Veterans are a frequent target of scammers.  Earlier this year North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson issued a warning to veterans about a scam targeting veterans not just in North Carolina, but around the country. The scam is presently being circulated through postcards or letters, but is also being done through phone calls including automated robocalls as well as emails and text messages in which the scammer poses as a an agent of the VA, Social Security, CHAMPVA or TRICARE offering enrollment in what the scammer calls the Veterans Savings Program.  The scammers claim that through the program the veterans can receive monthly payments of $200 or more, free or discounted dental insurance coverage and special savings benefits unavailable to the general public.  The veteran is prompted to call a provided number to enroll.

Veterans who call the provided number are asked to provide their Social Security number, bank account information and other personal information in order to enroll in the program.  However, there is no Veterans Savings Program. It is a total scam and while the  written communications from the scammers appear legitimate containing official appearing logos, anyone providing the requested information will soon end up a victim of identity theft.

TIPS

As I often say, trust me, you can’t trust anyone.  Not only is there no Veterans Savings Program, but government agencies do not initiate contact with veterans by unsolicited phone calls and they do not request personal information by phone, text or mail.  Whenever you get any communication by snail mail, email, phone call, or text message, you can never be sure who is actually contacting you.  Your Caller ID can be manipulated through a technique called “spoofing” to make it appear as if the call is coming from the VA or some other legitimate government agency although the call is actually coming from a scammer’s phone or computer.

Whenever you are asked to make a payment or provide personal information in response to any communication you should confirm the legitimacy of the communication before responding.  In this case, a call to the real VA will confirm that it is a scam.  If you need to know what benefits you may be eligible for as a veteran you can go to va.gov.

Veterans are very much targeted for scams and fall prey to them even more than the general population so veterans should always be on guard.

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