Augusta - Officials with the Maine Department of Labor are warning of a scam targeting veterans.

We're told veterans who have either signed up or have been approved for the new Veterans Retraining Assistance Program have been specifically affected.

According to a release sent from the Maine Department of Labor, veterans report having received a phone call from a person who congratulated the veteran on his or her VRAP approval. The caller, who might refer to himself as a "James" advises the veteran that he knows the dollar amount of the training for which the veteran has been approved.

The caller then tells the veteran that an amount of money matching that figure will be deposited directly into his or her bank. To receive the deposit, the veteran is directed to call a phone number with a 202 area code, give his or her bank account and routing numbers to a person named "Kelly" and pay a $205 service fee.

According to officials, when the phone number is called, it is answered by a standard answering machine.

" Veterans need to be aware of scams such as these that target benefits they have earned through their service. However, all of us, even if we are not a veteran, are well served by these reminders to keep our financial information private and never provide it to people who we have not directly contacted ourselves," said Labor Commissioner Robert Winglass.

Veterans who think they might have been targeted by the scammers should contact Dennis Wellman at 623-7900.

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