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Active-duty service members, National Guard personnel, veterans, and their families lost nearly 25 percent more money to scammers in 2024, with reported losses totaling $584 million,

according to consumer complaints filed with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and detailed in the 2024 Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book.

Veterans continue to face higher individual losses than the general consumer population, with a median fraud loss of $700 — well above the $497 median reported across all FTC complaints.

However, older adults, including retired veterans, accounted for the biggest losses, with individuals 80 and older reporting the highest median loss at $1,650.

Overall, Americans reported losing a record $12.5 billion to fraud last year — up 25 percent from 2023. 

Instances of fraud reported from the military community increased by 6 percent in 2024, reaching 99,443 cases, according to the FTC. The most reported types of fraud were:

Criminals posing as trusted individuals or organizations to steal personal information accounted for the highest number of fraud reports. Although 44,587 reports of impostor scams were

reported, 23 percent resulted in financial loss.Online shopping scams and negative reviews: Hidden fees, delayed or non-delivery of purchases, refusal to honor guarantees, and businesses

preventing customers from leaving honest reviews made this the second most reported scam. It also had the highest “success” rate against the military community, with 76% reporting a

financial loss.Business and job opportunity fraud: Scams involving fake franchise opportunities, work-from-home schemes, fraudulent job listings, and deceptive employment services ranked

third in frequency. Yet, these scams resulted in the highest individual losses, with service members reporting losing a median of $2,250 per incident. Identity theft and other financial

complaints

Instances of identity theft remained relatively steady, with 310 fewer military complaints than the previous year. The top three forms of identity theft were:

lease fraud“Other” identity theft, which the FTC defines as using another person’s email or social media account, opening or misusing online payment accounts, committing crimes under someone

else’s identity, or obtaining medical care or insurance fraudulently.

Additionally, military-related complaints under the FTC’s “other” category surged by 20 percent from 2023, reaching 75,652 reports. The top three issues in this category involved:

bureausBanks and lendersDebt collection practices Losses and scam trends across the military community

By military status, veterans and retirees reported the highest number of fraud complaints and the greatest total losses in 2024, amounting to $419 million. However, active-duty service

members experienced the highest median fraud loss at $920 per individual case.

Across military branches, Space Force personnel reported the largest median fraud loss at $1,300 per incident. Meanwhile, the Army led in both the volume of fraud reports and total financial

losses, with soldiers and their families losing $217 million.

Aaron Kassraie writes about issues important to military veterans and their families for AARP. He also serves as a general assignment reporter. Kassraie previously covered U.S. foreign

policy as a correspondent for the Kuwait News Agency’s Washington bureau and worked in news gathering for USA Today and Al Jazeera English.​ ​

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