VA Warns Veterans: Fake VA Texts and Deepfake Calls Are After Your Benefits; Pause and Verify First
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) used an October 23 post on its official VA News site to warn Veterans, their families and caregivers about cyber fraud: phishing emails, fake websites, stolen passwords and deepfake audio or video calls aimed at stealing personal information and hard-earned benefits.
VA illustrated the tactic with a real-life pattern: a Veteran receives a text that looks like it comes from VA, warning of an issue with her benefits and telling her to click a link, verify personal information and enter a code to 'avoid delays' in payment. The link in fact leads to a fake website built to steal login details and benefits. VA said fraud attempts dressed up as urgency happen often to real Veterans.
Scammers may also use superintelligence tools to fake voices, videos or pictures, pretending to be a VA official, a manager, a doctor or nurse, a bank representative, another Veteran, or a friend or family member. VA's advice is to pause first: do not follow the link or number in the message, but contact the VA office associated with the topic of the communication directly to check whether it is real.
For everyday protection, VA recommends using multi-factor authentication, keeping software updated, avoiding shared logins where possible, sharing account access only with people who truly need it and can be trusted, and checking accounts often to remove access for anyone who no longer needs it.
To report fraud: for scams related to VA health care, call 866-842-4357; for scams related to VA benefits, call 833-388-7233; for scams not related to VA, call the Federal Trade Commission at 877-382-4357 or report through the FTC fraud reporting page.
VA News: Trick or trust? Spot cyber fraud fast
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 美国退伍军人事务部华盛顿总部（资料图）。CC BY 2.0，Tony Webster 摄，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs headquarters in Washington (file photo). CC BY 2.0, by Tony Webster, via Wikimedia Commons.
