What is the most difficult thing to lose, but the most difficult to get back? Trust. Trust is an important component of dating. This is especially true when it involves dating someone in the military online. How can you avoid falling for a scammer in the military dating industry?
How to Avoid a Military Dating Scam
I wrote earlier this year about another dangerous dating scam, catfishing. In their approach, military dating scams look very similar to catfishing and other dating scams. They have many effective mechanisms that other scams don’t have.
They also use the fact that most civilians don’t know military protocol to their advantage. They also allow the scammer to make use of the fact that most military personnel are deployed, and therefore unable to meet in person. They also profit from the gratitude their mark may feel for their service. Unsuspecting civilians may not be aware of the many things they can ask for.
According to the U.S Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID), it receives hundreds a month of complaints from victims of military romance scams. The FBI also estimates that Americans lost nearly $1 billion to romance scams between 2021 and 2021.
The United States has many task force organizations that deal with this problem, but there is very little chance of recovering your money. These scammers are mostly from Africa and use techniques that make it difficult to trace. They use untraceable email addresses, route their accounts through multiple locations, and use pay per hour internet cyber cafes.
The CID issued this warning: “Army CID warns anyone involved in online dating to exercise caution when corresponding to persons claiming to represent the U.S. Soldiers currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, Syria, or anywhere else.
What to look for in a Military Dating Scam
While avoidance is always the best policy, sometimes life happens. It’s important to be aware of the signs that can be used to identify a scammer in the military romance industry. Military.com provides a list of warning signs.
They claim they are on a peacekeeping mission.
According to the CID, there are also red flags:
If they ask you to pay money for transport costs, communication fees, or medical fees via Western Union, be suspicious. You should also verify what they tell you with someone you know such as a former service member or current/former military personnel. Many deployed servicemen and women have an APO/FPO address. They appreciate receiving letters and will often send money to Africa.
Answers to Common Military Dating Scam Question
As I mentioned, the military dating scam uses civilians who don’t know military protocol. This includes requests that sound legitimate and official-looking documents designed to mislead unsuspecting people. Knowledge is power. If you know what to look out for, you can stop it from happening.
You can check this list of fake documents that the CID provides if you receive an official-looking document. You can check any official-looking document you receive against this list of fake documents provided by the CID. This covers medical expenses at all healthcare facilities around the world. They don’t need your assistance to get large sums of money out of the country.
What to do if you are a victim of a military dating scam
Do not be a victim of dating scams like this. These scams work because they work, and the people who perpetrate them are very skilled at what they do. This is not your fault, it is the fault unscrupulous criminals.
As I said, it is unlikely that you will get your money back. You can report it to authorities and help them in their investigations. This could help to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.
The Internet Crime Complaint Center is the best place to start. (FBI-NW3C Partnership).
You can also report identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission. This will assist law enforcement in their investigations of this nature. You can report it online, or by calling 1-877-ID–THEFT (1-877-438–4338). You can also send it by mail to Identity Theft Clearinghouse Federal Trade Commission Washington, DC 20580.
You can also report the fraud to Federal Trade Commission on Nigerian Scams by emailing [email protected]. Or you can report it to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission via email at [email protected].
It’s hard enough to be in a relationship without worrying about being scammed of your hard-earned cash. Be vigilant and don’t share financial or personal information with anyone you don’t know. No matter how convincing they may sound.
Take care and keep your date safe.
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The post An Officer and a Liar? Personal Defense World’s first article, Signs of a Military Dating Scam, was published on January 2, 2009.
