How To Recognize Veteran Charity Scams Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again. × Search search POPULAR SEARCHES SUGGESTED LINKS Join AARP for just $9 per year when you sign up for a 5-year term. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Leaving AARP.org Website You are now leaving AARP.org and going to a website that is not operated by AARP. A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply. Close
Veterans Charity Scam
American Disabled Veterans Foundation. Healing Heroes Network. Veterans Fighting Breast Cancer. Military Families of America. They sound like just the sorts of organizations that generous Americans would rush to support to repay those who have served the country and now need our help. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. “Sound like” is the operative phrase here. These are all sham charities that federal and state watchdogs have sued in recent years for misleading donors, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). It’s a particularly shameful subset of fraud: scams that exploit Americans’ gratitude for military members’ service and sacrifice. Bogus military charities use the same outreach techniques as trusted nonprofits — direct mail, email, phone calls, texts — and often adopt similar names. They throw around words like “warriors,” “heroes” and “disabled” and fill their communications with heartrending appeals like this: “Statistics tell us that as many as 1/3 of all homeless people in the U.S. are American veterans who served their country faithfully. With your assistance we offer these American veterans the assistance they so desperately need.” The group behind that pitch, American Veterans Foundation, raised nearly $6.5 million from donors who were told their contributions provided care packages and other aid for deployed troops and homeless veterans. Instead, the organization shoveled 92 percent of the money it raised into telemarketing and administrative costs before the . Sham veterans charities often target older people, according to the FTC. In some cases, they are actually , political action committees that pass themselves off to prospective donors as charities supporting veterans and other causes. These shady operators don’t just steal or misspend your money. They divert millions of dollars that might otherwise flow to the many honorable organizations providing housing, job training, mental health care and other vital services to former military members and their families. A little research can go a long way in weeding out phony fundraising appeals. Don’t let scammers curb your generosity toward those who serve, but take steps to ensure your donated dollars truly support them. .Do look up reports and ratings from charity evaluators and data resources like those listed below under “More Resources.”Do get a receipt showing how much you’ve given. Legitimate charities will give you one. Check it against your credit card statement to make sure you were charged only the amount you agreed to donate. Don’t make a donation in cash or by wire transfer or . Scammers prefer these payment methods because they are hard to trace. The safest way to donate is by credit card, which offers the greatest protection for consumers in case of fraud.Don’t take a charity’s name at face value. Deceptive military charities use words like “disabled,” “healing” and “heroes” in their branding to play on your patriotism and sympathy.Don’t mistake a charity appeal that comes in the mail for a bill. Some bogus fundraisers disguise solicitations as invoices, hoping you’ll think you have to pay. Flowers & Gifts 25% off sitewide and 30% off select items See more Flowers & Gifts offers > More Resources
If you’ve been solicited or victimized by a bogus veterans charity, and to your Nonprofit watchdog groups like , , and the Better Business Bureau’s BBB Wise provide a bevy of online resources to research groups purporting to raise money for veterans, including ratings, reviews, and tax and financial data. MORE FROM AARP Scam Tracking Map No matter where you live, fraud is never far away. Report a scam or search for existing scams near you. AARP VALUE & MEMBER BENEFITS See more Health & Wellness offers > See more Flights & Vacation Packages offers > See more Finances offers > See more Health & Wellness offers > SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS