MOAA provides multiple financial resources for its members and others in the military and veteran community, to include scam and fraud prevention materials like the below, from our partners at Aura. MOAA members can save on Aura’s identity protection tools; visit MOAA.org/Aura to learn more.

Serving your country shouldn't make you an easy target for identity thieves. But military service often means you have limited internet access and long deployments — leaving you open to fraud and scams.

Last year, military consumers – active duty, Guard and Reserve, veterans, and their families – filed over 99,000 fraud reports, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Nearly 18,000 of those came from officers, according to the FTC, who reported a combined loss of $160 million. 

Active duty service members can place a free active duty fraud alert on their credit report, making it harder for anyone to open an account in your name and removing you from some credit and insurance marketing lists. The one-year alert is free and will apply to all three credit bureaus if established at any one of them. To learn more about the alert and other monitoring services available to active duty members, visit the Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion websites.

Why Young Officers Tend to be Targeted

• Limited access to accounts: Deployments make it harder to regularly check bank accounts or credit reports, or spot suspicious transactions in time.
  
  
• Open Wi-Fi connections: Public or shared Wi-Fi, especially overseas, is often unsecured. This makes it easier for hackers to intercept data.
  
  
• Trust in authority figures: Scammers often pose as military officials or government agencies. That trust can be used against servicemembers, especially young ones.
  
  
• Frequent requests for personal data: Military life involves sharing personal information with many organizations. Over time, this can wear down caution when giving out sensitive data.
  
  
• Strong financial profiles: Consistent pay and good credit make servicemembers attractive targets for credit fraud and financial scams.
  
  
• Government IT gaps: Even DoD systems have shown cybersecurity weaknesses, leaving servicemember data at risk. A June 2025 Government Accountability Office report found several major DOD information technology projects were falling behind on rolling out “zero trust” safeguards. This is a security model that treats every user and system as untrusted, even within military systems.

Protecting Yourself When Deployed

Credit monitoring beats alerts alone: A fraud alert helps flag new credit applications, but it doesn’t protect existing accounts. Credit monitoring tools like Aura can track bank, credit, and investment activity and flag suspicious behavior in less than three minutes.

Review statements regularly: Even while deployed, try to check financial accounts at least monthly. Unrecognized charges could indicate early fraud.

Monitor the “dark web”: Use tools that scan the dark web for signs your data — like Social Security or military identification numbers — has been leaked. Early detection helps limit damage.

Always use a VPN on public Wi-Fi: A VPN encrypts your internet traffic and hides your IP address. Also use antivirus software and verify network names before connecting. Aura’s family plans include VPN and antivirus protection for up to 50 devices.

Use strong passwords and two-factor authentication (2FA): Create complex passwords (10 or more characters with a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols) and use a password manager. Always turn on two-factor authentication.

Watch out for phishing: Phishing emails and texts often mimic military or government communications and create urgency. Check sender addresses carefully and avoid clicking on links you don't recognize.

Learn common military-targeted scams: These include romance scams (criminals posing as or targeting servicemembers), benefits scams (fake messages about VA or TRICARE issues), and imposter scams (fraudsters pretending to be government officials).

Identity theft puts both your finances and security clearance at risk. Serving shouldn't make you more vulnerable. Take steps now to limit risk — even when you're away from home.