Veterans: Watch Out for Government Imposter Scams
Milwaukee, Wis. – One of the ways scammers trick you into handing over your hard-earned cash is by saying they’re with the government. As a veteran, you may engage with government agencies on a more regular basis about benefits and services, so hearing from them out of the blue might not seem surprising. Scammers rely on this trust, and frequently masquerade as official government representatives to get your attention.
What are government imposter scams?
A government imposter scam happens when a scammer pretends to represent a reliable government entity—like the IRS or FBI in the U.S. (CRA and CSIS in Canada). Their goal is to gain your trust and convince you to send them money or hand over your personal information like your bank account or social security number.
Common government imposter scams
The most common of these scams reported in BBB Scam TrackerSM are tax collection scams, which represents seven percent of all reported scams by military consumers and veterans last year. Scammers often use fear and intimidation to make you feel like you’ve done something wrong, such as owing back taxes to the IRS or CRA. While most folks report walking away from these scams without falling victim, military consumers reported a median loss of $800 in 2018.1
Another common government imposter scam has to do with government grants. Often this kind of scam doesn’t use fear and intimidation, but the promise of a “free” grant or scholarship in gratitude for your service to our nation. The scammer may tell you that all you have to do is pay a one-time processing fee, and then once you pay he/she runs away with your money. Veterans have reported in BBB Scam Tracker that many of these invitations come from a friend through Facebook Messenger, which can be risky if you are not familiar with these kind of social media imposter scams.
Scammers also target veterans by impersonating government agencies to obtain personal information for healthcare and medical benefits, as well as money for the care and location of loved ones. There are many ways scammers pretend to be from the government, but in all cases, the end goal is the same: they want your money and personal information.
How to spot government imposter scams
Here are some tips to stay a step ahead of government imposter scams and know if it’s actually the government or an imposter in disguise:
· If the government needs to reach you, they will send you official documentation in the mail.
If you get a phone call about a free grant opportunity, a direct message on social media about a prize you’ve won, or get a text about back taxes due, it’s very likely a scam.
· Never confirm or give out your personal information to someone that contacts you unsolicited.
Do not give out your banking and credit card information, your birthdate, Social Security or Insurance number, or any other personal, sensitive information to someone that contacts you and says they are with a government agency. Your personal information is like money—protect it from scammers looking to steal your identity or your benefits.
· The government will never ask you to wire money or send them a gift card or pre-paid debit card.
While great for birthday or holiday gifts, these are not methods of payments intended for payment to the government. When military consumers reported a loss to a government imposter, the most common method of payment was gift cards. Scammers favor these payment methods because they are harder to trace and are often irreversible.
· Don’t trust a badge number or name without verification.
Con artists often spoof phone numbers, create copies of official-looking documents, and will do everything they can to seem official and earn your trust. When in doubt, disengage and contact the government agency directly to verify. This is especially important when dealing with “look alike” organizations like the “Federal Grants Administration.” It sounds legitimate, but is not real. Verify legitimate government grants at www.grants.gov, or in Canada, contact the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada.
Fight back by reporting government imposter scams
More than 10,000 military consumers and veterans like you have reported their scam at BBB.org/ScamTracker. Search for scams being reported in your community and share your experience to help support research and education efforts.
About BBB Military Line®: We help military service members, veterans, and their families protect their assets, plan for the future, and prosper in a trusted marketplace. Learn more at BBB.org/Military.
1 Military Consumers & Marketplace Trust: An Analysis of Marketplace Challenges Facing the Military Community (published July, 2019).
For an online version click here
For more information or further inquiries, contact the Wisconsin BBB at www.bbb.org/wisconsin, 414-847-6000 or 1-800-273-1002. Consumers also can find more information about how to protect themselves from scams by following the Wisconsin BBB on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
ABOUT BBB: For more than 100 years, the Better Business Bureau has been helping people find businesses, brands and charities they can trust. In 2018, people turned to BBB more than 173 million times for BBB Business Profiles on more than 5.4 million businesses and Charity Reports on 11,000 charities, all available for free at bbb.org. There are local, independent BBBs across the United States, Canada and Mexico, including BBB Serving Wisconsin which was founded in 1939 and serves the state of Wisconsin.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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