The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and VA accredited representatives, like Veteran Service Officers (VSO), are combining forces to ensure Veterans benefits are protected. Veterans and their beneficiaries are often targets of companies and individuals known as claim predators. Claims predators often try to unlawfully charge Veterans and their families a fee to “help” them prepare and consult on their claims with VA. Aggressive communication via emails, phone calls, and/or text messages is used in an effort to get Veterans to sign legally binding contracts that are not to the Veteran’s advantage. They advertise expedited claim processing times and/or guarantee higher disability ratings in exchange for their paid services. These fraudulent schemes target Veterans hard-earned benefits and may subject them to excessive fees.
Veterans need to be aware that ONLY VA accredited attorneys, claims agents, and VSO representatives can lawfully assist them with their initial benefits claims. Only VA accredited attorneys and claims agents may charge a fee to:
Consult or advise VA claimants seeking review of or to appeal their claims
• Collect evidence for a supplemental claim or an appeal
• Prepare and file a supplemental claim
• Submit requests for higher level review
• Submit an appeal to the Board of Veterans Appeals
What is VA Doing to Help?
They are working to raise awareness of unlawful predatory practices used to exploit Veterans and their loved ones while providing resources to safely claim VA benefits. These actions include working to make connecting with VA accredited representatives easier for Veterans and their families, collaborating with their federal partners such as Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Social Security Administration and developing communications to spread awareness of the rising threat of claims predators. We launched a communications campaign to educate Veterans about claims predators and encourage the use of VA accredited representatives who offer free services to support their initial benefits claims.
What Can You Do to Help VA?
We request assistance from Veteran-centric organizations, such as your own, to share information from our Claims Predators Communications Campaign with the Veterans you serve and their beneficiaries. With your help, we can ensure Veterans have the knowledge to understand the threat of predatory practices, identify claims predators, find VA accredited attorneys, claims agents, and VSO representatives to support their benefits claims, and report claims predators. Attached is a visual tool with an overview of claims predators, warning signs, protective measures, best practices and reporting resources.
What Can You Do If You Suspect Fraud?
If a Veteran suspects a representative acted unlawfully or unethically while assisting them in filing a VA benefits claim, they should file a report at www.vsafe.gov or by calling 833-38V-SAFE, a new government-wide website and call center designed to protect Veterans, service members, and their families from fraud and scams. To learn more about fraud, predatory practices targeting the Veteran community and how to protect your benefits from fraud, visit Protecting Veterans From Fraud | Veterans Affairs (va.gov). These tools will inform Veterans and their families about common fraud schemes, and help protect themselves, and provide an outlet for reporting and further assistance.