Protecting Veterans from fraud
Learn more about common scams, protecting yourself, reporting fraud, and getting help
Download the Fraud Prevention Toolkit
Why this matters to you
The Federal Trade Commission estimated that in 2022 alone, Veterans reported $292 million in losses to fraud. Scammers continue to take advantage of new opportunities to commit fraud, and fraud attempts targeting Veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors are on the rise.
This page is for
- All Veterans
- Family members and caregivers
- Service members
What you can do
Fight back with knowledge about common scams targeting Veterans
Scammers often target Veterans because they have access to benefits and resources. Learn more about protecting yourself against common fraud schemes, including those related to claims and employment assistance.
Employment scams may include business or job opportunities that use the illusion of prospects to manipulate or steal from you. This resource offers tips to help avoid common employment scams.
Scammers are targeting Veterans by offering to provide claims assistance. Learn more about filing a claim with help from accredited attorneys, claims agents, and Veteran Service Officers.
Stories
Read the latest news about protecting yourself from fraud
These featured blog posts discuss employment scams and what you can do to avoid them, protect yourself.
The U.S. Department of Defense is warning Veterans and service members that foreign governments and companies are targeting and recruiting U.S. and NATO trained military talent across specialties and career fields to train foreign militaries, foreign defense industries, or foreign government agencies to fill gaps in their military capabilities.
It’s no secret that job scams are on the rise, and Veterans are often the top targets. Although job scams are widespread, Veterans often report more significant financial losses. Why is that? Veterans are often targeted because they have access to benefits and resources. Business and job opportunity scams were among the Top 10 frauds reported to the Federal Trade Commission in 2022.
Downloadable resources
Download valuable tips on protecting yourself from fraud attempts
These two-page resources share the do's and don'ts to avoid scams and prevent fraud related to natural disasters and emergencies.
Be Vigilant of Scams
Important facts on Veteran-targeted fraud and tips about fraud prevention, help, and reporting.
Download (PDF)Fraud Prevention Tip Sheet for Natural Disasters, Emergencies
Tips on protecting yourself from housing scams after a natural disaster or emergency.
Download (PDF)FAQ
Frequently asked questions
For health care related fraud, contact the Veterans Health Administration, Office of Integrity and Compliance Helpline at
For suspected VA Benefits fraud, call the VA Benefits Hotline at 1-
For all non-Veteran Affairs-related fraud, reach out to the Federal Trade Commission. Phone: (877) FTC-HELP
Imposter scams account for up to 40% of the total fraud reported by military members. For more information, visit AARP's blog on Top Scams Targeting Veterans.
Scammers may pressure you to act immediately share sensitive information. Scammers pretend to be from an organization or person you know. They may use payments that are hard to trace like gift cards or electronic banking apps.
Resist the pressure to act immediately. Stop and talk to someone you trust. Protect your personal or financial information in response to a request that you didn’t expect, even if the caller has some of your personal information.
Activate multi-factor authentication on your accounts. Update your software. Do not click. More than 90% of successful cyber-attacks start with a phishing email. Use strong passwords. Vary your login information.
- Stop all contact with the individual(s) who contacted you.
- Save all information or messages about the individual(s) who contacted you in case you need to take legal action.
- If you provided financial information, like your credit card number or bank account information, contact your bank or credit card company right away. They may be able to help you cancel the transaction or get your money back.
- If you sent funds via gift card or money transfer, report the scam to the issuer. They may be able to help you stop the transaction.
- If you provided personal information, like your Social Security number, you may be at risk for identity theft. Report identify theft and get a recovery plan at https://www.identitytheft.gov.
- Keep an eye on your credit report and financial accounts for any unusual activity and consider placing a freeze on your credit.
Our fraud prevention tip sheet is available in Spanish and Tagalog.
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