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I just received an email from Military Spouse Magazine giving notice of a scam in place to try to take advantage of the emotional situation created by the injury or death of a servicemember in order to gain access to sensitive information such as individuals' Social Security Numbers and dates of birth.  Please read the following press releases and be aware of the situation.  If you, a friend, or a family member, are a military spouse or parent, you need to be aware of the situation.  Remember, the Red Cross is not the entity that will contact you if your servicemember is harmed.  You will be contacted via the proper channels, which are through the Defense Department. 

From the Armed Forces Press Service:

New Scam Targets Military Spouses

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 31, 2007 – 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.

In addition, Red Cross representatives contact military members or dependents directly only in response to an emergency message initiated by a family member, the news release said. The Red Cross does not report any type of casualty information to family members; the Defense Department will contact families directly about family members' injuries.  [emphasis mine]

It is a federal crime, punishable by up to five years in prison, for a person to fraudulently pretend to be a member of, or an agent for, the American Red Cross for the purpose of soliciting, collecting, or receiving money or material, according to the news release. Any military family member that receives such a call is urged to report it to their local family readiness group or military personnel flight.

Visit the Red Cross Press Room to read their statement regarding the matter as well!