Saturday, March 28, 2009

How to Spot Scams Targeting Military Family Members | eHow.com

link

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Step1
Beware of the Red Cross scam that specifically targets military family members. In this scenario, a con artist posing as a Red Cross representative calls a military family member and reports that a loved one serving on duty in Iraq was injured and sent to a hospital in Germany.
Step2
Expect the con artist to claim that your loved one is unable to receive treatment until the required paperwork is complete. The claim that you only need to provide your loved one's social security number and date of birth to finish the paperwork and get the treatment under way is false.
Step3
Pay careful attention to how the con artist asks for information. Your loved one's name is unidentified by the scammer and other significant details may be incorrect. Refrain from confirming your loved one's deployment.
Step4
Know military protocol. If your loved one deploys and suffers a serious injury, Red Cross representatives typically use the military chain of command instead of communicating with you directly.
Step5
Refuse to provide personal information over the telephone unless you know or you can verify the identity of the person. The scammer is trying to trick you into providing sensitive information that can make it possible for the individual to steal your loved one's identity.
Step6
Ask your loved one to place an "Active Duty Alert" on credit reports to guard against identity theft scams during a deployment.


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