Atty. Gen. Bonta Visits San Diego To Help Navy Protect Sailors From Illegal Scams

San Diego CA

31 July, 2021

9:48 AM

Description

By City News Service, Times of San Diego July 30, 2021 California Attorney General Rob Bonta met with Navy leaders at Naval Base San Diego Friday to discuss some of the most prevalent scams targeting service members. The roundtable discussion centered on predatory schemes affecting sailors in San Diego, where the Attorney General's office said service members are especially vulnerable to being targeted due to the large concentration of military personnel. One such scheme perpetrated locally involved a company offering supposed free income tax preparation services for military members. The company, Go Navy Tax Services, operated out of a trailer located just outside Naval Base San Diego's front gate and persuaded service members to purchase retirement accounts. However, prosecutors say that rather than opening those accounts, the defendants used the service members' personal information to open life insurance policies without their knowledge or consent, earning the company more than $2 million in commissions stemming from the sales of nearly 5,000 applications for life insurance policies and annuity contracts. Three people involved in the scheme recently pleaded guilty and were sentenced. "It is imperative that our sailors and their families understand that there are a number of scams and predatory practices out there targeting them specifically due to their service to our nation," said Naval Base San Diego Commanding Officer Capt. Ted Carlson. "The AG's team worked closely with the Navy to end a major tax scam that defrauded thousands of sailors of millions of dollars, and my team and I are excited to have this opportunity to partner with AG Bonta and his team and discuss how to better protect our military families," Carlson said. The Attorney General's Office said the following scams commonly target navy sailors and other service members: Anyone who feels they have been the victim of a scam was encouraged to report it at oag.ca.gov/report. Veterans and other members of the public who need legal assistance can go to www.lawhelpca.org. Times of San Diego is an independent online news site covering the San Diego metropolitan area. Our journalists report on politics, crime, business, sports, education, arts, the military and everyday life in San Diego. No subscription is required, and you can sign up for a free daily newsletter with a summary of the latest news.