Being Vigilant of Scams

We have seen this type of warning before, but the below article reminds us to be ever vigilant.  Being informed about how your spouse's installation and unit deal with notifications will help you to avoid becoming victim to these awful types of scams.

Red Cross Warns of Scam Targeting Military Families

Military families should be wary if they receive a call, apparently from the Red Cross, informing them that an active-duty military relative has been hurt: It could be a scam.

 

The American Red Cross has recently learned of an incident in Bartow, FL that matches that of a phone scam that has previously occurred in other parts of the country, abusing the Red Cross brand, according to local Red Cross spokesman Phil Attinger.

A person calls a military spouse or family member and identifies himself or herself as a representative from the Red Cross. The caller states that the soldier was hurt while being deployed overseas and is being transported for treatment. The caller may ask for additional information about the military staff person; for example, date of birth or Social Security number. In a subsequent call, the caller updates the family member and asks for a donation to the Red Cross to help cover the cost of the airlift and medical care, Attinger said.

This is a scam using the Red Cross brand. American Red Cross representatives typically do not contact military members or military dependents when a service member has been injured or killed in action. Rather, the service member's Command or the casualty assistance branch of the respective military service branch contacts the primary next of kin when a service member has been injured or killed in action, Attinger said.

Military families are urged not to give out any personal information or money over the phone if contacted by unknown/unverified individuals, including confirmation that a family member is deployed. Should any military family member receive such a call, they are urged to report it to their local family readiness group or military personnel unit, Attinger said.

The American Red Cross ensures that the American people are in touch with their family members serving in the U.S. military by operating a communications network that is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Attinger said. Through a network of employees and volunteers that link families during emergencies, the Red Cross provides communications for families left behind, assistance to veterans and preparedness courses for military personnel and their families.

For more information, or to make a donation to the Red Cross, Attinger advised using only the authorized Red Cross Web sites at www.redcross.org or www.icrc.org.

 

Comments

[Penny]

I'm staying with my family during this deployment, so I made sure to tell them about this scam. Especially since we don't live in a military town and they don't know how notifications like these work.

I agree with them when they said they can't believe there are people out there who actually do things like that. It's sad to think about but also very important to be informed and to inform others.

[brwnidgrl0709]

I am glad you posted this, I have been getting calls since last June that my husband has died in both Iraq and Afghanistan.. the thing is he is in another theater and has been. One call even came over when I was talking to him on the phone. I have called the police in my home town and the MP's of his old post and the current no one seemed to care.

[Karen]

This sort of thing has been going on a long time. My husband was stationed in Eritrea in the late 60's and I got calls that he had died or was injured in Viet Nam. The feelings these calls stir up are horrendous. When caught, these scumbags should be strung up by their toes for the needless worry and grief they cause.