Council Bluffs military widow says scam targets veterans, families

A Council Bluffs 80-year-old who says she lost her husband to Agent Orange says she received a scam call this week targeting veterans and their families.

Read the full article on KETV 7

Joy Moffatt, the widow of Vietnam veteran Jerry Wayne Moffatt, is speaking out after she says she received scam calls falsely claiming to be from Veterans Affairs. Jerry Wayne Moffatt died of cancer nearly 30 years ago after serving in Vietnam. “He was my rock. He was my everything,” Moffatt told KETV. “He was right on the front lines, running through all the Agent Orange that they had spread.”Moffatt said she is used to receiving scam calls. This week, one call left her particularly upset. She said a man on the phone claimed to be from Veterans Affairs and was selling life insurance. “I said, ‘Nope, nope, nope,'” Moffatt said. “Everything he asked me, I go, ‘Nope, nope.'” The Department of Veterans Affairs says its insurance employees will never try to sell insurance policies. It says that insurance calls will only come from two numbers: 1-800-669-8477 or 215-842-2000. Moffatt said the call she received did not come from either of those numbers. The VA also says that its employees will never get angry or upset during calls. See the VA’s full scam guidance here.”If I can only help one family or one person, that’s what I want to do,” Moffatt said. On Friday, Moffatt said she received a text message claiming to be from the court, alleging she had speeding tickets and a warrant out for her arrest. Once again, she said she recognized the message as a scam. “I just pray to God that everybody is going to be okay,” Moffatt said.The VA told KETV in a statement it “strongly warns veterans against scams targeting their benefits and notes that fraudsters will sometimes misrepresent themselves as federal agencies.”Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa —

Joy Moffatt, the widow of Vietnam veteran Jerry Wayne Moffatt, is speaking out after she says she received scam calls falsely claiming to be from Veterans Affairs.

Jerry Wayne Moffatt died of cancer nearly 30 years ago after serving in Vietnam.

“He was my rock. He was my everything,” Moffatt told KETV. “He was right on the front lines, running through all the Agent Orange that they had spread.”

Moffatt said she is used to receiving scam calls. This week, one call left her particularly upset. She said a man on the phone claimed to be from Veterans Affairs and was selling life insurance.

“I said, ‘Nope, nope, nope,'” Moffatt said. “Everything he asked me, I go, ‘Nope, nope.'”

The Department of Veterans Affairs says its insurance employees will never try to sell insurance policies. It says that insurance calls will only come from two numbers: 1-800-669-8477 or 215-842-2000. Moffatt said the call she received did not come from either of those numbers.

The VA also says that its employees will never get angry or upset during calls.

See the VA’s full scam guidance here.

“If I can only help one family or one person, that’s what I want to do,” Moffatt said.

On Friday, Moffatt said she received a text message claiming to be from the court, alleging she had speeding tickets and a warrant out for her arrest. Once again, she said she recognized the message as a scam.

“I just pray to God that everybody is going to be okay,” Moffatt said.

The VA told KETV in a statement it “strongly warns veterans against scams targeting their benefits and notes that fraudsters will sometimes misrepresent themselves as federal agencies.”

Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.