LAKEWOOD, Ohio — Their service is woven into the fabric of this country and celebrated, but sadly, they're getting ripped off at an alarming rate.
Veterans, their families, and caregivers are a growing target among scammers.
When I heard about this, I thought how sickening.
The latest numbers from the Federal Trade Commission show that in 2022, veterans reported $292 million in losses due to fraud.
The FTC says it's because they have access to benefits and resources.
Scammers are also using obituaries to come up with their next scheme targeting the families of service members.
I caught up with a Lakewood woman who unexpectedly found herself a widow and, just days later, a victim of fraud.
It all began less than 24 hours before Americans were set to honor veterans and celebrate Independence Day.
Annette Bailey got a call from a woman claiming to be from the Veterans Commission.
"She was calling to inform me that my husband had a $30,000 life insurance policy," said Bailey.
Bailey's husband Steven, a Vietnam Vet, died unexpectedly just nine days prior.
She had no idea about any policies he had.
So, here's what the woman on the phone told her.
"If you wanted to keep that, you would have to pay the premium," said Bailey.
Something Bailey was willing to do through her bank.
"She said no, they won't accept payments like that. You'll have to get a reloaded card," said Bailey.
With the woman waiting on the line, Bailey drove to a local retailer and bought six prepaid reloadable cards, each worth $500.
The transaction caught the attention of the store manager.
"He came over and he said, are you being scammed," said Bailey.
When she got home, Bailey gave the woman the gift card information.
Two days later, she called the Veterans Commission.
"I asked to speak to this person, and they said we don't have anyone by that name here. That's when it hit me," said Bailey.
Until that moment, the scammers had tricked Bailey because they did their homework and had so much information about her family.
"They're not just randomly picking up the phone and saying, oh, I'm going to just see if this would work on Sally," said Ericka Dilworth, BBB of Greater Cleveland.
Dilworth told me they see cases like this all the time.
"You know, this is obviously the typical imposter scam," said Dilworth.
Dilworth said the best line of defense is not to rush into anything and make an immediate decision no matter how persistent the person on the phone is.
Also, hang up when they tell you they only take gift cards for a payment.
"That is the biggest red flag because it's, that's not how business is done," said Dilworth.
Bailey missed the obvious red flags because just days after her husband's death, she tells me she was just going through the motions.
"They're taking advantage of you and your moment of grief," said Bailey.
In a matter of days, Bailey lost her husband, she got scammed out of $3,000, and then she had a heart attack.
"It was stress," said Bailey.
There's a glimmer of hope.
Bailey is expected to get most of her money back.
Here's what a representative from the gift card company told her.
"We see that they have spent $500 of what you gave them. We're going to stop the payments on the others, and we will give you a refund," said Bailey.
In the end, Bailey’s husband did not have that insurance policy.
As difficult as it is to re-live that painful and stressful period in her life, Bailey shared her story to raise awareness.
"Oh, my goodness. I don't want anyone to ever go through this," said Bailey.
I asked Bailey how this experience changed her.
She said she is now more skeptical of people and the phone calls she receives.
Her advice to everyone is to take a step back and take a deep breath if they find themselves in a similar situation.
All the red flags were there; she was just in a vulnerable state, and she didn't see them.
