June 15, 2023 - Overton Brooks VA Medical Center encourages Veterans to protect their VA benefits from potential fraud by being aware of scams targeting veterans.
Common Scams Targeting Veterans
- Pension Poaching: A financial advisor may exploit you by advising you to hide your assets to falsely qualify for VA benefits, sometimes resulting in lost investments and lucrative fees to the advisor.
- Identify Theft: When someone uses your personal or financial information without your permission (example: Social Security Number, financial account information).
- Phishing: Someone contacts you and attempts to acquire your sensitive information (usernames, passwords, etc.). Scammers often pose as trustworthy organizations and use email or social media.
- Imposter Scams: Someone pretends to be an official from the IRS, VA, Medicare or other government agencies to get your money and personal information.
- Investment Opportunities: Someone promises high returns without financial risks. Things that seem to good to be true usually are.
- Romantic Schemes: Someone you just met online asks for money or sensitive information, especially someone you haven't met in person yet or don't know well.
Contact VA immediately at 1-800-827-1000 if:
- You miss a VA benefits payment,
- Identify a discrepancy in payments,
- Find suspicious activity with your direct deposit account.
10 Things to Know to Protect Your VA Benefits
- File benefits claims with VA directly.
- Be cautious of media ads from companies that say Veterans can only obtain VA benefits with their help.
- Never sign a contract to pay an unauthorized company to help with your claim.
- Accredited Veteran Service Organizations will help with your claim for free. Check to see if an organization is accredited online at benefits.va.gov/vso or the VA Office of General Counsel's Accreditation Search (va.gov/ogc/apps/accreditation). Note: Va-accredited agents and attorneys may charge to assist with a VA claim only if VA has already made an initial decision on that claim.
- You never have to pay to submit a new claim at VA.
- VA does not charge processing fees.
- Review all documents thoroughly.
- Never sign a blank form for someone else to complete.
- Always keep a copy of completed forms for your records.
- VA does not threaten claimants with jail or lawsuits.
Report Suspected Fraud
VA Office of Inspector General - Toll Free: 1-800-488-8244
Contact VA immediately at 1-800-827-1000 if you miss a VA benefits payment, identify a discrepancy in payments, find suspicious activity with your direct deposit account.
Federal Trade Commission Complaint Line - Toll Free: 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357)
For more information on how to avoid a scam, please visit consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-avoid-scam.
