Members of Congress are calling on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to improve data privacy, awareness, and website accessibility as veterans and their families fall victim to an uptick in scams by “claim predators.”
Twenty-nine bipartisan members of Congress – led by Rep. Seth Magaziner, D-R.I. – sent a letter on July 31 addressed to VA Secretary Denis McDonough with concerns about a steep uptick in scams targeting veterans and their survivors through emails and online ads.
“Veterans have served our country bravely, and it is absolutely despicable that scammers are attempting to take away the benefits veterans have earned and deserve,” Rep. Magaziner said in a statement. “We are working closely with the VA to protect veterans from these scams and raise awareness of these illegal and outrageous practices.”
Scams often charge exorbitant fees for high disability ratings or “unrealistic” claim processing times. Common scam practices include charging high consultant fees, stealing claimants’ VA benefits, and requiring binding contracts that take a percentage of a benefit payment in exchange for assistance.
The increase follows the Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022 – one of the largest expansions of veterans’ benefits – which expanded VA healthcare and benefits for millions of veterans exposed to burn pits and toxic substances. Veterans of the Vietnam, Gulf War, and post-9/11 era also qualify.
The most common PACT Act-related scam involves the “Camp Lejeune Settlement” which allows veterans and their families to receive compensation if they developed serious illness from contaminated water at Camp Lejeune in N.C.
“While we understand that the VA is attempting to raise awareness about these exploitative practices, more must be done to protect veterans from scammers,” wrote the lawmakers. “Veterans are twice as likely to unknowingly participate in a scam as the general population, and veterans often depend on the benefits they have earned for their daily expenses.”
Some questions congressional members asked the VA included providing information on actions the agency has taken to protect veterans’ data and privacy from collection and monetization; how the agency is improving its website and accessibility of accredited Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs) online; and whether the VA has placed its directory of accredited VSOs higher up in search engine results.
Current scam prevention guidelines provided by the VA for claimants recommend that victims of scams protect personal and financial information from unexpected requests, resist pressure to act immediately, block unwanted calls and texts, and never pay with cryptocurrency or mobile payment apps.
Congress is currently working to enact the Governing Unaccredited Representatives Defrauding (GUARD) VA Benefits Act, which would criminalize scammers charging veterans unauthorized fees related to claims.
