Military Scammers Use Tried-And-True Methods

No matter their exact scheme, many scammers impersonate military service members to create plausible deniability for themselves. Over the past few years, new technologies like deepfakes, A.I., and voice cloning have made it possible for online scammers to convincingly impersonate a real person or invent a totally fake identity for themselves. Many consumers know not to trust someone who refuses to meet you in real life – but there are real circumstances, such as military service, that really do make it impossible to meet. Consumers in these circumstances must be extra careful to protect themselves.

If a military service member meets someone on a dating website or app who is not local, they may be unable to meet up in real life right away or limited in how often they can call. By pretending to be a military service member, a scammer gains a consumer’s trust with a built-in excuse for why they are unable to get together in person. This explanation can be very convincing because it is very plausible for a real service member to face these circumstances. A military impersonator might even provide fraudulent paperwork (such as an ID) to gain more trust.

Scammers both directly and indirectly harm our service members. It is important that all consumers know the warning signs and understand what a military imposter scammer could say, and why a real service member would not say the same:

· “I can’t access my bank account right now, but I need money.”

· “I want to meet you in person, but there’s a fee to request time off.”

· “Traveling back to the U.S. is expensive. Can you help me buy a plane ticket?”

· “Can you hold onto a package if I ship it to you? All I need is your address.”

· “I owe money to my commanding officer. Can you help me?”

· “If I pay a fee, I can retire early to be with you. If you help me, we can be together.”

· “I’m on extended deployment, so I can’t come home or call you.”

These are all ways a scammer could acquire your money or private information. Know that real service members will not ask a civilian to sign military paperwork, and there are no fees for a service member to take time off or retire. No commanding officer will contact you to demand money or gift cards. Real soldiers’ deployments may last one to two years, but a scammer will try to keep their scheme going as long as possible. Never send money to someone you have not met and cannot verify with certainty is a real, trustworthy person.

Whether scammers are impersonating a service member, or targeting service members and their families, DATCP is committed to protecting all civilian and military consumers. Increased education and awareness of these issues can help protect the reputation of the U.S. Armed Forces and prevent both service members and the general public from falling victim to these scams.