Fighting Fraud
By Better Business Bureau Serving Greater Cleveland
Last year, a new law was passed to improve healthcare funding, expand benefits, and provide retroactive pay for veterans who were exposed to toxic substances like Agent Orange or “burn pits” during their military service. This act called the Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) of 2022, includes provisions for surviving families and dependents who many have been affected by toxic substances. It also provides a path for veterans to reapply for toxin-related disability if they were denied in the past. Since this act went into effect, scammers created large-scale phishing scams targeting service members and their relatives. Other individuals have businesses with commercials offering “help” to file a claim, but, in actuality, may charge beneficiaries a hefty fee or a percentage of their claim. Better Business Bureau® (BBB®) Serving Greater Cleveland wants to remind the public that applying for benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is free and there is help available while reminding consumers about the proliferation of scams and “bad actors” in this area. BBB has reported, since 2020, active-duty personnel, veterans, and their dependents have reported more than $12 million in losses to BBB’s Scam Tracker.
BBB recommends that veterans and their families should:
- Research help through credible sources – The VA accredits Veterans Service Organization (VSO) representatives, attorneys, and agents to ensure claimants have “responsible and qualified” representation on their benefit claims. A list of these can be found on the VA’s website. VA-recognized VSOs and representatives always provide benefit-related services free-of-charge. Please note, though, that VA-accredited attorneys and claims agents may charge a fee once there has been a determination regarding the benefit.
- Know How to Securely Apply – Applications for VA benefits can be submitted via the VA’s website or in person at a VA Regional Office.
- Be Wary of Scams – Many of the fee-based non-VA-accredited companies and scams offer promises of “fast cash” with minimal effort. This is hardly ever the case.
If you’ve been targeted by a VA benefit scam, please help others avoid the same problem by reporting your experience on the BBB Scam Tracker. To learn more about BBB’s Military and Veterans Initiative, visit BBB.org/Military. Have additional questions? Reach out to your BBB at 216.241.7678 or [email protected].
