KILLEEN, Texas (KXXV) — Army veteran Willie Keller Jr. speaks on his passion for helping other veterans avoid being scammed. $419 million was taken from veterans because of scams in 2024, Keller Jr. hopes to prevent that.
- $419 million was stolen from veterans by scammers in 2024.
- Willie Keller Jr. calls these scammers 'claim sharks': individuals who claim to be accredited claims representatives helping veterans with their accounts, but that is not the case.
He stresses finding a local accredited claims representative at your nearest Veterans of Foreign Wars, or VFW.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Army veteran Willie Keller Jr. has had quite a military career.
“I joined the military in 1994 as an armored crewman," Willie Keller Jr. said. Um, did time, active duty, did time in the guard as well, um, retired after 2009, the wounds occurred in Afghanistan."
He's now becoming acclimated to civilian life.
“I’m the commander of Commander Major AC Cotton VFW posts 12 209, here at the VFW here on Fort Cavasos,” Keller Jr. said.
He has a passion for helping fellow veterans with a growing issue.
“Claim sharks, they're selling a false dream,” Keller Jr. said.
Did you know that veterans are a major target for scammers, losing $419 million to these crafty thieves just last year.
“It's an issue because some service members when they get out, they're told about who to go to, who not to talk to, but we've known over so many years which way to go, but we're lost once we get out, and so somebody, maybe someone they serve with that they entrusted, but they're not accredited service officers are not credited to assist them with that and they feel like, ok, well, you pay me this, and they guarantee them a false dream,” Keller Jr. said.
“Some just don't know, or some may take the easy route out, or you just keep hearing that this person, this I heard it when I got out, hey, go talk to this person, just give them $300, they'll take care of you,” he said.
So, how is Willie fighting back?
“We actually make a big push to DC and lobby for veterans' rights and benefits. If it wasn't for the VFW, you would not have the SGLI, you wouldn't have the GI Bill, so a lot of things that we as service members take for granted are due to the VFW lobbying for that,” Keller Jr. said.
“We've been working on it for a few years now. It was probably about 4 years we've been discussing it, but it actually hit the panel this year. Our national Commander-in-Chief Al Al Lapart, when we spoke at the Joint Services Committee this year, those were the things that he discussed, eliminating the claim sharks,” he said.
