This year is the 100th anniversary of the Nov. 11 signing of the treaty that ended World War I. Nov. 11 eventually became Veterans Day.
In what AARP’s Fraud Watch Network calls “a shameful twist,” crooks are pretending to represent charities benefiting our nation’s heroes. Scammers often use sound-alike names or invent authentic “organizations” to solicit money, saying they will help veterans.
While there are many good charities that help veterans, the Federal Trade Commission has reported a number of fake groups have operated under names including the American Disabled Veterans Foundation, Military Families of America, Veterans Emergency Blood Bank, Vets Fighting Breast Cancer and Veterans Fighting Breast Cancer.
These groups have falsely claimed to pay for medical care, a suicide prevention program, retreats for veterans recuperating from stress and veterans fighting breast cancer, the FTC has said.
Before donating, the AARP’s Fraud Watch Network recommends consumers verify each charity by checking their names and reputations at the Better Business Bureau at www.give.org or www.charitynavigator.org.
For more information, go to the FTC’s web page: https://tinyurl.com/ya739wff.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
