What you need to know to protect your identity and finances from Memorial Day scams

As Memorial Day weekend in the US approaches to commemorate all those who lost their lives serving the country, scammers and other online miscreants are undoubtedly preparing to take advantage of active military personnel, veterans, their families, and all of those with a patriotic spirit who seek to make charitable donations to honor and commemorate the ones who lost their lives serving the nation.

Did you know?

According to the BBB Risk Report, active-duty military personnel reported losing more money to scams in 2022 than the general population, with a median loss of $491 compared to $163.

Related: How to identify military romance scams. Are you a potential target?

What are the most common scams before and during Memorial Day

Fraudsters may try to take advantage of unwary victims using a variety of patriotic-themed or military appeals:

• Impersonate veteran or military charities to defraud donors.
• Target service members with guaranteed military loans that hide extremely high interest or require paying upfront fees.
• Send phony correspondence impersonating the Veterans Administration (VA) to seek personally identifiable information (PII), credit card numbers or other financial data.
• Create fake online ads regarding veteran benefits buyout plans or access to paid services that military members usually can access for free.
• Trick service members into believing they have won a great prize or lottery
• Bait service members with military housing discounts to steal deposits or promote various car sales with fake discounts for military personnel
• Pose as government agents or contractors offering job opportunities to veterans that require potential applicants to send sensitive information such as a copy of their passport or SSN.
• Pose as deployed service members on various social media platforms who seek financial aid or want to enter a romantic relationship

How can service members and the general population stay safe?

If you’re thinking about donating to a veteran’s charity, make sure to:

• Carefully research the organization or charity before you pay for anything or donate. No honest charity will pressure you into donating on the spot.
• Remember that there’s no such thing as guaranteed loans before you actually apply and that any company or business requiring upfront fees is a scam
• Scrutinize too-good-to-be-true offers you seen online and any unsolicited correspondence you may receive. If you haven’t participated in any online raffles or giveaways or paid for a lotto ticket, messages saying you’ve been granted millions of dollars are a scam
• Never send copies of your ID, passport, or Social Security Number to individuals who contact you out of the blue and claim they work for the government.
• Ensure that your computer or device is protected against malicious activity and phishing attempts by installing a security solution
• Don’t wire money to individuals you’ve just met online who claim to be active military deployed overseas

If you have doubts about the legitimacy of any unsolicited communication you receive, online ads you see, or links received via social media, ask Scamio!

Use Bitdefender Scamio, our AI-powered tool dedicated to helping you identify and avoid potential scams. When unsure about an email, you can check it with Scamio on WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, or a web browser for free! Copy/ paste a text or link, describe the situation, and upload the image or the QR code you want to verify. Scamio will analyze the data and tell you if anyone is trying to scam you.

You can also help others stay safe by sharing Scamio with them in France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Romania, Australia and the UK.