July marks Military Consumer Protection Month, and Attorney General Jim Hood is offering guidelines to prevent members of the military from falling victim to targeted fraud.
“Unfortunately, our nation’s heroes are commonly targeted by scammers,” said General Hood. “It is very important to protect our active and reserve servicemembers from criminals while they are out protecting us from other types of threats. My office is here to serve and protect military men and women from potential scams whether they are in Mississippi or overseas.”
Military Consumer Protection Month was launched in 2013 by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and is now supported by multiple organizations and partners.
The following guidelines are for our military and their family members to keep in mind to protect themselves :
Always verify an email source before responding. Scammers will try their best to look as legitimate as possible–always do your research.
Some scammers may ask veterans for payment while trying to receive military records. Most military records are free for veterans and some of their close family members. Beware of these types of scams while trying to receive records.
Place an active-duty alert on your credit report. This alert will notify creditors to take more precautions in protecting your credit while you may be deployed.
Beware of payment methods like Western Union or MoneyGram. Keep in mind that government and companies of virtue will not be persistent in you using these ways to pay.
It is very simple for a scammer to use a bogus Caller ID. Be positive that who you are talking to is that certain person.
If you suspect you have been the victim of a scam, or the intended victim, immediately report it to local law enforcement and the Attorney General’s Office Consumer Protection Division at 601-359-4230 or 1-800-281-4418. Consumers should also contact the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-FTC-HELP.
