| | fake SoldiersPage 1 of 1 | This happened on another site, but I've found out it is very common.
A man started messaging me. "A Soldier". He was continuously contacting me and telling me too much. Well, there were a few inconsistencies I noticed right off. And he brought up sending gifts, so I asked for his APO address (being very suspicious at this point). And it wasn't an APO address, then he blew up when I said that it wasn't :/ I cut that loose and blocked him. I was amused that a fake Soldier would try to scam me, when it was in my profile that I am a military mom.
So I did a little checking online, and this is a frequent scam. They even use deceased Soldiers' information and pictures. {{{angry}}}
I just want to put this out there for any of the women on here that may start talking to someone in the military. If you are unsure or see any inconsistencies - feel free to message me and I can give you some direct questions to ask, as well as check into any specifics they give you.
And...
they do NOT ever pay to come on leave from 'theater' (warzones)
they do NOT stop mail d/t problems, you can still mail to their APO - it just would be held somewhere. Asking for their mail to be sent to a friend is a scam.
there's more NOTs, but I have to get ready for work | |
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| fake Soldiers
Posted: 7/31/2012 5:46:14 AM | That is amoung the lowest of the low... but army mom
you are a long time online dater. Does this surprise you?
No where else is there such fraud on so many levels. | |
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| fake Soldiers
Posted: 7/31/2012 6:36:50 AM |
And he brought up sending gifts
Anyone who is asking for anything is a fake and trying to scam you.
This is why I never did the long distance thing. Even on a local basis I don't invest more than one week's time and if they aren't interested in meeting face to face, I just stop writing.
I can see why this particular farce would be of considerable offense... my nephew is deployed at the moment and I can only imagine how the mother of a son over there would feel. | |
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| fake Soldiers
Posted: 7/31/2012 7:30:14 AM | I ran into this when I first got on Match. I was just chatting with the guy, and he asked me to send him a new computer! even told me what kind he wanted. After all he said, I am here putting my life on the line keeping you safe, its the least you can do. I politely expressed that I am not that nice, okay maybe not so polite....
I do have great admiration and respect for those that serve, and for scammers to use their good will to profit in any way really chaps my azz. | |
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| fake Soldiers
Posted: 7/31/2012 9:51:27 AM | I also was chatting with a "soldier" here on POF, and saw red flags right away. The worst flag for me was his grammar, it was atrocious, no one who was born and raised in the US would speak like that. It just screamed someone whose first language wasn't English.
And right away he wanted to move to Yahoo chat and said he fell in love with me (WTF??), so I did research on line and found that this was part of the scam. I got him to leave me an email and from that I was able to trace his IP address and found out he was in Nigeria, not Afghanistan as he claimed. For a few weeks I decided to play along, it kept him busy "chatting" with me and away from someone more gullible, but I eventually got bored with him and his nonsense. It took him a while, I think he knew I was suspicious, but he was starting to make noise that he wanted to come home and didn't have the cash . . . that was his scam, fall "in love" with me, he wants to come home, doesn't have money.
This whole scam makes me so angry, this "soldier" I was chatting with had "borrowed" pictures from a legitimate US soldier and used them in his profile here. I did report him, and his profile was deleted. | |
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| fake Soldiers
Posted: 7/31/2012 11:39:42 AM | As a military veteran myself I have been known to vigorously shake then open a large can of whoop ass when over hearing a pretend veteran.
And I make no apologies for my position either.
Good tips for the Ladies here - and mine would be a true veteran doesn't rely upon prior/continual service obligations in order to acquire attention or for material gain. | |
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| fake Soldiers
Posted: 7/31/2012 11:55:14 AM | I'm glad you posted this. I wish all dating sites would include a basic description of the "fake soldier" scenario to warn people about it. It's among THE most popular tricks being played by scammers these days. Even some accounts where there is more than just a pic in uniform can be scams.
Generally, watch out for the combination of
a) claim of military service; with b) current remote location (if you think that even now, our people can get online to date from Afghanistan, you know next to nothing about the level of technology over there); c) either formal posed pics in uniform, or seeming action photos; and d) rapid request to talk outside of the site they meet you on, ESPECIALLY using a Yahoo address. | |
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| fake Soldiers
Posted: 7/31/2012 2:06:06 PM | All the above advice is good.
Just a note however. Remember that there are lots of real guys in the military. I've had two nephews in Ahghanistan and they are both nice young men. When I was in the IDF (decades before the Internet), it would get more lonely than I'll ever admit. I'd get the odd parcel sent by my community and in it were photos signed by girls wishing me the best and so on. That really boosted my spirits.
(But...I'd have never asked for a computer..perhaps something decent to eat or a cassette.) | |
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| fake Soldiers
Posted: 7/31/2012 2:44:43 PM | | Fake anyone p!sses me off! | |
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| fake Soldiers
Posted: 7/31/2012 3:05:41 PM | | It's also good to know that there are quite a few who pose as Vets...who did their time in the brig...They sure do like military moms.. :-) Lots of twisted ones out there | |
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| fake Soldiers
Posted: 7/31/2012 4:00:12 PM | There are alot of fakes on every site, so just beware. One site in general (starts with a Co*f*io) is the worst! I havehad alot from several on there that contacted me, which most claimed to be in Afghanistan, a Seargent, widowed, small child, and fills you a line of BS 10 miles long..... Or working on an offshore well in the UK.
I had one of the guys on it actualy come clean and say he is a 26 year old Nigerian who, in the so called "College" he goes to, is taught how to scam us American women.
Yes, I was asked to send a package to an address in Texas for his birthday that another could not send, send money for the underground phone network, so we could speak to one another, send $5000 as he just sold property for $85 million but needed to transfer it to a US bank, open a bank account,in my name, but give him all the info of course, purchase a house in a certain location of Florida, etc...etc..etc... The list went on and on depending on which one you had contact you next on the IM...
