12/29/2025
FORWARD MARCH: Phishing emails, fake shipping notifications, and too-good-to-be-true sales pop up everywhere this time of year. Be cautious of unsolicited messages, attachments, or links. Scammers often pose as popular retailers, delivery companies, or even the VA.
https://news.va.gov/142958/new-va-benefits-overpayment-scam/
November 18, 2025
Kim Adams
Program Analyst, Office of Financial Management, Benefits Delivery Protection & Remediation
Clever scammers are targeting Veterans, surviving spouses and family members who receive VA benefits. They pretend to be official VA representatives and use official communication channels to demand repayment for alleged benefits overpayments. Fraudulent letters, emails and texts often include fake VA letterheads and logos, making it difficult to distinguish genuine VA communications from scams.
How to protect yourself
• Verify the authenticity of the letter: If you receive a letter or communication about a VA benefits overpayment, log into your official VA.gov account immediately to verify if you truly owe money.
• Only use official VA channels: If you find you do owe VA money, resolve the debt directly using VA.gov or by calling VA’s Debt Management Center (DMC) at 1-800-827-0648.
• Never share login information: VA will never ask for your login credentials or passwords.
• Be cautious of unsolicited contact: Be wary of unsolicited emails or texts asking for personal details or directing you to external websites that are not part of VA.gov.
• Do not pay upfront fees: If someone demands an upfront payment to help with your VA debt or claims, it’s a scam. VA offers free help with managing debts and claims. You can find a VA accredited representative to assist you at www.va.gov/get-help-from-accredited-representative/find-rep/.
• Avoid clicking on unknown or suspicious messages: Be cautious if you receive an email or text asking for your personal information. Scammers often create fake links or attachments to trick you into downloading malware or malicious code to steal your data. Always review the sender’s information carefully and avoid clicking on links or attachments from unknown sources.
• Never share sensitive information: Secure personally identifying information (PII) and financial information. Never share sensitive information, such as social security numbers, bank account details or credit card information when responding to unsolicited requests.
Being aware of common scam tactics and following recommended precautions can significantly reduce your risk of falling victim to fraud. Always verify information through VA.gov and treat any suspicious communication with caution. Protecting your personal information and promptly reporting any suspicious activity can help ensure your benefits and personal data remain protected. VA offers a wide range of tools and resources to combat fraud and protect Veterans’ benefits. To learn more, please visit VBA fraud prevention page. STAY SAFE AND VIGILANT!
How to report VA overpayment scams
• Contact VA: If you have been the target of a scam or suspect of fraudulent activity, contact VA immediately at 1-800-827-1000.
• File a complaint: You can also report fraud to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
Veterans who suspect they have experienced fraud can find out more and report to the appropriate agency online at VSAFE.gov or calling (833) 38V-SAFE.
Common tactics used by scammers
• Fake VA letterheads and logos: Scammers often use fake VA letterheads, logos and even spoofed phone numbers to make their communication appear authentic.
• Claims of overpayment: Scammers claim you have been overpaid on your VA benefits and now owe money back to VA.
• Pressure tactics: Scammers may pressure you into making immediate payments directly to them instead of through official VA payment channels. Requests for payment via wire transfers, bitcoin, prepaid debit cards, money transfers or gift cards are often signs of a scam.
• Requests for sensitive information: Scammers may ask for sensitive information, such as your VA login credentials, password or financial information.
If you receive a letter or any communication about a VA benefits overpayment, log into your official VA.gov account immediately to verify if you truly owe money. The VA website will provide clear information on whether you owe any money. If you find you do owe money, VA’s Debt Management Center (DMC) offers many repayment options.
Recommendations from VA's Office of Information Security (OIS) regarding Holiday Shopping Online Security
VA's OIS is getting back on track following delays due to the government shutdown and the Thanksgiving holiday.
Shop only on trusted sites
Holiday deals can lure us to unfamiliar or suspicious websites.
• Stick to well-known, reputable retailers and double-check URLs for correct spelling—cybercriminals often set up lookalike sites hoping you won’t notice a missing or shifted letter.
• Look for the padlock icon in your browser’s address bar, indicating a secure (https://) connection.
• Some online stores host third-party sellers, which can include scammers. Before purchasing, review each seller’s reputation and customer feedback. Be cautious of new sellers, those without reviews, or those offering prices that are unusually low.
Pro Tip: Bookmark your favorite retailers and access them directly, instead of clicking links on social media or in promotional emails or texts.
Protect your home network
Holiday shopping often happens at home. Secure your Wi-Fi with a strong password and avoid shopping on public or unsecured networks when you can.
More Recommendations for Holiday Shopping Online Security!
Keep your devices updated
Before shopping online, make sure your devices’ operating systems and security software are up to date to protect against malware and vulnerabilities.
Use secure payment methods
Use credit cards, instead of debit cards, for online purchases. Credit cards offer greater protection against fraud than debit cards. If available, consider using digital wallets (like Apple Pay or Google Pay) which use unique codes for each transaction instead of sharing your actual card number.
