VA scams becoming more frequent

Phone scams are an annoyance practically everyone has to deal with, and those running the scams are targeting more and more agencies. Among them is the United State Department of Veterans Affairs.

Hot Springs County Senior Center Director Trenda Moore said people are getting four to five calls a day, by people using software to make the calls.

Moore said the scams include fraudulent offers for credit cards, people posing as the IRS threatening jail time if taxes are not paid and offers for cheaper loans through the VA.

“They’re trying to get into their pensions, telling them there are secret veteran benefits when there are none,” Moore said. “It’s just fishing for information so they can defraud them.”

Some of the people receiving calls are sent to local law enforcement, Moore said, and are given much the same advice of not calling scammers back or provide any personal information. For the most part, she said, the VA, Social Security, Medicare and other government entities will not call unless an appointment has been set up with a particular person. “They just don’t cold call.”

People can contact the senior center or law enforcement if they think they’ve been targeted by a scammer, and if a person has already given out pertinent information Moore said it’s important they contact not only law enforcement but also their banks.

Medicare scams become more frequent during Open Enrollment, Oct. 15-Dec. 7, and people should be on the lookout for the following scams to steal identities and money:

•A person claiming to be from Medicare, your health plan or another organization stating they want to send you a new ID card and they need your number for confirmation.

•Someone calling about a refund from last year’s premiums or your drug plan costs, claiming to need your Medicare or Social Security number to process the refund.

•A person trying to get you to sign up for a plan you don’t need, isn’t right for you or doesn’t even exist.