How you can help to stop elder fraud

VA is committed to educating elderly Veterans and their loved ones about how to protect themselves against elder fraud.

Fraudsters use various tactics, including aggressive calls, texts, emails, websites, social media messages and deceptive letters to pressure their targets, especially senior citizens, into sharing personal information, such as Social Security Numbers, bank account details, login credentials, medical records or credit card information.

Knowledge is power! Here are key guidelines Veterans can follow to protect themselves and their loved ones from fraud.

• Know how VA communicates: VA will not threaten beneficiaries with suspending their benefits, to jail or with lawsuits. For benefits changes or related matters, VA will send official communication by mail. If in doubt, call VA directly at: 1-800-827-1000.
• Never share banking information: Don’t share banking details with online acquaintances or unfamiliar individuals. Don’t directly deposit your VA benefits into anyone else’s bank account.
• Confirm the identity of any request: Always verify the identity of anyone requesting personal information, especially sensitive data related to VA benefits or bank accounts. If the behavior feels uncharacteristic for a known contact, contact them directly to confirm it’s not an impersonator.
• Use trusted payment methods: Requests for payment via cryptocurrency, wire transfers, prepaid debit cards, phone applications or gift cards signal a scam. Legitimate organizations do not request payment via these methods.
• Urgency and pressure: Scammers often create a sense of urgency and push victims to make quick decisions.
• Verify directly: If you’re unsure whether a call or threat is legitimate, find the official phone number for the agency or company yourself and call them directly to verify. Do not use any phone number given to you by the caller.
• Be wary of social media requests: Be cautious when responding to friend requests or messages from unknown individuals online. Regularly review your friends and followers and remove any connections you don’t trust. Be careful if you receive a new friend request from someone you already know. Sometimes, scammers create fake profiles using your friends’ names and photos to trick you.
• Use strong passwords: Change your passwords frequently, keep them in a secure location, and make sure they aren’t easy to guess. Never use personally identifiable information—like birth dates—in your passwords. Think of your password like the key to your front door; you wouldn’t want a key that’s easy for a stranger to copy. A strong password works the same way.

If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of fraud, help is available. Contact the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD (37283) or via the Fraud Hotline online.  

If a Veteran misses an expected VA benefits payment, identifies a discrepancy in payments, or finds suspicious activity with their direct deposit account, contact VA immediately at 1-800-827-1000. 

Veterans or survivors who suspect they have experienced fraud should seek additional information and report the incident to the appropriate agency online at VSAFE or by calling 833-38V-SAFE (87233).  Let’s stand together to protect the nation’s Veterans and their well-deserved benefits.