Today’s con artists are taking advantage of ads in order to target their latest victims. Recently in the media, there have been ads regarding Camp Lejeune class action lawsuits. The advertisements are meant to target U.S. military veterans and their families who were exposed to tainted water at the camp. But, con artists are using this opportunity to scam everyone for financial gain.
Here’s How It Works
First, you’ll receive an email telling you that you may be entitled to a ridiculously large sum of compensation for the class action lawsuit. A link will be provided in this email which could lead to several different scenarios.
If you click the link, you could unintentionally download malware onto your electronic device or you could be brought to a form that requests personal information. This puts your personal and financial security at risk, and you will inevitability fall victim to identity theft.
Along with personal information, the scammer could request an upfront fee disguised as a filing fee. If you pay once, they’ll continuously ask for more “filing fees” until you become suspicious. By the time the scam is discovered, the trickster will have already disappeared with your money and personal information.
In order to avoid falling victim to this and similarly advertised class action lawsuits:
- Be wary of promised large amount of compensation in a timely period
- Do not click on links from a suspicious email source
- Report emails as spam from unknown senders
- Be aware of the alternate versions of this scam
- Only use trustworthy sites, and only work with established representatives.
- If you believe you deserve reparations, only use and apply through legitimate websites such as, to inquire about more information on the matter.
If you’re a Merrimack customer and are concerned your personal or financial information was compromised, please call us directly at 603.225.2793.