Community News
Learn how to recognize and avoid scams targeting Yokota community
By
Army & Air Force Exchange Service Public Affairs April 25, 2025
Vincent O. Lesesne
Army & Air Force Exchange Service Public Affairs April 25, 2025
(Image: Vincent O. Lesesne)
Yokota Air Base – Consumers incurred $12.5 billion in losses to scams and fraud in 2024, a significant 25% increase from the prior year, according to a March report from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Some of the most reported scams are increasingly targeting those who serve or have served.
Since 2020, active-duty service members, Veterans, retirees, Reservists and military family members have lost more than $780 million to scams including business and government imposters, online shopping scams along with prizes, sweepstakes and lottery fraud, the FTC reported.
“With the massive increase in scam and fraud attempts and the losses that come with them, it is vital for the Yokota community to stay vigilant,” Yokota Exchange General Manager Andrew Defelice said. “At the Yokota Exchange, we are committed to helping authorized shoppers avoid falling prey to scammers.”
When interacting with the Exchange online, shoppers should ensure that they are communicating with verified Exchange profiles or email addresses. For example, the Exchange’s Free Fridays promotion provides prizes to authorized shoppers who comment on the Exchange Facebook’s promotion post each week. The winners are contacted by direct message from the official Exchange Facebook account or by email from an official socialmedia@aafes.com address.
Social media scam attempts totaled the highest overall reported losses in 2024 according to FTC, with $1.9 billion lost. Scams on social media can make younger shoppers especially vulnerable, with 44% of total losses last year coming from those aged 20-29.
Other scams that have targeted military shoppers have included offers to broker the sale of cars, motorcycles or boats through their hard-earned Exchange benefit. The Exchange does not have the authority to sell vehicles in the continental U.S. and does not advertise vehicle sales in civilian outlets such as newspapers or magazines.
Authorized shoppers contacted by any third-party posing as the Exchange are advised to stop the interaction and contact Exchange customer service at 800-527-2345 (CONUS), 214-312-6690 (OCONUS) or visiting the Customer Service page here.
“Exchange shoppers must always exercise caution to avoid being taken advantage of by scammers,” Defelice said. “Shoppers taking the time to ensure they are interacting with who they think they are goes a long way in ensuring they stay safe.”