New Scam Targets Military Spouses - It could happen here

[GAP]

New Scam Targets Military Spouses
American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, May 31, 2007
Article Link

The American Red Cross is warning military spouses about a new identity-theft scam that targets family members of deployed troops.
The Red Cross was alerted of the scam earlier this month, said Devorah Goldburg of the Red Cross.

The scam involves a person with an American accent calling a military spouse, identifying herself as a representative of the Red Cross, and telling the spouse that her husband was hurt in Iraq and was medically evacuated to Germany. The caller then says that doctors can't start treatment until paperwork is completed, and that to start the paperwork they need the spouse to verify her husband's social security number and date of birth.

It is hard to determine how many spouses have been targeted by this scam, Goldburg said, as there are many ways for spouses to report problems like this. However, one confirmed report was enough for the Red Cross to act, she said.

“We know that it happened to one person; it was probably going to happen to others, and we wanted to be prudent and alert people,” she said.

American Red Cross representatives typically do not contact military members or dependents directly and almost always go through a commander or first sergeant, according to a Red Cross news release. Military family members are urged not to give out any personal information over the phone if contacted by unknown individuals, including confirmation that their spouse is deployed.
More on link

 

[Scoobie Newbie]

That's pretty low and I think the fact it revolves around a hurt spouse may overwhelm their "spider senses" because everyone "normally" should know that they shouldn't need any paper work and SIN's shouldn't be necessary either.

 

[medaid]

I can't believe this! How low will people go these days?!

 

[vangemeren]

I hope that they catch the people who are behind the scam and that they get what they deserve.

They are taking advantage of both the parnters of soldiers and the Red Cross aswell.

 

[geo]

The american red cross would have nothing to do with the treatment of Military members.

Military person
Military injury
Military emergency care
Military transport
Military hospital
military extended care.........

you get the idea.

 

[Yrys]

The american red cross would have nothing to do with the treatment of Military members.

Then why did they say :

American Red Cross representatives typically do not contact military members or dependents directly and
almost always go through a commander or first sergeant, according to a Red Cross news release.

 

[geo]

you tell me and we'll both know.


but our military hospitals are not run by the red cross
their military hospitals are not run by the red cross

 

[Mike Baker]

This is low. Stuff like this just makes me sick. 

 

[Yrys]

their military hospitals are not run by the red cross

Any American that could answers that one, please ?

Édith : Clarification (in case of need ) :

Quote from: geo on Today at 19:11:02
The american red cross would have nothing to do with the treatment of Military members.

ADD: thanks for the link mckee (see post below)

Red Cross workers in hundreds of chapters and on military installations

addiotional question : they are working for the Red Cross. But  are they also military persons ?

 

[mckee19]

not an American but a little research on  the net and from what i found the red cross provides the US Army with emergency communications that link them with their families back home, access to financial assistance, counseling and assistance to veterans. Red Cross Armed Forces Emergency Services personnel work in nearly 800 chapters in the United States, on 62 military installations around the world and with our troops in Kuwait, Afghanistan and Iraq.

this is a link to the article where i got the information from
http://www.redcross.org/services/afes/0,1082,0_321_,00.html

 

[geo]

.... but the red cross does NOT provide treatment
family members are not required to provide permission for treatment to begin

 

[niner domestic]

IIRC, in the US Mil, confirmation by the Red Cross is required if a family member is claiming an emergency etc so that the member's CoC may begin the necessary paperwork to get said member on his/her way home/contact etc. 

This is where family members may be falling prey to these scams as they do inherently recognize that the RC does have some level of contact with *them* during an emergency so it would make perfect sense for it to be coming from the other direction.  Except that's not the case and by the time the family member has recovered enough from those types of calls to ask questions, they have may have already given out personal info. 

Again, it is so important for members of any mil to ensure that their families have all the necessary information, procedures, personal paperwork/legal docs and points of contact prior to deploying. 

 

[M Feetham]

confirm something for me please, does the ARC do basically the same thing as our padres and social workers in the CF, wich would be to basically advise the COC about members who are in need of help and may need to be sent home for compassionat reasons (ie. death in family or serious accident of a family member). If that is the case I could see how they would be able to pull off a scam like that, although usually if something like that happens you have a face to face with the individual in order to let them know what is going on, right? The CF padres have authority to investigate an incident to verify the truth of the matter. Stuff like calling doctors or hospitals in order to see if one spouse or the other is telling the truth. Happens a lot here in ST Jean.
Feet

 

[darmil]

Well I know my wife is smart and wouldn't give that info over the phone, there is no need too and she knows that.

 

[mrs13f]

confirm something for me please, does the ARC do basically the same thing as our padres and social workers in the CF, wich would be to basically advise the COC about members who are in need of help and may need to be sent home for compassionat reasons (ie. death in family or serious accident of a family member). If that is the case I could see how they would be able to pull off a scam like that, although usually if something like that happens you have a face to face with the individual in order to let them know what is going on, right? The CF padres have authority to investigate an incident to verify the truth of the matter. Stuff like calling doctors or hospitals in order to see if one spouse or the other is telling the truth. Happens a lot here in ST Jean.

------------------------------------
Hi, I work as a volunteer for the ARC doing Military Casework and you have the right idea.  A service member who has an emergency at home or a family member with one contacts us, we verify the information (death, illness, social service issue, other) with the hospital, social worker, funeral home, etc. and then forward a Red Cross message to the individuals command.  Usually a CO or Chaplin should then deliver the message to the service member.  This day in age the Red Cross message may move a bit slower than email but often it is the only way a Commander can verify an emergency because for every genuine situation there is also someone who just wants to get home.  We are required to verify identifying information (rank, etc.) when a family member calls in so that we can get the information to the right soldier/unit/family.  We also work to get service members and their families emergency financial assistance if they qualify in order to make it home for funerals, get to someone's bedside, etc.  The individual services handle ALL their own casualty notifications, including injuries, themselves. 

I can understand why someone may give such information if they are upset or scared, playing on the fears of family members is beyond rotten!

 

[Jacqueline]

This is one of the most corrupt and filthy organizations that I've ever heard of, they cross the T's and I wish someone would dot their eyes.