Veterans benefits scam alert: Beware of scammers impersonating VA attorneys

VA is currently investigating a telephone scam involving an individual or individuals impersonating VA Office of General Counsel  attorneys. The perpetrator reportedly calls Veterans and requests money to process their claims for benefits. Veterans have been given actual VA attorney names and phone numbers to call back. It is important to know that VA — as a cabinet-level agency of the U.S. government, funded by Congress — will never request payment for carrying out our mission to serve Veterans.

If you are contacted by a scammer:

1. Know that VA will never call you and request money, even if you see “Veterans Affairs” on your caller identification.
2. Do not give out any personally identifiable information or other personal or sensitive data such as financial and banking information.
3. Hang up the phone immediately.
4. Report the incident to your state’s attorney general: naag.org/naag/attorneys-general/whos-my-ag.php.
5. Report a fraud complaint to the Federal Trade Commission.

If you believe you are a victim of this scam and you provided personally identifiable information:

1. Request a free credit report from annualcreditreport.com.
2. Watch for any fraudulent charges or activity on your accounts.
3. Visit identitytheft.gov to obtain a personalized recovery plan and other resources.

If you provided money to the scammer:

Report the incident to your state’s attorney general immediately and contact your financial institution.

For additional information on Identity Theft:

Visit VA’s More Than a Number website at www.va.gov/identitytheft for tips and resources on identifying and preventing identity theft and fraud.