Beware of Unsolicited Counseling Services
VRS occasionally receives reports from members that various groups have contacted them to offer retirement counseling services or insurance products. Please be aware, VRS does not sell products or make unsolicited calls to offer services to members.
All VRS counseling services are free to members and retirees, whether virtually, by phone or in person at the VRS counseling center by appointment. We encourage you to contact us if you have questions about your plan or benefits. You may also use your myVRS account to review your benefits and access helpful tools to evaluate your retirement readiness.
Look for these red flags when assessing whether a communication is authentic:
- Oddities in the name or address of the sender. Bad actors may attempt to deceive you by imitating official VRS communications. Emails from VRS will be sent from a “varetire.org” address and include our logo and copyright information. Correspondence from VRS will arrive by U.S. mail on official letterhead.
- Attempts to meet at your home to offer counseling or services. VRS staff do not come to members’ homes to discuss benefits.
- Requests for sensitive information. Do not send confidential or personal information, such as your Social Security number or home address, via email, as this method is not secure. To protect your privacy, VRS will only send non-confidential replies.
You may receive occasional emails from VRS inviting you to attend free retirement planning and benefit education sessions held in-person and virtually throughout the year. To view upcoming webinars and events, check out the Education and Counseling page on the VRS website.
Be cautious when responding to uninvited offers of retirement planning or advice. Unsure if it’s VRS? Call 888-827-3847 for assistance. For more online safety tips, visit the Security Center on the VRS website.
