• Us Army Scammers Photos
• Can Military Use Dating Sites
• Military Dating Scam Updated Photos
• Dating Site Scams To Be Aware Of

There are some clues to help you determine if the person you are corresponding with is actually a member of the U.S. Military or government. Please be aware that there are numerous scams involving. You might be looking for true love, but chances are good that you are the victim of one of thousands of military scams conducted every day. Military officials have warned those involved in.

Jul 28, 2019 5 Things to Know About Military Romance Scams on Facebook. Here’s how victims are hooked, and what Facebook and the United States military say they can (and cannot) do about it. In fact, many military romance scams originate on social media rather than through online dating sites, though both platforms have their fair share of issues. The problem of military romance scams is a big one. A investigation by the New York Times revealed that there are countless scams on Facebook despite efforts to verify every new account. There are teams of people in foreign countries working these scams, with Nigeria being the most prolific, and they have several scams running at any.

The U.S. has the most robust and powerful military in the world, and though its fighting men and women can win wars, they often appear defenseless against popular online scams.

“[In] the military you have a young population on the web. They get caught up on these Internet scams, specifically targeted to them,” said Holly Petraeus, director of the Better Business Bureau’s military line and the wife of Gen. David Petraeus, commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan.

Service members are targeted by websites that claim to offer special military discounts on everything from cars to apartments for rent. But the low-priced car never arrives and the easy-to-find apartment they've rented is already occupied.

Similarly, scammers are profiting off of U.S. civilians under the same guise of patriotism, Christopher Grey, spokesman for the U.S. Army criminal investigators, said. In the past year there has been a surge of criminals posing as military members on online dating sites, forming relationships with women and ultimately asking for money.

Scammers prey on the victims’ “kindness, patriotism and (sometimes) romance,” which compromises the good name of the military, Grey explained.

“It’s especially despicable it’s directed at our service members at a time they’ve been risking their lives for us overseas for several years,” Petraeus said. “To have somebody pick their pocket here at home is completely unacceptable.”

Unacceptable ... but often un-prosecutable.

“The majority of these scam artists come from African countries ... from Ghana, Nigeria,” Grey explained. They set up a scam, work in a cyber café, and then move.”

“They can take their website down and open up another one the next day.” Petraeus said.

When the U.S Army Criminal Investigators Office becomes aware of an online military scam, they have to hand the case over to the country where the crime is committed, Grey said.

“It’s very difficult to track these people down so we feel prevention is the cure.”

Following are some of the most common military Internet scams, according to Grey and Petraeus:

Online Dating Scams: These are the latest and most popular to hit the web. Scammers, usually out of Ghana or Nigeria steal identities of real soldiers on social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace and pose as military members. Others create identities off of British military members. After posting pictures and stories to popular dating sites, the scammers contact women. “They [build] up a huge story about who they are, they are heroes and serving the country,” Grey said. “People fall for the ploy, and some people are sending them money.” Scammers ask for everything from laptop computers to money for airfare so they can fly back to the U.S. and visit the victims, most of whom are women. “They are very poetic, they are very savvy,” Grey said. “Luring these women in and they take them for their money.” Victims have been cheated out of up to $23,000. Grey cited one case where a woman took out a second mortgage on her home to finance her romantic interest overseas.

Protest Scams: Not every online military scam is created for financial gain. Some scammers are contacting the families of military members by phone or email and making false claims that their son or daughter is injured or wounded overseas. Grey says they sometimes ask for money for medical bills, but usually they are only contacting the family to scare them as an anti-war protest.

Craigslist Car Scam: Scammers are taking to Craigslist, offering too-good-to-be-true discounts on cars for military personnel. In some cases, the scammers claim they are military members about to be deployed and need to sell a vehicle fast. Similarly, others offer military members a special discount for serving their country. More disturbingly, the scammers are offering low-priced vehicles because a U.S. military member who died in combat owned the vehicle and the family wants to get rid of it fast. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) says scams like these usually require a wire transfer and promise free shipping. The description of the cars is lifted from auto sites, and typically you can Google the vehicle ID number, to determine whether it’s a real deal or a hoax.

Military Loan Scams: Military members who have less than perfect credit are becoming victims of flashy offers that typically promise 'up to 40% of your monthly take home pay,' 'same day cash,' 'no credit check,' 'all ranks approved.' But these offers often up with sky-high interest rates that do more harm than good for military members. The BBB says that this scam involves the entire family of military members, so it can do years of damage to their financial security.

