SAN ANTONIO – As Military Consumer Protection Month comes to a close, consumer advocates are urging service members, veterans and their families to stay vigilant against scams that often spike during the summer months.
Jason Meza, senior director of communications for the Better Business Bureau, said military families are especially vulnerable this time of year. Many of them may be relocating for new assignments, preparing for deployments or transitioning to new duty stations.
According to the BBB, scams targeting the military community have increased in recent years, with service members, veterans and their families losing an estimated $584 million over the past several years.
“They’re using military words and language that are usually designed for families and vets and those serving,” said Meza. “You’ll see terms like ‘all ranks approved’ with military loans. Many times, they’ll use VA (Veterans Affairs) benefits or veterans’ benefits to back some of these loans or offers.”
Among the most common scams targeting military families are:
- High-cost military loans
- Veterans’ benefits buyout plans
- Misleading car sales
- Fake rental property listings
Meza said fraudulent rental listings become especially common during the summer, when military families often need to secure housing quickly before a move.
“At summertime, people are moving, people need to deploy. They need to move fast,” Meza said. “Rental properties that are cloned or hijacked to look legitimate are unfortunately being used against these service members.”
The BBB has also visited military installations to educate new recruits about common financial scams they may encounter, including deceptive car purchases and credit card offers.
Consumer advocates recommend taking several precautions before responding to offers that appear to target military personnel.
“Just remember there are some key messages that applies to anybody, not just military members, but never pay anything upfront,” said Meza. “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is and protect your personal information like it was the money in your wallet.”
Military families can reduce their risk by starting with official Department of Defense resources when searching for housing or services.
Those seeking trusted information or assistance can visit MilitaryConsumer.gov, MilitaryOneSource.mil, Homes.mil, VA.gov and BBB.org for resources on avoiding scams and reporting fraud.