September 18, 2009
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News: VA Warns Veterans of CC Scam
Veterans have lived for months on end facing dangers that could lead to physical and mental harm and even death. Little did they know that when they returned home they would not see the end of danger. Lurking around the corner, readying themselves for attack, are credit card thieves. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has issued a warning to all veterans on the latest credit card scam aimed toward them. According to the national Veterans of Foreign Wars organization, credit card thieves have been calling up veterans and posing as VA employee. The imposters say the department is updating prescription information and ask the veteran to provide current credit card information.
The credit card thieves say they are a part of the Patient Care Group and assisting the VA with the agency's prescription medicine program. They are very convincing in telling the veteran that the VA recently changed its pharmaceutical billing procedures which now require the patient's credit card information for preapproval prior to filing any prescription order. According to VA representatives, there has been no change in billing procedures and veterans should be on the alert. Expert advice for all individuals, including veterans, is don't give your credit card information out to anyone over the phone and that includes VA employees. A VA spokesperson said that the VA does not call veterans asking them to give financial information out over the phone.
This is not the first attack on our nation's veterans. They are vulnerable to the deceptive practices of insurance companies, payday loan organizations, repair scams, and fraudulent discounts. Dr. Gerald Cross, the VA's Undersecretary for Health stated that these credit card thieves have targeted American veterans "in an inexcusable scam that dishonors their service and misrepresents the department built for them." Additionally, Cross reiterated that the VA remains committed to protecting the personal information of all its veterans.