The AARP has announced the creation of a new Veterans Fraud Center, aimed at educating and offering resources to former members of the military. Around one in three veterans will fall victim to scams, says Ronda Gooden, Communications Director with the AARP of Mississippi. She says veterans, active duty service members and their families are 40% more likely to be targets of scams than the general population.
Gooden says “Some of the top scams aimed at veterans include benefit buyouts, and that involves turning over United States Department of Veterans Affairs pension or disability benefits for a supposed lump sum payment that really never materializes.”
Accounts of fraud can also include malicious parties requesting donations to fake veterans charities or asking for payment to access updated military records, which should be a free service.
Gooden says these scams can come in many forms but are most common through email and unsolicited phone calls. She says if a message seems fake, it most likely is.
“And there’s some things that folks can do to protect themselves," says Gooden. "Make sure that you have strong and unique passwords for your accounts, and you can also place a free security freeze on credit reports at each of the three major credit bureaus."
More resources for identifying and reporting fraud can be found on the AARP Veterans Fraud Center website.
