Military Families Targeted by Scammers

Military forces are taught to defend themselves when they are in action.  Now, more and more need to be taught to defend themselves here at home against scam artists.

The Better Business Bureau Military Line says there is a new website scam where criminals are attempting to take advantage of soldiers and their families.  The U.S. Army's Criminal Investigation Command found the site usmilitarybenefit.org and discovered it was run by thieves trying to trick soldiers out of their email addresses and passwords.

While this site targets members of the Army, all branches of the military need to be warned.

Personal financial manager Ed Olander works for the Navy Fleet and Family Support Center in San Diego. 

"They'll think it is an official site and they will go to it and get logged in, and the next thing you know they are getting ripped off," Olander said.

Olander says it's not only members of the military need to be careful, but also their families.

"Scam artists, if they work the area, are going to to know when the Ronald Reagan battle group is out.  So they may target the housing areas where they think are a lot of spouses," he said.

Shery Reichert with the San Diego Better Business Bureau says it is easy to see why men and women in uniform are targeted.

"Because they are mobile, they are young and they have a regular paycheck," Reichert said.

But Reichert says it's frustrating to see these people in the target of scammers.

"These guys are putting their lives on the line for us, and they are being specifically targeted by these con men," she said.

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