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The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is investigating a telephone scam involving an individual(s) who impersonates a VA Office of General Counsel (OGC) attorney. The individual(s) reportedly calls Veterans and requests money from the Veterans to process their claims for benefits. Veterans were given actual VA attorney names and phone numbers to call back. It is important to know that VA — as a Cabinet-level agency of the U.S. government, funded by Congress — will never request payment for carrying out our mission to serve Veterans.
If You Are Contacted by a Scammer
- Know that the VA OGC will never call you and request money, even if you see “Veterans Affairs” on your caller identification.
- Do not give out any personally identifiable information (PII) or other personal or sensitive data such as financial and banking information.
- Hang up the phone immediately.
- Report the incident to your state’s attorney general,
- File a complaint using the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Complaint Assistant.
If You Believe You Are a Victim of This Scam and Provided Personally Identifiable Information
- Request a free credit report from annualcreditreport.com.
- Watch for any fraudulent charges or activity on your accounts.
- If you suspect fraud, visit identitytheft.gov to obtain a personalized recovery plan and other resources.
If You Provided Money to the Scammer
Report the incident to your state’s attorney general immediately and contact your financial institution.
For Additional Information on Identity Theft
Visit VA’s More Than a Number website for tips and resources on identifying and preventing identity theft and fraud.
