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LEWISTOWN -- Did you know that veterans are twice as likely to be scammed?
Dana Neely, Education and Outreach Specialist for the Pennsylvania Attorney General said that scammers are interested in the additional government benefits veterans receive.
Neely attended the monthly Mifflin County Veterans Organization meeting on Thursday evening to discuss fraud and identity theft.
"They often appeal to vets' patriotism or exploit elements of a military lifestyle, like frequent travel, to steal their hard-earned benefits," said Neely.
He is a U.S. Navy veteran of the USS Enterprise and spent the last 10 years as a teacher in Carlisle before joining the Attorney General’s office. In his current position at the Attorney General's office, he travels the state to speak to groups about important topics like fraud.
Neely also speaks with students about the harms of vaping and using drugs and alcohol. He also speaks with senior citizen groups to discuss scammers and topics like senior bullying.
According to Neely, the best way to prevent scammers is by being cautious when receiving an unsolicited offer for services from an unknown source. Do not pay for free services.
He added that it is illegal for an accredited veteran officer to accept any form of payment from a veteran.
Neely advises veterans to research the entity they are considering working with on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website.
"It typically starts with a contact you didn’t initiate," said Neely.
Some of the ways Neely said scammers target veterans are tax deductions linked to military service, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs Disability payouts, pension poaching, and home loans.
"An unexpected phone call, email, text, or social media message. They urge you to take action, help another veteran in need, or protect yourself. And, the interaction always ends with them requesting money and or personal information," said Neely.
He said that identity theft scammers will also take advantage of documents left unattended or by going through the trash.
Neely shared ways to prevent this crime of convenience. He said that those who are vulnerable to scams should get in the habit of shredding all forms with their personal information on them. Neely added that individuals should not give out banking, credit card, or other personal information.
"55 percent of ID theft is done by someone the victim knows," said Neely.
He added that veterans should remember that the Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and other government agencies will NOT initiate contact through phone calls, emails, text messages, or social media.
"Do your research, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is," said Neely.
He shared that individuals should not donate over the phone or computer. Anyone can verify that charities are registered in Pennsylvania prior to donating by contacting the Bureau of Charitable Organizations at the Pennsylvania Department of State.
Veterans should also avoid quick payout schemes for disability. Neely said that veterans can verify home loans through the Veterans Affairs Office.
If you think you may have been the victim of a dishonest financial planner or someone is operating dishonestly you can file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at www.military.ncpw.gov/file-complaint.
The FTC does not resolve individual cases but can assist law enforcement.
Victims of scammers should also make a complaint to the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office website at www.attorneygeneral.gov or by calling (717) 783-1944.
During the business portion of the Mifflin County Veterans Organization meeting, the group approved donating an additional $150 on top of the already approved $500 to a fellow veteran who recently was displaced from his home due to smoke damage from the Juniata Terrace fire that took place Sunday.
The Mifflin County Veterans Organization meets monthly at St. John's Lutheran Church to share a meal, converse, and hear from people in the community.
The organization was created to support fellow veterans in any way possible; meetings are open to all veterans and their families.