The AARP Fraud Watch Network and
the Washington State Attorney General’s Office are alerting military veterans
that fraudsters are targeting them for scams that steal the veterans’ money and
benefits.
Recently, AARP conducted a survey
of veterans and found that vets are twice as likely to be victimized by
scammers. According to Doug Shadel, AARP’s Washington State Director, modern
technology makes it easy for scammers to buy lists of military veterans. That,
coupled with veterans tend to trust other veterans, makes it easy for scammers
to pose as veterans to gain their targeted victim’s trust.
Washington State Attorney General
Bob Ferguson warned veterans on KING-TV today to think twice about any scheme
that requires up-front fees. Also, many schemes would claim to obtain documents
for veterans for a fee. Many times, the documents can be obtained for free by
citizens.
One specific scam is the Pension
Poaching Scam. This often preys on veterans who may have a large debt that they
need to take care of. The scammers promise to pay the debt if the veteran signs
over their pension benefits. The debt may get paid, but the veteran does not
have access to their earned benefits. Doug Shadel points out that there are
other legitimate ways to get help with debts. Also, it is illegal to sign over
a veteran’s benefits to anyone else.
For more about scams that target
vets, look at,
KING TV:
AARP Fraud Watch Network:
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