Pennsylvania veterans and their advocates should be aware of scammers looking to poach their military pensions, warns the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA). Pension poaching is financial exploitation often targeting veterans age 65 or older or veterans who are disabled and may be receiving monthly pension payments from the DMVA and/or the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Veteran pension poaching occurs when scammers, unscrupulous players, or dishonest financial planners charge veterans or their advocates for assistance in applying for or submitting applications for military pensions. The scheme often involves financial maneuvers such as advising claimants to hide their assets in trusts or annuity products sometimes resulting in lost investments and lucrative fees paid to the adviser.

Veterans and advocates should be especially vigilant now about PACT Act-related scams. The new PACT Act law expands VA health care and benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances.

Veterans and advocates can protect against PACT Act scams in several ways. Veterans should not provide personal, medical, financial, or VA benefit information online or over the phone. Federal agencies will not contact veterans unless they make a request. Veterans should not click on online ads or engage with social media that seems suspicious. Veterans should look for https:// at the start of website addresses, which means they are more likely to be legitimate. Veterans should also enable multi-factor authentication on all accounts, if possible. Veterans should never share their VA login information or deposit VA benefits directly into a third-party bank account unless the person is court appointed or a VA fiduciary. Veterans should also work with veterans service providers they already know. Any suspected fraud should be reported to http://www.ftc.gov.

Veterans or their advocates should never pay for U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and/or PA DMVA forms, pension application fees, restructuring assets in order to "qualify," the promise of eligibility for a pension, or a lump sum payment on a pension.

There are approximately 200 veteran service officers in Pennsylvania who work within organizations such as the DMVA, county Veterans Affairs offices, and several veterans service organizations. To learn more about the DMVA and for contact information for county directors of Veterans Affairs and veteran service officers, visit http://www.dmva.pa.gov.

Veterans who have experienced or suspect a pension scam should contact 717-783-1944 or PAvets@attorneygeneral.gov or submit a complaint online at http://www.attorneygeneral.gov. Also, report any VA-related scam to the VA benefits hotline at 800-827-1000.