Veterans and military servicemembers and their families are much more likely than civilians to be targeted by fraudsters. Veterans can be viewed as easy targets by scammers due to the assumption that veterans have a strong sense of giving back to other fellow veterans. This has led to fake veteran charities or causes being among the highest reported scams by veteran victims. They may also be targeted for pension or disability theft. 

The DFPI offers a wide range of resources dedicated to protecting our California veterans and military servicemembers on our Consumer Financial Education for Military and Veterans webpage. You can also find additional resources and downloadable brochures on our Information for Military Service Members webpage. Check out our Online Events Calendar for veterans and military related webinars and in-person educational events in your area. 

Other veteran and military servicemember resources include: 

Stand Down Events 

Stand Downs are 1 to 3-day events providing supplies and services to homeless Veterans, such as food, shelter, clothing, health screenings, and VA Social Security benefits counseling. Veterans can also receive referrals to other assistance such as healthcare, housing solutions, employment, substance use treatment, and mental health counseling. They are collaborative events, coordinated between local VA Medical Centers, the Department of Labor, and other government agencies and community-based homeless service providers. For stand down events in your area, visit the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) Stand Down Events Calendar. 

Career Fairs 

Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base hosts an Annual Career Fair. This event is its largest hiring event with over 100 participating employers. The DFPI hosts employment recruitment and financial resources tables at Camp Pendleton’s career fairs as well as at Travis Air Force Base and Fort Irwin National Training Center. Our team supports our California servicemembers with financial educational resources as well as valuable information and insight on how to land a state job, and especially, how to join the DFPI team. 

Small Business Support 

Not all veterans and transitioning servicemembers want to pursue employment after their service. If your dream is to be your own boss and start your own business, the DFPI can help. For more information on starting a business, visit our Consumer Financial Education: Small Business webpage. We can also help you with raising capital for small businesses. 

VA Benefits/Disability Compensation 

The most important step in transitioning to civilian life is understanding and managing your VA benefits. For assistance with paperwork or any questions you may have, the VA.gov website is your best resource for healthcare and disability compensation information. 

VA Office of Inspector General  

The VA Office of Inspector General conducts independent oversight of the Department of Veterans Affairs. It investigates a wide range of financial crimes from threats against VA personnel and property to actions associated with patient harm. For more information about trending scams and fraud related to veterans and the military, visit the Fraud Indicators Toolkit and Crime Alerts Webpage.