DFAS is committed to protecting your privacy, and we are constantly evaluating our policies and developing new ways to protect your information. To keep you informed, we will periodically share stories about customers who have been the victims of attempted scams so that you can learn from their experiences.

On October 7, 2009, the widow of one of our deceased retired service members received a telephone call from an anonymous woman concerning her annuity account. The caller told the service member's widow that her annuity account was about to undergo changes and that she should allow a man named Mark Swordsman, who supposedly worked with Wachovia Bank, to come to her home to review the pending changes. The caller then instructed the annuitant to contact Mark Swordsman by calling 1-866-584-1888. Suspicious of the call, the annuitant obtained the caller's phone number (1-877-255-0097) from her caller identification system and contacted the DFAS customer service line to report the problem.

DFAS transferred the annuitant to the Department of Defense Office of the Inspector General. An investigator with the Inspector General's office determined that the annuitant had received a phishing scam telephone call.

Please remember that DFAS will not contact you to request your personal information either by phone or by e-mail. If you have been the victim of fraud or a scam regarding your retired or annuity pay, please contact our customer service center at (800) 321-1080.