Monitor your financial statements
Regularly review your credit card and bank statements for unauthorized transactions, especially following major shopping events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Enable transaction notifications via email, text, or app to stay informed of account activity. If you notice suspicious activity:
• Report it immediately to your bank or card issuer.
• Continue to monitor your accounts for further unauthorized activity.
Check contact details
Avoid websites with no contact information, broken contact forms, or personal email addresses. Missing physical addresses, phone numbers, customer service contacts, or return policies are common clues of suspicious websites.
Stay vigilant:
• Scrutinize sender addresses and message content for typos or grammatical errors.
• Never provide personal or payment information in response to an unsolicited request.
• Be suspicious of deep discounts. If an ad or promotion is significantly lower than those you see at established online stores, it’s probably a scam.
New scam warning: Be alert to requests to enter unusual information or complex keyboard combinations on verification pages (i.e., CAPTCHA page).
First released in 2001 and regularly updated since then, Money Smart has a long track record of success in reducing stress and improving financial readiness of Veterans. NW MIRECC started with the FDIC Money Smart program through the 'Helping Veterans and Manage Their Money' training program. The training program provided resources to Veterans Service Organizations, VA special Outreach Program Coordinators, and others who provide direct services to U.S. Veterans and have a direct interest in increasing Veterans’ financial capability. As a member of the Money Smart Alliance, NW MIRECC helps promote financial capability to strengthen the financial education efforts of Veterans, Servicemembers, and their families. The FDIC is an independent agency created by Congress to maintain stability and public confidence in the nation's financial system..
The holiday season should be about joy — not stress. These simple steps can help save your finances, personal information, and peace of mind. Stay safe, stay aware, and Happy Holidays!
About VISN 20 and NW MIRECC
VA's NW MIRECC serves to improve the mental health and well-being of Veterans through research and dissemination of information to providers both within VA and the general public. VHA continually evolves and cultivates ongoing cutting-edge medical research and innovation to improve the lives of America’s patriots. VA's Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 20 serves Alaska, Washington, Oregon, most of Idaho, and one county each in Montana and California. Operating across three time zones over 817,417 square miles, VISN 20 is home to 273 federally recognized American Indian and Alaskan Native tribes. Spanning 23% of US land mass, VISN 20 is the largest geographic region of VA. NW MIRECC brings together complementary research, education, and clinical programs from VA Puget Sound (VAPSHCS) and the VA Portland Health Care System (VAPORHCS). The collaborative approach to mental health research, education and treatment has had a profound impact on the lives of Veterans.
VAPSHCS and VAPORHCS were commissioned by Congress and the VA as one of the first three MIRECCs in the United States. The mission of NW MIRECC is to improve the quality of life and function of Veterans by developing, evaluating, and promoting the implementation of effective treatments for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and its complex comorbidities. PTSD comorbidities include the behavioral consequences of repetitive blast mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI), Substance Use Disorder (SUD), chronic pain (in particular, post-concussive headaches), cognitive impairment, and increased risk for neurodegenerative disorders (chronic traumatic encephalopathy [CTE] and Alzheimer’s disease [AD]). VA MIRECC's provide for the improvement of the provision of health-care services and related counseling services to eligible veterans suffering from mental illness (especially mental illness related to service-related conditions) through—
• the conduct of research (including research on improving mental health service facilities of the Department and on improving the delivery of mental health services by the Department);
• the education and training of health care personnel of the Department; and
• the development of improved models and systems for the furnishing of mental health services by the Department.
As part of the VISN 20 NW MIRECC mission to enhance access to mental health expertise, the NW MIRECC collaborates and consults with other MIRECCs and Centers of Excellence, as well as with other VA, Department of Defense (DoD), Federal, State departments of Veterans Affairs, community agencies, and experts. The close geographic proximity (40 miles) of DoD Joint Base Lewis-McChord/Madigan Army Medical Center to VAPSHCS has provided an exciting opportunity to develop innovative and productive research, education, and clinical care collaborations with DoD personnel that address PTSD and its associated conditions in their early stages in active-duty Servicemembers.
VA ranks as one of the nation's leaders in health research. Every year, thousands of research studies are conducted at VA medical centers, outpatient clinics, and nursing homes. For example, the VA has:
• Developed artificial limbs that allow amputees to have more independence and better quality of life
• Invented the cardiac pacemaker
• Performed the first successful liver transplantation
• Developed the ni****ne patch to help people stop smoking
• Played a major role in the development of the CT/CAT scan to view the inside of the body
• Tested new drugs and treatments for diseases such as AIDS, Diabetes, Alzheimer's and Osteoporosis
NW MIRECC research studies significantly contribute to advancements in our understanding of medical problems that lead to health improvements for Veterans and civilians alike. Research studies at NW MIRECC are currently enrolling Military Veterans, First Responders, Health Care workers, and Civilians in Seattle, Washington.
Scammers are alarmingly clever in targeting Veterans, pretending to be VA representatives and demanding repayment for alleged benefits overpayments
