Some 27% of veterans have lost money to scams at some point in their lives.
Roughly 86% of veterans have been met with scams crafted to target veterans by mentioning benefits or other military-related themes, according to new findings by Coveron, an identity theft and scam protection service developed by cybersecurity company Nord Security.
“Scammers are increasingly exploiting the specialized language of military benefits to lower a veteran’s guard,” Tomas Sinicki, managing director at Coverson, said in a statement. “By impersonating officials and creating a false sense of urgency around benefit updates or service records, these criminals exploit the very systems designed to support those who served.
“Once that trust is breached, the consequences can be devastating.”
Military.com reached out to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for comment.
Rise of Scams
The new research comes amid growing concerns about scams targeting the veterans’ community.
Kevin Lilley, a senior digital content manager at military advocacy group the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), cited Federal Trade Commission (FTC) data earlier this month, saying that military members, veterans and military families reported losing $684 million to fraud in 2025.
The VA wrote in a memo last week that they were aware that scammers had sent postcards to veterans claiming they are entitled to VA benefits or extra payments over the last year, but that these postcards were fraudulent and not affiliated with the VA.
According to a 2025 survey by AARP Research, 39% of veterans had been solicited by someone claiming to represent the VA or another government agency. Another 28% believed their veteran status made them a target.
More than a quarter said they had lost money to fraud, with most losing over $500.
Coverson said that in scams they have seen, fraudsters often pose as representatives from veterans’ organizations or government agencies. They use high-pressure tactics to reel in potential victims.
The company cited one scam, for example, where veterans are offered a lump sum of cash in exchange for their future disability payments.
Other scams involved fraudulent charities claiming to support wounded service members, but then take the money for themselves.
Advice for Veterans to Avoid Scams
The VA has provided advice for veterans to ensure they do not fall victim to scams.
One memo says that the “VA only uses official channels” like its website and registered phone numbers—differentiating its communications from those outside the agency.
“If you ever suspect fraud or are unsure about a communication you’ve received, VA encourages Veterans and survivors to report concerns through VSAFE, an official resource dedicated to helping protect Veterans from scams,” the VA says.
The VA launched the VSAFE program with eight federal partners in August 2024. It comes with a companion hotline at 1-833-38V-SAFE.
Veterans can also file a report at reportfraud.ftc.gov, or can report the fraud to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.
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