July brings the 250th birthday of the U.S.A. along with Military Consumer Month. Scammers target the military community by pretending to be a government agency, USAA Bank, Navy Federal Credit Union, other banks and even the Defense Finance Accounting Service (DFAS) trying to obtain personal and financial information. These tips will help the military and all avoid scams:
– Stop and think if feeling pressured; hang up on the caller.
– Avoid clicking on links from unexpected messages and emails.
– Call trustworthy numbers for banks, businesses, and the government.
– Protect your personal and financial information. Don’t give it freely.
– Talk to someone you trust to decide if you should send money to someone who’s requesting it.
Military life comes with many transitions that involve money-related decisions. To help, military personnel can sign up for email updates related to current scams and other important financial decisions at MilitaryConsumer.gov. Encourage everyone you know to report scams to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or to the FBI at www.ic3.gov.
