LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) — There is a class action lawsuit for U.S. military veterans and their families who were exposed to tainted water at Camp Lejeune. Marketing agencies and law firms spent over $40 million on advertising the lawsuit. Now, scammers ar jumping on board to take advantage of military personnel.

Chris Babin of the Better Business Bureau of Acadiana says scammers are now claiming to be attorneys. One man reported to BBB that he was contacted by one of these scammers. The man’s brother died year ago, and had spent some time at Camp LeJeune.

“All that he needed from him was to give bank account information and pay some fees up front to secure him for his legal representation,” Babin said.

Babin said attorneys actually wouldn’t require an upfront fee to represent anyone eligible for the class action suit.

“They’re going to say you’re going to get paid back when you get the money that’s owed to you but this fee upfront is going to a scammer and there’s no money owed to you.”

Here are some tips to avoid class action lawsuit scams:

• Don’t believe in promises of quick cash with minimal effort. Scammers love to promise that fast cash is in your immediate future.
• Never click on links in suspicious emails. Be wary of unsolicited emails in general. Don’t click on links they contain, as they could lead you to fake websites.
• Stay alert to variations of this scam. Emails aren’t they only way scammers may try to contact you about this. Keep an eye out for scams sent via texts or phone calls.
• Only work with reputable representatives. Do thorough research before choosing a legal representative.

If you have a scam you’d like me to investigate, feel free to email me at smasters@klfy.com