11/09/2017

AARP Warns Veterans of Fraud Threats

Two organizations are working on a new program warning of the dangers of fraud

Veterans of military service are twice as likely as others to be victims of consumer scams, according to recent research from AARP.  This week, the association announced a joint effort with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to warn vets of fraud schemes, some of which specifically target them.

Operation Protect Veterans, a new program from AARP’s Fraud Watch Network, warns veterans of attempts at identity theft, consumer scams offering fraudulent discounts and fake rental properties, and phony appeals for donations. Many scammers specifically prey on benefits available to veterans and their families through federal programs such as the Veterans Choice Program and the GI Bill.

The risks to veterans are highlighted in a new survey by AARP, Under Fire: Military Veterans and Consumer Fraud. The report notes that more than three-quarters of veterans (78 percent) were victims of an attempted scam in the past five years, and while they were only slightly more likely than non-veterans to receive scam calls in a given week, they were twice as likely as non-veterans to have lost money to scams over the past five years (16 percent vs. 8 percent).

Please click here to read the complete article from Associations Now.