Veterans, Please Read: You Should Never Pay to Apply for VA Benefits
A Warning Every Veteran and Family Member Should Know
If you or someone you love served in the military, please take a few minutes to read this. Scammers are targeting veterans right now, and they are pretending to work for the Department of Veterans Affairs, also known as the VA. This blog will explain what is happening and how you can protect yourself or your family from losing money.
What Is Happening
Many veterans start thinking about their benefits as soon as they leave the military. Scammers know this, and they use it against people. Here is how the scam usually works.
You might get a phone call, a text message, an email, or even a message on Facebook or another social media site. The person on the other end will say they are contacting you about your veterans benefits. They may claim they work for the VA, or they may say they are approved by the VA. In truth, they are not connected to the VA at all.
They will then offer to help you in ways that sound very tempting. They may say they can help you apply for benefits you are missing. They may promise to get you a 100 percent disability rating. They may say they can speed up your claim so you do not have to wait as long. And then comes the catch. They ask you to pay a fee for this help.
Please remember this simple fact. All of this is a scam. No one should ever ask you to pay money for these services.
Why This Is a Scam
The VA never charges veterans to apply for benefits. This is completely free. Even accredited representatives, who are people officially approved to help veterans, and recognized Veterans Service Organizations, also do not charge fees to help you apply.
No one, not even someone who is properly accredited, can promise you a certain disability rating or guarantee that your benefits will be approved. Only the VA itself can decide if you qualify and how much you will receive. If anyone tells you they can guarantee results or help you skip ahead of others, that is a clear warning sign of a scam.
How to Protect Yourself
Here are simple steps you and your family can follow.
Never pay to apply. Whether you fill out your application online or go in person to a VA Regional Office, the VA staff will help you gather your paperwork and evidence for your claim. This service is always free of charge.
Apply directly through the VA. Only the VA has the authority to decide if you qualify for benefits and how much you will receive. If someone other than the VA is making promises about your benefits, be very careful, because this is very likely a scam.
Work only with a VA accredited representative. Before you accept help from anyone, use the VA's Accreditation Search tool. This tool lets you check if the person offering help is truly approved by the VA to assist veterans. This simple step can protect you from a lot of trouble.
What to Do If You Suspect a Scam
If you believe you have come across someone trying to scam you or a fellow veteran, please take action right away.
Report it to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Also contact your state attorney general to let them know what happened.
A Final Word to Our Veterans
You served our country with honor, and you deserve real help, not tricks meant to take your hard earned money. Please share this information with your friends, your neighbors, and your family members who served. A little bit of caution and a few minutes of checking can save you from a painful loss. When in doubt, always go straight to the VA or double check through the official Accreditation Search tool. Stay safe, and take care of each other.