Scam targets World War II veterans - 13abc.com Toledo (OH) News, Weather and Sports

A new scam alert to warn you about. This one targets World War II veterans.

Since the non-profit organization Honor Flight Northwest Ohio began in 2007, Honor Flight Northwest Ohio has flown more than 1,000 veterans to Washington DC to see war memorials at no cost to the veterans.

Now the president of Honor Flight Northwest Ohio says an 89-year-old World War II veteran from the Toledo area was scammed by someone pretending to be on the Honor Flight board.

The caller said in order to get on the April 30 flight, the veteran needed to pay, so the man gave his credit card number.

When the 89-year-old told his son about what happened, his son called Honor Flight right away to alert the organization of the hoax.

"The guy used some language like it was for veterans that come back from war with lost limbs," says the son of the World War II veteran who was scammed. "And his own dad had lost a leg during World War 1, so he's a little tender about this and gave his credit card number."

"It's bad enough when you scam anybody. When you talk about seniors, then you're talking about war veterans, then what's next? Widows of war veterans?" says Lee Armstrong, President of Honor Flight Northwest Ohio. "I mean that's pretty despicable to do something like that."

The president says this is the only case he knows about, but he's worried there may be more.

If you have a loved one who is a World War II or Korean War veteran, make sure they know they never have to pay for the flight. Anyone with questions should call the organization at 419-410-7729.