Terrorist Capture Scam: Some scammers claim to be military members fighting in Iraq or Afghanistan and who are faced with a tough decision -- they have either gained access to Saddam Hussein’s secret fortune or have captured Usama bin Laden, and need your help. This scam preys on U.S. civilians who are looking to fight justice and maybe earn a little money in the process. Scammers say they have come across millions of dollars of Hussein’s secret fortune but need a monetary advance in order to gain access to the money, and will give you a dividend when the cash is obtained. The BBB says that even though Saddam is dead, people are apt to believe that his wealth is still circulating somewhere out there. Other scammers claim they have captured bid Laden but need money to transport him, so that they can turn him over to authorities.

Housing Scams: Due to the nature of military service, those who serve and their families are forced to move from base to base around the country. Though the military often provides housing, some members are responsible for finding their own living arrangements, which scammers are fully aware of. Scammers go to Craigslist to target areas where they know military members will need housing. They lift the descriptions of legitimate rental properties and rewrite the post so it offers a special discount for military members. Depicting a too-good-to-be-true offer, they ask for a security deposit to be wired in advance to ensure their occupancy. But often, the individual or family arrives at the rental property only to find it already occupied.

Us Army Scammers Photos

The BBB outlines several tips to protect yourself from becoming a victim of military scams:

-- Always research a company with the BBB before you hand over any money or personal information.

-- Be sure keep your computer protected by installing updated anti-virus software.

-- Observe the golden rule of avoiding scams: if a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

If you have found yourself a victim of a scam, you can file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, the Federal Trade Commission or the FBI at www.ic3.gov.

Scams have been around a long time, that’s nothing new. One of the most disturbing and heartbreaking scams, however, is the romance scam. With dating websites, social media, email, and mobile devices, it’s easier than ever to wage an online dating scam to defraud someone, steal their identity, or their money.

The FTC reports that $143 million is lost each year in dating scams. That is more than any other type of scam committee in the U.S. The average amount per victim is around $2,600, but for older adults over the age of 70, it is $10,000. Here are some of the most common romance and dating scams to be aware of and avoid.

What is Online Dating Scams

Scammers set up fake profiles either on dating sites, Facebook, or other social media websites. They sometimes use real photos and information from a legitimate person they are copying. This technique is also called “catfishing.” Once they connect with you, they will quickly move the relationship forward by professing to have strong feelings for you. They may string you along for weeks or even months, showering you with loving words, sentiments and talk of a future together. Their goal is to get you to develop feelings for them and trust them, so when they ask you for money, you won’t even hesitate to comply.

Once they have you hooked, they will make up some reason for needing quick cash. Some of the most popular excuses are a plane ticket for travel, medical expenses, a visa, or customs fees. They will ask you to pay by wire transfer, gift cards, or money order. They may ask subtly or overtly. They may simply ply you with loving-kindness, so you’ll give up pictures of yourself or other personal information they can use to steal your identity or blackmail you.

Information below represents romance scammer stories and how to avoid internet dating scams.

Military Romance Scams

Many of the romance scammer stories involve the military. Frequently, to help explain their absence and any odd behavior, scammers will claim to be in the military working overseas. The military romance scam masks the perpetrator behind an icon of respect and upstanding (most people respect military men and women) so you won’t question their validity. They use false information and then request help paying for tuition, communication fees, marriage licenses, and medical costs. Many of the military romance scams originate in African countries and are difficult to trace.

Ghana Romance Scams

As discussed earlier, it is very common for romance scammer stories to involve the military. Another military-related scam are romance scams from Ghana, criminals who claim to be U.S. military personnel stationed in Ghana. The U.S. Embassy in Ghana warns to look for these indications that you are being scammed:

Can Military Use Dating Sites

• You met a friend/fiancé online.

• You’ve never met face to face.

• Your correspondent professed love at warp speed.

• Your friend/fiancé is plagued with medical or other life problems requiring loans from you.

• You are promised repayment upon the inheritance of alluvial gold or gems.

• You’ve sent large sums of money for visas or plane tickets, but the person cannot seem to make it out of Ghana.

• When your friend does try to leave the country, he/she gets into a car accident or is detained by immigration officials demanding payment, bribes, or proof of a certain amount of cash on hand for travel.

• Your correspondent consistently uses lower case “i’s” and/or grammar not in keeping with their supposed life station or education level.

