Never Pay to Work: The VA's Warning on Job Scams Aimed at Veterans
On October 28, 2026, VA News published a warning about job scams aimed at veterans, service members and their families. It's practical, it's short, and it lines up with what the VA has been saying all month in its October Veterans Benefits Newsletter for Cybersecurity Awareness Month. This post passes it along.
The usual ground rules apply. This blog links; it does not advise. The VA's own pages are the authority, and they outrank anything written here.
Why veterans get targeted
The VA says plainly that veterans and military families are targeted "due to their access to benefits." It cites reports from the Federal Trade Commission and the Better Business Bureau showing military consumers suffered a higher median dollar loss than non-military consumers, with total reported losses of $584 million.
The VA also names something worth taking seriously: scammers "exploit the natural connection and trust that can come from a shared military background." A pitch from someone who says they served with your unit, or who just talks like they did, still gets checked.
The warning signs, per the VA
From the October 28 article, condensed:
- Unsolicited contact. Someone claims they "found your resume," or offers a job you never applied for.
- Too good to be true. High pay, low hours, little experience needed.
- Pressure to move fast. Rushing you to hand over your Social Security number or bank details, or to sign a contract quickly.
- Vague job and no real company. A fuzzy job description, grammar mistakes, no verifiable details, no official website.
- Strange software. Being told to download unfamiliar apps or tools. Real companies use well-known platforms.
- Paying to get hired. Any request to pay for equipment, training, onboarding or a background check. The VA's words: treat it as a scam.
- Odd payment methods. Gift cards, cryptocurrency, payment apps, or wire services. The VA notes these work like cash, so the money is hard to get back.
- The check trick. If you get a check and are told to deposit it and send part of the money back, the VA says it's a scam and the check is likely counterfeit.
Where to search instead
The VA points to two government-sponsored job sites it calls safe and reliable:
- USAJOBS.gov: federal jobs.
- CareerOneStop.org: sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, with job search and career tools.
Its other advice is simple:
- Contact companies yourself, using phone numbers or websites you look up, not ones the recruiter sends you.
- Search the company name with words like "review," "complaint" or "scam."
- Don't click links or open attachments in unsolicited emails or texts.
- Show the offer to someone you trust before you commit.
- If you feel rushed, stop. Pressure is the tactic.
If it already happened
- Report it: VSAFE.gov, or call 833-38V-SAFE. VSAFE is the VA's fraud resource hub, and it routes your report to the right agency.
- If a VA payment is missing or your direct deposit looks wrong: the VA's October newsletter says to call 1-800-827-1000 right away. The VA warns that payment redirection is one of the scams aimed at benefits this month.
- Also report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Pass it on
These scams work because they look like opportunity, and because they often reach people through channels we trust. If someone in your circle is job hunting, especially a newly separated service member, send them the VA's article. It takes a minute to read, and the rule is easy to remember:
A real employer pays you. You never pay them.
Verify with the source, every time.