Caller claims VA approval and charges a fee to help you apply for veterans benefits
Scammers contact veterans by phone, text, email, or social media claiming to be VA-approved, then charge fees to help apply for benefits that are always free. They may promise a 100% disability rating or guaranteed approval — only scammers make that promise.
Also known as: VA benefits claims agent scam, veteran benefits fee fraud, fake VA accreditation scam, veteran disability rating scam
Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes
- 1 Call your bank or card's fraud line right now. Use the number on the back of your card — not any number from the message or caller. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment and freeze the account.
- 2 If you paid by gift card, wire, or an app (Zelle, Venmo, Cash App): contact that company immediately and report it as fraud. Acting fast sometimes recovers the money.
- 3 Report to the FBI at ic3.gov and the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The sooner, the better.
What to do right now
- 1 Do not pay anyone who contacts you unsolicited to help with your VA claim — all VA benefit application help is free
- 2 Use the VA Accreditation Search at https://www.va.gov/ogc/accreditation.asp to verify that any person helping you is actually accredited by the VA
- 3 Contact your nearest VA Regional Office directly or call 1-800-827-1000 to start a claim at no cost
- 4 Find free accredited claims help through the VFW, American Legion, DAV, or other VA-recognized Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs)
- 5 If you already paid a fee or gave someone access to your benefits account, report it to VSAFE.gov or call 1-833-387-8233 (1-833-38V-SAFE)
- 6 Report to the FTC at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov and the FBI's IC3 at https://www.ic3.gov.
Red flags
- ⚠ Any offer to help you file a VA benefits claim in exchange for money — applying to the VA is always free, including in-person help from VA staff and accredited VSO representatives
- ⚠ Promises of a guaranteed 100% disability rating or a specific benefit amount — no agent, attorney, or VSO can guarantee an outcome
- ⚠ Contact comes through an unsolicited call, text, email, or social media message — not from you reaching out to the VA
- ⚠ The caller claims to be 'VA-approved,' 'endorsed by the VA,' or to have a special contact who speeds up claims — the VA does not endorse third-party fee agents
- ⚠ Pressure to act quickly or pay upfront before you can verify the person's credentials
- ⚠ The organization has a patriotic-sounding name like 'Veteran Benefits Network' or 'Federal Veterans Claims Center' but has no VA.gov URL
Sources
- FTC Consumer Alert — Veterans: Don't pay to apply for VA benefits (Jul 27, 2026)
- FTC — Military Consumer Month 2026 overview: impersonation scams and veterans fraud (Jul 2026)
- FTC Consumer Alert — Veterans: You don't have to pay for help filing for your benefits (Jul 2023)
- VA Benefits Administration — Fraud Prevention: Avoid benefits scams
- WWLP — FTC warns veterans of VA benefit fraud (Jul 27, 2026)