Scams Target Military Consumers

May is Military Appreciation Month. While most will take this opportunity to express gratitude for military servicemembers’ sacrifices and service, unfortunately scammers don’t share that gratitude and target military consumers year-round. And when military servicemembers leave service, they continue to be targeted by scams tailored to take advantage of them. Veterans should be aware of these scam strategies and how to identify and avoid them.

Upfront Fee Scams

In this scam, a veteran is contacted and offered a service in exchange for paying an upfront fee. The pitch may be a discount or special deal only available to veterans such as:

· Maximizing a veteran’s benefits or finding them discounts on other products and services. · Sending copies of a veteran’s military records (which can be requested for free at archives.gov).

· Guaranteed loans or credit accounts – which may be real, but do not always cost an upfront fee and could have high fees and interest rates.

Benefits Scams

Applying for VA benefits can be complicated, and many veterans rely on assistance to navigate the process. This is where scammers step in, offering to help veterans with benefit claims, but are actually planning to exploit them for personal gain. Signs of a VA benefits scam include:

· Sending blank forms for the military consumer to sign, with assurance they will be filled out correctly later.

· Claiming to have a special relationship with the VA, medical professionals, or other government programs and can guarantee a specific claim outcome.

Pension Poaching Scams

Veterans may be contacted by financial advisors or attorneys to apply for legitimate benefits programs. However, some unethical ‘pension poachers’ profit by helping claimants artificially qualify for pension benefits, such as by hiding their assets. The poacher gets paid upfront, but the claimant may need to repay any benefits they receive when the VA later finds their eligibility was not valid. Remember:

· Veterans should only work with VA-accredited attorneys, claims agents, and Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) regarding their benefits and pensions.

· No one can guarantee that a claimant will be eligible for specific awards, benefits, or services.

· Legitimate accredited attorneys and claims agents generally charge claimants a fee only after a VA Regional Office has issued a decision on the claim.