Attorney General Kwame Raoul is urging veterans, service members, and their families to attend a free military rights webinar focused on avoiding scams, and what to do if victimized, leading up to Veterans Day, according to a recent release.
The Military and Veterans Rights Bureau will be hosting the What to Know About Veterans Consumer Scams webinar on November 8. The event hopes to elucidate why veterans are often targeted by scammers, the common scams they face, and best practices to protect themselves from such fraud. This move is in light of the latest Federal Trade Commission (FTC) report, affirming over 152,000 cases of fraud were reported by veterans and retired military personnel last year with financial losses totalling to approximately $378 million.
In the webinar details, Raoul imparts several tips, including being suspicious of any government agency contacting through phone, email, text messages or social media instead of official mail. He also encourages veterans to avoid making payments via wire transfer or gift cards and to always investigate organizations requesting personal details or donations.
Other noteworthy initiatives include the creation of the Military Consumer Initiative, a coalition with the FTC, Department of Defense, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and several other organizations. Their goal, as per their website, is to arm veterans and service members with financial readiness resources tackling topics like money management and credit protection, thereby offering valuable protection and guidance.
