SCAMS BULLETIN Host Jay White is a volunteer Attorney who provides free legal assistance to low income seniors in San Mateo County, California

April 22, 2019

VETERANS BENEFITS SCAMS

U.S. veterans who receive calls or recorded messages claiming to be from “veterans services” should have their guard up. It should raise a red flag.

Fraudsters often leave voice messages following a script that goes something like this:

“Your VA profile was flagged for two potential benefits due to the changes in the VA program. These are time sensitive entitlements. Please call us back at your earliest convenience”.

Scam callers are attempting to elicit financial and other personal information from veterans. They are telling vets there is a new type of veterans’ benefit related to home loans. The fraudsters often leave voice messages following a script that goes something like this:

“Your VA profile was flagged for two potential benefits due to the changes in the VA program. These are time sensitive entitlements. Please call us back at your earliest convenience”. Don’t do it.

Scammers may offer “benefits,” such as loan modifications to their mortgages–then asked for personal information, including social security numbers, dates of birth and bank

account numbers.

Scammers who gain access to personal information can use it to steal money from bank accounts, credit card accounts, or sell the information to other bad actors for use in identity theft fraud.

Scammers preying on veterans may purport to be from the “Update Your Military File”, the “Veteran Charity” or “Veterans Choice Program”.

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If you receive a call that offers any of the above “services,” hang up immediately.  If you receive a voice message, write down the callback number and e-mail that information to the Federal Trade Commission www.ftc.gov.