Recently, there has been an increase in the number of scams that are targeting veterans. In Washington State, for example, there are reports that more fraudulent ‘financial advisors’ are going after Veterans seeking some sort of pension benefits and even those who may rely on home care.

This new wave of scams make it seem as though one would be purchasing assistance in obtaining financial assistance from the government, when in fact they are getting rich by charging exorbitant commissions.

What are these fraudulent organizations doing to bilk Veterans out of their hard earned money?

One of the more common elements of these scams is that the con-artists are promising to provide accurate information and guaranteeing approval of certain applications, such as for the Aid and Attendance pension, which is designed to provide extra money every month to help pay for Veterans home care.

What these scams do is offer little to no true value to the Veteran or his or her family, but instead costs money, often it’s money that the Veteran can ill afford.

First, don’t pay for any service that promises assistance in applying for programs like the VA Aid and Attendance Benefit.

Not only does this not help the Veteran, as there are plenty of organizations that don’t charge Veterans a dime for help with these applications and other matters, but the VA also stipulates that for the Aid and Attendance pension, the Veteran cannot get outside help that charges for assisting in filling out forms or applying for the pension. This is designed to help protect Veterans, especially senior Veterans who may be more prone to this type of scam.

Another aspect of the scam, as reported on AARP in the article, “Scam Targets Washington”, by Tom Stoddert is that:

The VA considers these programs, like the Aid and Attendance pension, to be need-based. This means that if the Veteran does not fill out all of their financial information, or is not honest about it all, it could lead to them not only being denied, but also it could lead to significant legal issues in the future.

If you or someone you know is a Veteran and is considering applying for any type of pension or assistance through the VA, be aware of the scams that exist and protect yourself (or them) by contacting only legitimate organizations that assist veterans. If you have any questions about these, contact the VA to learn more.

For more information and to learn about the Veterans Home Care Guidelines, contact Veteran’s Home Care at (888) 314-6075.