Is That Call About Your VA Home Loan Legit? Here’s How I Found Out It Wasn’t

Earlier today, I received a phone call that at first seemed official. The woman said she was “with the VA” and calling about my VA home loan benefits. Or, at least that’s what I remember her saying — and that’s why I stayed on the line.

The number that called me was (612) 607-1026, which showed up on my caller ID as coming from Minneapolis, MN — my home state. That added to the credibility.

But as soon as I started asking questions, the call began to unravel.

A VA Home Loan Bait-and-Switch

I asked what the call was actually about. She said it was for a “VA IRL”, which I assumed meant VA IRRRL — the VA Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loan. That’s a legitimate VA program — but the VA doesn’t cold-call veterans about VA home loans, and it certainly doesn’t partner with third-party brokers to do so.

When I asked who she worked for, she first said United Wholesale Mortgage.

Later in the same conversation, she said Zoom Wholesale Brokerage.

I’ve been unable to verify whether she actually works for either of these companies. After the call, I looked into it — and couldn’t find any confirmation linking her to either organization.

She then asked about my current mortgage rate, and followed that by asking for my email address so she could send me more information.

At that point, I hung up.

Later, I called the number back. It rang once, then immediately disconnected. No voicemail. No business name. Just a dead end.

Why This Is a Problem

This wasn’t your typical scammer trying to steal your identity — but it was deceptive marketing, and it may even violate federal law. The call used classic “neighbor spoofing” tactics — making it look like it came from a local number to build trust. According to the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office, this tactic is commonly used by scam marketers to increase pickup rates and mask the real source of the call.

They bank on one thing: the average veteran won’t know the VA doesn’t cold-call, and once they get you talking, they can extract just enough information to sell you as a lead — or worse.

Why They Want Your Mortgage Rate and Email

You might think, “It’s just my rate and email. Not exactly my Social Security number.”

But that info is more valuable than you think.

1. Build a Detailed Profile

By combining your interest rate and email address with public records, they can:

• Estimate how long you’ve had your mortgage
• Approximate your loan balance and equity
• Cross-reference property records to identify your home’s value
• Match your email to demographic databases to learn your income bracket, age, household size, and more

In a few minutes, you go from a voice on the line to a fully monetized sales profile.

2. Flag You as a Hot Lead

If you reveal that your current mortgage rate is higher than today’s average, you become a prime refinance candidate. Companies will buy your data from the caller — sometimes for $50 to $250 per lead — and you’ll likely be inundated with unsolicited emails, texts, and calls.

3. Sell or Share Your Info

Once you’re flagged as “marketable,” your email may be shared or sold to:

• Other mortgage brokers
• Debt consolidators
• Home improvement finance companies
• Even phishing scammers posing as government or mortgage reps

4. Open You Up to Phishing

Now that they know you’re a veteran, a homeowner, and open to refinance discussion, you’re an easier target for phishing emails pretending to be from:

• The VA
• Your current mortgage servicer
• “Official” portals offering government refinance tools

These fake sites and forms can be used to collect your financial documents or even trick you into logging into your real accounts.

What the VA Will Never Do

Let’s be clear about this:

The VA will never call you out of the blue to offer a refinance.

They will not:

• Call to promote a VA IRRRL or any other loan product
• Use third-party companies to make unsolicited mortgage marketing calls
• Refer to themselves vaguely as “the VA” without official verification

What To Do If You Get a Call Like This

1. Ask who they work for. Get the full company name.
2. Refuse to give your mortgage details or email.
3. Document the number, the date, and what was said.
4. Try calling the number back. Spoofed numbers often hang up or fail to connect.
5. Report the call to:
   • The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)
   • The VA Office of Inspector General Hotline

Final Word

I’m a veteran and an attorney. I’ve worked with veterans for years and know what real VA communication sounds like — and this wasn’t it.

What’s troubling is how legitimate it felt at first. The local number, the official-sounding language, the reference to “VA benefits” — all of it is designed to make you stay on the line just long enough to give away something of value.

If it almost fooled me, it’s probably fooling others.

So take this as a warning — just because someone says “VA” doesn’t mean they’re from the VA. Ask questions. Don’t give them anything. And share this with anyone you know who could be vulnerable to the same tactic.

If this happened to you, leave a comment or send me a message. We’re tracking these calls and exposing them. The more veterans know, the fewer get taken advantage of.