Veteran scams and claim sharks: who may charge for claim help

What this is

Scammers go after veterans by phone, text, email, social media and fake websites. Some pretend to be VA. Some sell “claim help” they are not allowed to charge for. This page shows you what VA says is legal and what VA lists as scams.

Who may help with your claim, and what they may charge

• Only VA-accredited attorneys, claims agents and Veterans Service Organization (VSO) representatives may help you file for VA benefits (VA, protecting veterans from fraud).
• VA says the services an accredited VSO representative provides on your VA benefit claims are always free. An accredited attorney or claims agent can charge you fees (VA, get help from an accredited representative).
• Attorneys and agents may charge only after VA has issued notice of an initial decision on the claim (38 CFR 14.636). Charging before that is not allowed.
• Fees up to 20 percent of past-due benefits awarded are presumed reasonable. Fees over 33 1/3 percent are presumed unreasonable (38 CFR 14.636).
• A fee agreement must be in writing, signed by both of you, and filed with VA within 30 days (38 CFR 14.636).
• When VA pays an attorney or agent directly out of your past-due benefits, VA charges an assessment equal to five percent of that fee, never more than $100. The regulation takes it out of the fee paid to the attorney or agent (38 CFR 14.636(h)(1)).
• Check any person or company in VA's accreditation search before you sign or pay anything.

Scams VA lists

• Overpayment scams: someone pretending to be VA says you owe money and pushes you to pay right now. Red flags VA lists: wire transfers, cryptocurrency, prepaid cards or gift cards.
• Payment redirection: a criminal uses your stolen personal information to send your benefits to an account they control.
• Claims predators: they charge illegal fees to file an initial claim, promise faster processing or a 100 percent rating, and use pressure and contracts.
• Pension poaching: VA says this targets older veterans (65 and over) with schemes to hide assets in trusts or annuities to qualify for pension. You may have to repay the government.
• Romance and friendship scams: fake profiles ask for money or personal information.
• Education scams: a guaranteed scholarship that needs a processing fee, or a job board that wants payment or personal data.
• Phishing: emails and texts made to steal your Social Security number and bank details.

If you think you were scammed, do this

1. Stop contact with the person.
2. Keep every text, email, receipt and call record.
3. Call your bank or credit card company right away.
4. Report gift card or money transfer fraud to the company that issued the card or moved the money.
5. If your personal information was taken, report it at IdentityTheft.gov.
6. Report it to VSAFE (numbers below).
7. Watch your credit reports for anything you did not open.

Traps

• Never give your VA.gov login, your Social Security number or your bank details to someone who contacted you first.
• Check anything that claims to be from VA by going to your own VA.gov account, not the link in the message.
• Read every document before you sign it.

Where to call and where to go

Phone

• 833-38V-SAFE (833-388-7233), VSAFE fraud hotline, 24/7. Source: vsafe.gov
• 1-800-827-1000: VA benefits line. VA says to call it for missing payments or suspicious direct deposit changes. Source: VA News, protecting veterans from fraud. Hours (Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. ET) are on Helpful VA phone numbers.
• 1-800-827-0648: VA Debt Management Center, listed on VA fraud prevention for real VA debt questions.
• Veterans Crisis Line, 24/7: 988, then select 1. Source: Helpful VA phone numbers

Official pages

• VSAFE.gov: learn about scams and report fraud
• VA: protecting veterans from fraud
• VBA: fraud prevention
• Find a VA accredited representative or VSO (search tool)
• Free accredited help: how it works
• IdentityTheft.gov (Federal Trade Commission)
• Social Security: scams and how to report them