Idaho’s 132,000 military veterans are at risk of being targeted by scammers. As a result, AARP has launched the AARP Veterans Fraud Center, a new online education and resource center to help protect veterans, service members and their families against fraud.
According to an AARP survey, one in three military and or veteran adults reported losing money to scams that are specifically trying to take advantage of the trust they have in the military community. Veterans, active-duty service members and their families are 40% more likely to lose money to scams and fraud than the civilian population. According to the Federal Trade Commission, those individuals lost more than $267 million in 2021, up from $102 million in 2020 – a 162% increase.
Free resources in the AARP Veterans Fraud Center include: A new AARP Watchdog Alert Handbook: Veterans’ Edition, highlighting tips to detect the most common ways con artists target veterans and military families; The AARP Fraud Watch Network and Scam-Tracking Map; and Operation Protect Veterans—a joint program of the AARP Fraud Watch Network and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
To learn more about the AARP Veterans Fraud Center and to download a free copy of the new Watchdog Alert Handbook: Veterans’ Edition, visit aarp.org/vetsfraudcenter.
