Military members get scammed, along with everyone else

Military service members, veterans and their families, have made great sacrifices for their country and continue to do so, every day. Unfortunately, unique issues that affect these groups, as well as their distinct culture and community, are often exploited by scammers looking to steal their money, property and even identities.

As Wisconsin’s primary consumer protection agency, the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) is there to help.

In 2022, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) received over 193,000 reports of fraud, identity theft and other consumer issues from military consumers, including active duty, retirees, veterans, reserve and National Guard forces, and family members. Nearly 153,000 of those reports were filed by military retirees and veterans; combined, these groups lost over $414 million to fraud.

The most common types of fraud impacting military consumers in 2022, were impostor scams; online shopping scams; investment-related fraud; fake prizes, sweepstakes and lotteries; and deceptive business and job opportunities. Impostor scams, through which a scammer pretends to be a trusted business, government agency,] or individual, resulted in the highest loss ($164.5 million), while investment-related fraud was the most reported and resulted in the highest individual losses (a median of $5,000).

While there were over 93,000 reports of fraud from military consumers, there were also nearly 38,000 reports of identity theft. Identity theft is a top military consumer issue, with active duty servicemembers nearly three times more likely to report theft directly from their bank accounts, than the general public.

A rapid response is key to recovering from identity theft, meaning service members are more vulnerable to long-term harm if their duties prevent them from quickly identifying and addressing the problem.

“The last thing our service members should have to worry about, is if they’re getting scammed out of their hard-earned money, unfortunately, it is part of the world we live in,” said Wisconsin Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Paul Knapp. “The focus on protecting our veterans, service members and their families from fraud, helps us keep the focus on serving and protecting Wisconsin, and the nation.”

“Unfortunately, the difficult adjustment to civilian life and hurdles in accessing benefits can make former servicemembers a target for scammers,” said the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs secretary-designee James Bond. “Those who have served deserve to be protected from nefarious actors, just as these men and women protected us.”

With July as Military Consumer Protection Month, the DATCP is dedicated to protecting military servicemembers, veterans and family members, year-round. The DATCP will help consumers protect their money, property and identity, by educating and supporting consumers.

For more information or to file a complaint, visit ConsumerProtection. wi.gov.