Education scams and fraud awareness
VA News ·
VA wants to ensure you are informed about the risks of education fraud and how to make the best decisions when using VA education benefits.
Pursuing higher education is a valuable journey that leads to many opportunities. Unfortunately, it’s now more common for student Veterans to be confronted and sometimes compromised by scammers, fraudulent schools and identity thieves. These scammers prey on Veterans and beneficiaries using education benefits such as the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill, Montgomery G.I. Bill and Dependents’ Educational Assistance programs.
With the fast-growing advances in technology and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) resulting in increased fraudulent scams , VA wants to ensure you are informed about the risks of education fraud and how to make the best decisions when using your VA education benefits.
Here are some of the current scam trends affecting Veterans and education beneficiaries.
Some scams attempt to steal Veterans’ identities to fraudulently obtain education payments.
Scammers may try to appear legitimate by using official-sounding names, logos, websites, or by showcasing a false affiliation with VA. Students should consider using the G.I. Bill Comparison Tool to find G.I. Bill-approved schools and compare benefits.
Be cautious of promises offering immediate student loan forgiveness or debt cancellation.
Fraudsters may impersonate VA employees to trick Veterans into sending money or sensitive personal information. Scammers often demand urgent payments using unconventional methods like gift cards, cryptocurrency or wire transfers to “resolve” an alleged benefit overpayment.
An unpaid tuition scam targeting VA education beneficiaries typically involves predatory, unaccredited or fraudulent schools that enroll Veterans using their G.I. Bill benefits, falsely bill VA for tuition, and either fail to provide the promised education or abandon the students with unexpected, unauthorized student loan debts.
Fraudsters claim they can manipulate, expedite, or legally enhance your VA education benefits (like the G.I. Bill). These schemes are designed to steal your money, commit identity theft, or fraudulently extract federal funds.
Fraudulent schools and recruiters may exaggerate job placement rates or guarantee unrealistic outcomes. Be vigilant of job scams utilizing job boards or advertisements targeting specific demographics, which may be misleading or fake and require personal information or money to get the job. Veterans can find free, official information about federal jobs at USAJOBS.gov, FedsHiresVets.gov, and CareerOneStop.org.
Two common AI-related scams are targeted phishing and predatory education offers.
It’s important to stay informed about fraud scams and know how to report fraud.
One of the best ways to stay informed about your G.I. Bill benefits is to subscribe to official VA emails. If you’re not already receiving them, opt in today to start. For more information on scams impacting Veterans’ benefits, visit VA Fraud Prevention .