William Webster, 98, is a World War II Navy veteran and former Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). He and his wife, Lynda, were targeted in a scam recently, according to an FBI.gov report. When the couple refused to pay the $50,000 requested by an unknown caller, the scammers threatened violence. He called his old department and the caller is now in prison. “If it can happen to me, it can happen to you,” Webster said in a video, released in early May by the FBI.

Veterans are Prime Targets for Scams, including Pension Poaching
Military retirees and veterans, such as Webster, often face scams specific to their service. Recently, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has seen an increase of fraudsters and non-accredited representatives who are targeting the pension benefits of senior Veterans, their dependents, and survivors.

Recently, there has been an uptick in a particular scam called pension poaching, a financial scam targeting those who are potentially eligible for VA benefits.

When pension poaching occurs, the following could happen: