Veteran Fraud Protection & Identity Theft Prevention

VSAFE is a government-wide initiative launched on Veterans Day 2023, dedicated to helping veterans, service members, and families avoid fraud. Its mission: "Learn. Detect. Protect." The program involves 11 federal agencies including the VA, DoD, DOJ, FTC, CFPB, FCC, IRS, and Social Security Administration.

In 2022 alone, veterans reported $292 million in losses to fraud. VSAFE covers 13 fraud categories including military/veteran benefits, identity theft, imposters, education, employment, financial, healthcare, housing, and romance scams.

Source: VA.gov — Protecting Veterans from Fraud

The VA uses this framework to help veterans identify scam attempts:

Source: VA — The Four P's of Spotting Fraud

VA Overpayment Scams

Fraudsters impersonate VA employees via text, email, or phone, claiming you owe money due to an overpayment. They may use official VA letterhead and logos, and pressure you to make immediate payment through non-official channels like wire transfers, bitcoin, prepaid cards, or gift cards.

What to do: Never respond to unsolicited contact demanding immediate payment. Verify by logging into your official account at VA.gov. For legitimate VA debt questions, call the VA Debt Management Center at 800-827-0648.

Payment Redirection / Direct Deposit Fraud

Bad actors obtain your personal information and use it to access your accounts, redirecting VA benefit payments to accounts or prepaid debit cards they control. If you notice a change to your direct deposit information that you did not make, contact VA immediately at 800-827-1000.

Claims Predators

Companies or individuals not accredited by VA who charge veterans to prepare initial benefits claims. They may promise expedited processing or higher disability ratings in exchange for fees. These entities may demand outrageous fees for services that VA or accredited representatives provide for free.

Key fact: Only VA-accredited attorneys and claims agents may charge fees, and only for appeals or supplemental claims — never for initial filings. VA provides free disability examinations. Read more on our Predatory Claims Companies page.

Pension Poaching

Criminals target veterans aged 65 and older by falsely helping them qualify for VA pension benefits through schemes involving hidden assets in trusts or annuity products. These schemes can result in penalty periods, loss of assets, and pension denial. Learn more about pension eligibility on our VA Pension page.

Imposter Scams

Imposter scams account for up to 40% of the total fraud reported by military members. Scammers pose as VA employees, government officials, bank representatives, or military personnel to steal personal information or money.

Romance and Friendship Scams

Fraudsters create fake profiles on dating apps and social media, establish trust quickly, then request money or personal information. Request video or phone verification early and perform reverse-image searches on profile photos.

Education Scams

Includes job board scams, student loan fraud, scholarship scams requiring upfront fees, high-pressure seminars, and false "free gift" offers tied to education programs.

DBQ (Disability Benefits Questionnaire) Fraud

Individuals or companies charge high prices for completing DBQs, sometimes with falsified information. VA will not pay or reimburse any expenses for private provider DBQs, and VA reserves the right to verify all submitted medical evidence.

Other Threats

• Phishing via email, phone, text, fake websites, social media, and video platforms
• Phone spoofing (caller ID shows legitimate VA numbers)
• Memorialization scams with inflated funeral service fees
• Tax fraud (seasonal, targeting refund claims)
• Malware and ransomware attacks

Source: VA — Fraud Prevention

Do

• Apply for benefits directly through VA.gov or at VA regional offices
• Verify any representative's credentials using the VA accreditation search tool
• Use strong passwords (8+ characters with letters, numbers, symbols — no SSN or dates)
• Activate multi-factor authentication on all VA and financial accounts
• Look for "https" on websites before entering personal information
• Update operating systems, browsers, and antivirus software regularly
• Request video or phone verification with online contacts early
• Perform reverse-image searches on profile photos from people you meet online
• Review all documents before signing and retain copies
• Consult trusted individuals before sharing sensitive data

Do Not

• Never sign blank forms for others to complete
• Never pay upfront fees for initial VA claims assistance
• Never share login credentials, SSN, or bank details with unsolicited contacts
• Never deposit VA benefits into family members' accounts (unless court-appointed or VA-accredited fiduciary)
• Don't use personal information (birth dates, SSN) in passwords
• Don't click suspicious links or download from unauthorized sources
• Don't automatically trust "online friends" with personal or financial information
• Don't accept contracts from unauthorized claims processors

Source: VA — Fraud Prevention

VA Identity Theft Helpline

The helpline assists veterans with concerns about their VA services being impacted by identity theft, processes privacy complaints, and monitors VA facility compliance with privacy requirements. VA has more than 400 Privacy Officers nationwide dedicated to protecting veteran information.

Credit Freezes (Free)

A credit freeze prevents anyone from opening new credit accounts in your name. It is free to place or lift and does not affect your credit score. The agency must place the freeze within one business day and lift it within one hour.

Active Duty Fraud Alerts

Active duty service members and National Guard members can place an active duty fraud alert — which tells businesses to verify your identity before opening new credit accounts — and receive free electronic credit monitoring by contacting each of the three credit bureaus.

Credit Protection Steps

1. Place a credit freeze with all three bureaus (free)
2. Place a fraud alert — one call to any bureau, and they notify the other two
3. Active duty: request an active duty fraud alert and free credit monitoring
4. Review credit reports regularly at annualcreditreport.com
5. Report suspected identity theft at identitytheft.gov

Source: FTC — Credit Freezes and Fraud Alerts

Source: VA — Fraud Prevention | vsafe.gov

The VA OIG Hotline addresses complaints concerning veterans or VA that relate to potentially unlawful activity, potential violations of rules or regulations, fraud, waste, abuse, and gross mismanagement of VA programs and operations.

• Phone: 800-488-8244
• Hours: Mon/Tue/Wed/Fri: 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. ET | Thursday: 9:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. ET
• Online: Submit a complaint at vaoig.gov
• Fax: 202-495-5861
• Mail: VA Inspector General Hotline (53H), 810 Vermont Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20420

Note: The OIG has transitioned to web forms only for electronic submissions — they no longer accept standard email complaints. The hotline is not a crisis resource. Veterans needing immediate support should contact the Veterans Crisis Line at 988 (press 1).

Source: VA OIG Hotline

Before working with anyone who offers to help with your VA claims, verify their accreditation. Only VA-accredited representatives are authorized to assist you, and fee rules are strict:

• Accredited attorneys and claims agents may charge fees only for appeals and supplemental claims — never for initial filings
• VA disability examinations are free — legitimate examiners do not charge veterans
• VSO representatives provide free assistance with claims at every stage
• DBQs submitted by private providers are subject to VA verification and authentication

Verify credentials: Use the VA OGC Accreditation Search Tool to confirm any representative is accredited before sharing personal information or signing agreements.

Source: VA — Fraud Prevention

• Regularly verify your direct deposit information through your VA.gov account
• Never deposit VA benefits into anyone else's account unless they are a court-appointed or VA-accredited fiduciary
• Enable multi-factor authentication on your VA.gov account and bank accounts
• Report suspicious direct deposit changes immediately to VA at 800-827-1000
• Review bank statements regularly for unauthorized transactions
• Use a unique, strong password for your VA.gov account — do not reuse passwords across sites

Your state attorney general's office has a consumer protection division that can investigate fraud, file lawsuits against scammers, and help you recover losses. Many states have military- or veteran-specific consumer protection programs.

• Find your state attorney general at naag.org (National Association of Attorneys General)
• File a consumer complaint with your state AG's consumer protection division
• Check your state's page on VetAtlas for state-specific veteran resources: State Benefits