The Federal Trade Commission is warning veterans and their families about postcards showing up in mailboxes nationwide that promise extra monthly benefits through something called the “Veterans Savings Program.” According to the agency, that program is not real, the postcards are not from the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the entire point of the mailer is to get someone on the phone long enough to hand over personal information.
A “Veterans Savings Program” the VA Never Built
The Federal Trade Commission says veterans across the country have reported receiving postcards claiming they, or their spouse, might qualify for extra monthly payments through the Veterans Savings Program. The agency is direct about the program’s status: it doesn’t exist. The postcards are the work of scammers pretending to be affiliated with the VA, phishing for personal or financial information under the cover of a benefits offer.
The VA has separately confirmed the same scam is active, describing fraudulent postcards claiming a veteran or spouse is “entitled to extra VA benefits” regardless of their existing VA disability rating. Both agencies describe the same mechanic: a mailed postcard, a fake program name, and a phone number designed to connect the target to a scammer rather than to any government office.
A postcard is a specific choice, not an incidental one. It arrives without an envelope, so anyone glancing through a mail pile sees “extra benefits” before deciding whether to read further, and unlike a phone call or an email, it can’t be screened by caller ID or a spam filter before it reaches the recipient.
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Real Benefit Names Used to Sell a Fake One
What makes the postcard convincing is that it borrows from real programs. The FTC’s alert notes the mailer may list the recipient’s own state and mention actual VA benefits like CHAMPVA or TRICARE For Life, details meant to make the offer look official even though neither program has anything to do with the “Veterans Savings Program” being pitched. The VA’s own fraud alert adds that some versions of the postcard also reference dental coverage and tell the recipient they qualify “regardless of a VA disability rating,” a phrase designed to sound like a benefit determination rather than a sales pitch.
The postcards also lean on urgency. The FTC says the message tells recipients to call right away or risk losing out, and the VA’s alert describes scammers pressuring people to respond within a matter of days. Real changes to VA or Social Security benefits don’t arrive as a postcard with a countdown attached, and neither agency processes an actual increase in monthly benefits by asking a veteran to phone an unfamiliar number to “claim” it.
Combining a real-sounding program name with real state and benefit references is what separates this scam from a more generic sweepstakes-style mailer. Someone who has heard of CHAMPVA or TRICARE For Life, even without knowing the details, is more likely to assume a postcard mentioning them is connected to a legitimate VA mailing, which is precisely the assumption the scam depends on.
What the Scam Is Actually After
Once someone calls the number on the postcard, the FTC says scammers often open with flattery and praise about the person’s military service to build trust before asking for a Social Security number, bank account details, or other sensitive information. The VA’s alert describes the same pattern and adds that some versions of the scam later shift to demanding payment through gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, or prepaid debit cards, methods that are difficult to trace or reverse once money has moved.
Neither agency describes any case in which a caller who provided information actually received a larger benefit check. The “savings program” exists only as bait to start the conversation. A Social Security number and bank account number together are enough to open new credit, redirect a real benefit’s direct deposit, or file a fraudulent tax return in the victim’s name, which is why both agencies treat the phishing goal, not any money supposedly promised, as the actual harm.
How to Check Before You Call
Both agencies give the same core instruction: don’t call the number on the postcard, and don’t respond with personal information. The FTC recommends contacting the VA directly using a number you already know is legitimate, starting with the VA Benefits Hotline at 1-800-827-1000, rather than anything printed on the mailer itself. If a postcard or call raises questions about an actual VA payment or direct deposit, the VA says to reach that same number directly rather than trust an unsolicited contact.
Anyone who receives one of these postcards can report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or to the VA’s dedicated fraud-reporting line, VSAFE.gov, or by calling 1-833-38V-SAFE. Both agencies frame the reporting step as part of tracking how widely the scam is spreading, not as a way to recover money already lost.
This article was produced with AI assistance and reviewed by a human editor. Figures are linked to their primary sources; where a claim could not be verified from the public record, we say so.
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