives Monica Rivera, chief of stakeholder and organizational change management, and Krystle Good, senior analyst. Rivera and Good noted that the Office of Financial Management within the VBA regularly collaborates with various internal lines of business and outside federal agencies and law enforcement entities to identify fraud, waste and abuse within programs and to develop and implement solutions.

Further details and more information about protecting veterans’ benefits are available at Veterans Benefits Administration – Fraud Prevention.