Lewis County Clerk Moser warns of military discharge scam that targets Veterans

Veterans have recently become the target of a scam to pay outlandish fees for copies of their military discharge papers.

This development is according to Lewis County Clerk, Jake Moser. He says there was a company out in Phoenix, AZ that charged Veterans $79 for a copy of their papers, or $119 for an e-mail copy and hard copy to follow.

This company went by the name of DD214 Direct, Moser said.

In accordance with Military Law, Veterans should file their discharge papers with the county clerk’s office in the county they reside.

Original documents are always returned to the Veteran and a copy of such paperwork can be obtained, for FREE, at any time by the Veteran, their spouse and other direct family members.

“There is no reason to pay outlandish fees for these records,” Moser said.

“NYS Military Law prohibits disclosure of information on the discharge papers to anyone else without the written authorization of the veteran.”