I saved everything he, and several of the others sent, along with the FAKE pictures, profiles, info, etc....
What they do is gather "your" information to use on another site, but most of the ones they steal come from Facebook, Twitter, Zoosk, and several other sites.
Well they guy messed up by using the wrong persons stollen info, as I tracted the "real" person down, who just happens to work as a Cop in my own state!!!
If you look under thier full name on any of these sites such as FB, Twitter, etc, you will see hundreds of no picture profiles, under that name. The guy told me they do this so if one gets reported and taken down, they can add another withen a minute, complete with sved pictures and demographics, etc...
So just be carefull who you talk to.. Give them no information or pictures, As most have broken English, and most all write with small letters, and no puncuation marks.
And let's not forgetting they usualy ask for a plain ticket, as they are comming home on leave...... lol..... | |
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| fake Soldiers
Posted: 7/31/2012 4:33:28 PM | | The Navy SEALs have their own website to out fake soldiers...seems every guy is now a highly decorated SEAL.....and yes you can buy complete uniforms with medals on Ebay.....although it is now againts the law to sell or posess certain medals if you have no validation for having them...their are always fake ones....many units have their own Facebook accounts so its to easy to ask what unit he is serving with and pay Facebook a visit.... | |
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| fake Soldiers
Posted: 7/31/2012 5:36:09 PM | Ummmmm, this has been going on for a long long time. BEFORE POF or any other dating site. But,like all the other scams, it's an easy venue to use. And,like all scams, they aim for your heart, and tug on it. It ain't rocket science,but obviously a lot here should be warned,forewarned or whatever.
Always amazes me that some are amazed at what others will do for personal gain. Really, it does. As in, some have never left their front door and walk around in the real world. "Players" take on all forms and shapes. But, do know, they always aim for heart and that silly belief that all people are good people until they show ya different. Silly,silly,silly. | |
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| fake Soldiers
Posted: 7/31/2012 8:22:43 PM | This is a very old situation. It pops up when people show support for the troops and dies out when the troops are tagged as being the bad guys in an unpopular war. Great examples would be the fakers who told everyone they were Green Berets early in VietNam, when the song "Ballad of the Green Berets" was a popular song, they were a sniper when sniping was at last coming becoming a big thing in the military, and a SEAL now that some of their exploits have come to light. Unfortunately, it will always be so. It's just another avenue for those with an agenda, be it criminal or just seeking attention, to try to use to get what they desire.
The Pentagon is working on trying to get an accurate database up and running for those who have been awarded high level awards ( i.e. Silver Star and above) but the cost is prohibitive to do so for all classes of awards. They're doing so because our U.S. Supreme Court recently gutted the Stolen Valor Act, saying this is just another form of free speech.
I don't know what others think about the issue, except for myself, family and friends. Since I have had a number of friends and family who have been maimed and killed wearing the uniform, this is a very sore point for me. However, I think the best that can be done at this point is just to out them at every opportunity and shun them forever more. | |
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| fake Soldiers
Posted: 7/31/2012 8:50:59 PM | | As someone who has a daughter who is serving in Afghanistan, this makes my blood boil. Sickening and cowardly. | |
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| fake Soldiers
Posted: 7/31/2012 9:16:49 PM | ..someXs they copy legitimate profiles for money scams, identity theft, just to b sure ~ you can dig up information on romance scammers to b aware..
IF THEY CLAIM TO LIVE FAR AWAY, OR WANT YOU OFF THE SITE RIGHT AWAY..~could b a red flag!
So, in era of identity theft..and just to b safe..personal information..is off limits to some degree..
I like to go with the knowledge that over a dozen ppl, that I know, personally, found the love of their life's, right here on POF! (married)
So it does happen..
to me this out ways the risks
big time
..and yes, b proud of your daughter, there are real soldiers..serving during many risks. .to those we salute..they are the ones..that win hearts for keeps. | |
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| fake Soldiers
Posted: 8/1/2012 9:15:27 PM | OP: Per the picture of you with the machine gun, I spent a fair amount of time with a 240 in a coax role (I was a tanker). Sweet piece of hardware. "Happiness is a belt-fed weapon."
I'm glad you posted this, ma'am. No one hates fake military folks more than real military folks. | |
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| fake Soldiers
Posted: 8/2/2012 2:26:31 AM | | I served myself, and spend a good deal of time at the rifle range tuning competition rifles. The place is just loaded with phonies and wannabes wearing their military surplus fatigues, and spraying the berm down with their AR 15 tactical toys. Everybodies a Rambo these days, but most of these dumbazzes never spent a day in the boy scouts. | |
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| fake Soldiers
Posted: 8/2/2012 5:01:41 AM | holycowcow wrote:
That is amoung the lowest of the low... but army mom
you are a long time online dater. Does this surprise you?
No where else is there such fraud on so many levels.
Scams on dating site don't surprise me. Being a fake soldier could have some major federal consequences. I hope they lock them up!. | |
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| fake Soldiers
Posted: 8/2/2012 8:24:55 PM | no Holycow, I'm not experienced at this online thing. But I do follow Stolen Valor and This ain't Hell - so I recognized a lie pretty quick.
There's a lot of fake vets floating around too.
The guys that see real action don't talk about it much. And anyone who really did secret missions isn't going to be telling someone online about it. | |
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| fake Soldiers
Posted: 8/3/2012 12:17:28 AM | | I read a judges decision that a man could continue to state of his resume he was retired service. It is not against the law to lie on ur resume & its up to company to check. But its not against the law to lie about yourself. | |
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