Nigerian Scams on Dating Sites

One of the romance scammer stories happened In August of 2019, the FBI arrested 80 Nigerian nationals who comprised a ring of romance scammers who not only targeted lonely individuals but also contacted business professionals as well. These organized Nigerian love scammers set their sights on $40 million but were caught before they could reach their goal. They bilked U.S. citizens out of $6 million before they were nabbed.

At least two women reported engaging in Nigerian romance scams on Facebook. The victims thought the men were U.S. Army. In both cases, the men claimed to have found diamonds and needed money to help smuggle them out of the country. One woman sent her alleged lover more than $200,000 before she found out it was a scam perpetrated by two Nigerians living in Los Angeles with the help of associates in Nigeria. Much of the money she had borrowed from family and friends.

Romance Scams on Facebook

Romance scammer stories also involve social media. No place online is safe, and that includes Facebook. Reports of rampant online dating scams littering the social media giant have been surfacing lately. It works by the scammers contacting single women through a friend invite or Facebook Messenger to connect. They quickly push to move the virtual relationship to text, WhatsApp, or email in case their Facebook accounts get deleted. Some of these cyber criminals pretend to be in the military. They profess to love you and develop strong feelings quickly, trying to get victims to trust them. Inevitably the conversation turns to a request for money. The FBI claims that many of these scams are being perpetrated by organized Nigerian gangs who run professional money-laundering operations. Once they hook in a victim, they extort funds or send goods to the women, asking them to send them along to another recipient (which then makes them an accessory).

Facebook has assured members that it is on the lookout for these fake profiles and deletes imposter accounts quickly. Facebook uses an algorithm looking for scam-related activities and just last year found 500,000 accounts linked to romance scams.

Dating Scams on WhatsApp

The reason scammers often push their love interest to quickly move the relationship out of the dating site or social media platform is that they know the authorities are cracking down, and their accounts may soon be closed. They have resorted to using free, unrestricted texting applications like WhatsApp to communicate back and forth with their victims. Because these mediums are assumed private, they often get women to send risky photos or videos which they can then use to blackmail them.

How To Avoid Online Dating Scams

Love and romance are hard enough without being worried that your partner is not who they say they are and a scammer just waiting to separate you from your life savings. The points below will give you a clearer understand of how to tackle this problem and how to avoid online dating scams:

Military Dating Scam Updated Photos

• Your love interest avoids sending pictures, talking on the phone, or meeting up in real life.

• They ask you a lot of personal questions early on in the relationship.

• They develop strong feelings quickly and profess to love you and talk about a future together.

• They rapidly suggest that you move your online relationship to texting or another app.

• The person you are falling for is in another country and cannot ever seem to leave or visit.

• If their profile looks too good to be true, it is probably faked.

• Soon after they feel like they have your love and trust, they will suffer a major tragedy and need your help/money/etc.

• If they ask you to send them money through a wire transfer, bitcoin, or gift cards, it is absolutely a scam.

• If things just feel “off” about the whole romance, pay attention to your gut.

How To Spot and Outsmart a Romance Scammer

Online dating can be wonderful, but also scary. It’s one thing to have your heart broken but another to lose everything because you trusted a stranger who stole all your money and was never the person you thought they were. read the points below to learn how to outsmart a romance scammer:

• Request to talk on the phone, and if they refuse, it’s probably a scam.

• Watch out for poor grammar that does not match up with their profile.

• Perform a reverse image search on Google with their profile photo.

• Use a background check service to verify all their profile information and see if it matches up with what they say and what you know.

• Never, ever send money to someone you don’t know, no matter what story they tell you or how strongly you feel about them.

• Do not share your personal details, banking information, or private pictures until you meet in person and get to know your partner.

• If you do make a date to meet, let friends and family know exactly where you will be, and always meet in a public place.

• If you are asked to accept goods or money and send them to someone else, do not do it! You could be liable for federal charges.

• If you did share any credit card or banking details, cancel the cards and call your bank immediately to secure your accounts.

Dating Site Scams To Be Aware Of

How To Report Online Dating Scams

If you are the victim of an online dating scam, despite the embarrassment and shame, you may feel, report it. Alert the website or online social media platform and the FBI. Keep a copy of all correspondence and details so they will have something to go on when investigating.

It’s easy to lose your heart to someone who pretends to care, but it’s much worse to find out later you were scammed. No one wants to be alone and using a dating website is not a bad thing; just use common sense, and if someone or something sounds too good to be true, it probably is, so walk away and stay safe.