10/24/2012—Dear Veteran Community:  Please be advised, the Center for Veterans Enterprise is upgrading the Help Desk and Customer Service Call Center communication system which will allow us to better serve you.  Please bear with us for the next 72 hours as we transfer to a more efficient communication system.  Be advised that we are still receiving phone calls at (202) 303-3260 and emails at vip@va.gov.  Thank you.

10/23/2012—Chelmsford Businessman Charged with Defrauding Federal Disabled-Veterans Program—David E. Gorski was indicted on charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States and four counts of wire fraud.  The indictment alleges that Gorski, a non-Veteran, fraudulently represented that a company he established, Legion Construction, Inc., was a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business in order to qualify for and obtain Government contracts from the Department of Veterans Affairs, General Services Administration, the Army and the Navy.  Read more at the United States Attorney’s Office—District of Massachusetts web site.

What are the keys to a successful verification?  Help us help you…An alert of changes in the process for Verification of eligibility for the Veterans First Program and inclusion in the Vendor Information Pages (VIP).

Please Report Fraud—The VA Office of Inspector General is committed to protecting the rights of the Service Disabled Veteran Entrepreneur community by vigorously investigating and seeking prosecution of those who deprive these veterans who have earned the right to set-aside government contracts.  Report fraud to VA OIG’ Hotline.  Prosecutions include:  Albuquerque, District of Kansas, Northern District of Georgia, and Southern District of New York.  Refer to the 8127 Debarment Committee Referrals site for more information.

Small Business Dashboard—If you are a Veteran who is considering launching your own business, this Small Business Dashboard will help you do your due diligence.  This is a service of Data.gov, an official web site of the U.S. Government.