Scams targeting the military

Military servicemembers and veterans, and their families, are almost 40 percent more likely than civilians to have money stolen via scams and frauds.  

Steady income

Scammers target the money you receive through paychecks and benefits.

Complex VA procedures

Scammers pose as “claims experts” or medical records specialists who promise faster decisions or guaranteed payments ─ and charge excessive fees.

Frequent moves

Relocating often makes it hard to keep track of paperwork, names, and trusted businesses. Scammers exploit the disarray and your departure from the area.

Trust and goodwill

Scammers pretend to be part of military culture and exploit patriotism to trap you.

High consequences for debt

Financial troubles can have severe consequences on your career, like loss of security clearances or promotions. Scammers can pose as debt collectors or even improperly pressure your chain of command.

Expensive financing

Scammers offer active-duty servicemembers “special deals” on products and financing, often with per-pay-period pricing and low-quality, overpriced products.

Predatory claims

Scammers unlawfully charge veterans to “help” prepare their initial claims with the VA, promising faster processing times or increased benefits while charging high fees.

Pension poaching

Scammers lure veterans into forwarding their pension money with overstated or false promises of instant cash.

Imposter or phishing scams

Scammers pretend to be an official government agency, family member, or business to get veterans to send money or personal information.

Romance scams

Scammers create fake profiles on dating websites or social media to build trust before requesting money or sensitive personal information.

Charitable-donation scams

Scammers ask for donations to fake or predatory charities that claim to help veterans or servicemembers in need.

Credit-monitoring scams

Scammers offer deployed, active-duty servicemembers credit monitoring to protect against identity theft. They use their information to open accounts and make purchases.