Veterans’ Scams

Date: 01/09/2017

Officials in one state are warning veterans and their families about an increase in scams.

Who Is It Targeting: Veterans, active-duty military, and their families

What Is It: A variety of scams that seek out current and former members of the military

What Are They After: You’d think that people who’ve served their country would be “off limits” to criminals, but there are a lot of ways that scammers come after veterans and their families. Some of the common scams involve payment plans that end up costing them outrageous amounts of money for the items, telemarketing calls that demand a lot of highly sensitive information, and calls or messages that provide false information about benefits.

The increase in veterans’ scams is so significant that Tennessee’s Department of Commerce & Insurance has issued a statewide warning about it.

How Can You Avoid It:

  • If you’re buying anything on credit or in installments, get all of the terms in writing before proceeding.
  • If anyone offers you extra benefits, additional health coverage plans, or even life insurance plans, check out the company’s reputation thoroughly before giving them so much as your name.
  • Remember, scammers love military targets because they tend to move a lot and can deploy to far-off places, leaving them less time to investigate identity theft suspicions.

For full details of this scam check out this article from Knoxville News Sentinel.

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