The Justice Department and the Department of the Navy on Monday issued a fraud alert to inform individuals filing a claim or lawsuit under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act (CLJA) of 2022 about fraudulent attempts to obtain personal information or monetary payments from potential claimants.
In a release, the Justice Department and Navy advise claimants and their attorneys to be cautious of potentially fraudulent activity through telephone calls or email solicitations.
The CLJA is part of the Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022, signed into law by President Joe Biden on Aug. 10, 2022. It allows individuals, including veterans, to file a claim with the Navy to recover for injuries caused by exposure to contaminated water at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, for at least 30 days between Aug. 1, 1953, and Dec. 31, 1987.
The alert was issued due to growing concerns over reports that “unscrupulous people and companies are seeking or sought to obtain personal information from CLJA claimants or otherwise defraud them,” the release states.
Claimants who receive calls or emails from individuals attempting to collect money or personal information in connection with a CLJA claim should contact their attorneys to report this activity, the release advises.
Claimants who are not represented by counsel who receive calls or emails should immediately report this activity to the Navy’s Camp Lejeune Claims Unit (CLCU), which issued the following guidance in the fraud alert: The Justice Department and the Navy will never request money or payment from you; if an attorney is representing you, direct all inquiries to your attorney for verification; and authorized emails from the Navy will be sent from CLClaims@us.navy.mil and you may forward any email message you receive to that address to verify authenticity.
If you receive a phone call claiming to be from the CLCU or offering assistance with your claim, and you are uncertain, ask for the person’s name and position, then call the CLCU at (757) 241-6020 to verify.
If you are represented by an attorney, the Justice Department and Navy will not contact you directly and will only contact you through your attorney.
For more information regarding CLJA claims, please the Navy’s official CLJA website here or contact the CLCU at CLClaims@us.navy.mil or (757) 241-6020.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.