American Red Cross officials want to warn military families about a scam that could be targeting them.
So far, officials believe this is an isolated case. But is does concern the Red Cross, according to Stephen Hall with the St. Louis Chapter . A person who identified herself as with the Red Cross recently called a woman, claiming that her military husband had been hurt in Iraq and sent to Germany for medical treatment. The caller claimed she needed the husband’s Social Security number and date of birth to complete paperwork so her husband can get treatment.
No such information should be given over the telephone. Both the Red Cross and the Department of Defense warn military families to never give personal information over the telephone to someone they don’t know. Military families shouldn’t even confirm that a loved one is deployed.
Hall points out the Red Cross only follows up on communication initiated by the family. It doesn’t make cold calls. American Red Cross representatives typically do not contact military members or dependents directly. The normal protocol would be for the Red Cross to go through a commander of first sergeant.
Hall adds the Red Cross doesn’t call families to report on injuries, leaving that to the Department of Defense.
It is hard to determine how many spouses might be targeted by the scam, but the Red Cross hopes it is an isolated case.
