Postcards and calls offer fake VA "Veterans Savings Program" benefits to steal your personal information
Fraudulent postcards claim veterans qualify for a "Veterans Savings Program" offering up to $185/month and free dental coverage. There is no such program. Calling the number leads to requests for your SSN and bank details.
Also known as: Veterans Savings Program scam, VA benefits postcard scam, fake veteran benefits mailer, fake CHAMPVA postcard
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 call the number on the postcard — hang up if you already called and do not provide any information
- 2 Verify any benefit you believe you may be entitled to by calling the VA directly at 1-800-827-1000 or visiting va.gov
- 3 If you provided your SSN or bank information, place a free fraud alert or credit freeze at the three major bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) immediately
- 4 Report to the FTC at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov and the FBI's IC3 at https://www.ic3.gov.
Red flags
- ⚠ Postcard or letter claims to offer a 'Veterans Savings Program,' 'extra VA benefits,' or additional CHAMPVA or TRICARE coverage regardless of your disability rating — no such program exists
- ⚠ Urgency to call within five days or your benefits will expire — real VA benefits do not disappear if you don't call a toll-free number
- ⚠ No return address on the postcard and no .gov website to verify the program
- ⚠ Caller praises your military service to build trust, then asks for your Social Security Number, date of birth, or bank account number to 'verify eligibility'
- ⚠ Real government agencies do not initiate contact by unsolicited postcard or telephone and do not request personal information that way