How to Report Military Scammers: A Guide for Victims and Witnesses

 

Outwit the Military Scammers: A Guide for Victims and Witnesses

Are you tired of being preyed upon by military scammers?

Do you feel helpless and alone in your struggle against these deceitful individuals?

Would you like to reclaim your power and protect yourself from further harm?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then this guide is for you.

Here, you’ll discover how to identify military scammers, protect yourself from their schemes, and report their activities to the authorities.

So, what exactly is a military scam?

Military scammers are individuals who pose as military personnel to trick unsuspecting victims into handing over money or personal information.

They often use social media platforms, dating websites, and email to establish relationships with their targets.

But how can you spot a military scammer?

Military scammers are fraudsters who pretend to be members of the military or veterans and try to trick people into sending them money, personal information, or gifts.

Military scammers may target people who support the troops, such as military spouses, family members, friends, or online daters.

They may also target service members themselves, especially those who are deployed or transitioning out of the military.

If you have been a victim of a military scammer, or you suspect that someone you know is a military scammer, you should report them as soon as possible.

Reporting military scammers can help protect yourself and others from further harm, and also help law enforcement agencies track down and stop these criminals.

What are Military Scams?

Military scams are a type of online fraud that involves impersonating members of the military or veterans and exploiting the trust and sympathy of their targets.

Military scammers may use various tactics and platforms to contact and deceive their victims, such as social media, dating sites, email, phone, or text messages.

Some of the common types of military scams are:

Romance scams: Military scammers create fake profiles on dating sites or social media and pretend to be interested in a romantic relationship with their targets.

They may use stolen photos and personal information of real service members or veterans to make their profiles look authentic.

Also they claim to be deployed overseas, in a war zone, or on a secret mission, and ask for money, gift cards, or other favors to help them with their supposed emergencies, such as medical bills, travel expenses, or legal fees.

They may also promise to visit or marry their targets once their mission is over, but never follow through.

Benefits scams: Military scammers claim to be veterans or service members who are entitled to certain benefits or compensation from the government, such as pensions, disability payments, or grants.

They may ask their targets to pay a fee, provide personal information, or fill out a form to help them access or process their benefits.

They may also offer to share their benefits with their targets in exchange for money or other favors..

These are some of the common types of military scams, but they are not exhaustive.

Military scammers may also use other schemes and stories to lure and defraud their targets, such as lottery scams, inheritance scams, or investment scams.

Military scammers may also work in groups or networks, and use multiple identities and accounts to communicate with their targets.

How to Recognize and Avoid Military Scams?

They contact you out of the blue and express strong feelings or interest in you, even though you have never met them in person or have only known them for a short time.

They claim to be in the military or a veteran, but they do not have a military email address, phone number, or ID card, or they refuse to provide them to you.

Also they use poor grammar, spelling, or punctuation, or make mistakes or inconsistencies about their rank, unit, location, or mission.

They ask you for money, personal information, or gifts, and give you various reasons or excuses, such as emergencies, hardships, or obligations.

They may also ask you to send money or goods to a third party, such as a friend, relative, or agent, or to use a specific method, such as wire transfer, prepaid card, or cryptocurrency, that is hard to trace or recover.

If you encounter or suspect a military scammer, you should:

• Stop all communication with them and block their contact details.
• Do not send them any money, personal information, or gifts, and do not accept any from them.
• Do some research and verify their identity and claims, such as by doing a reverse image search, checking their social media profiles, or contacting the military unit or organization they claim to be affiliated with.
• Report them to the appropriate authorities, as explained in the next section.

How to Report Military Scammers?

There are different ways to report military scammers, depending on the type and location of the scam.

Here are some of the resources you can use to report military scammers:

The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C) that receives and investigates online complaints of various types of crimes, including military scams.

You can file a complaint with the IC3 online at [their website].

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is the nation’s consumer protection agency that collects complaints from military personnel and their families and shares them with civil, criminal, and military law enforcement.

You can file a complaint with the FTC online at [FTC.gov/complaint].

The Department of Defense (DoD) Hotline is a confidential means to report fraud, waste, abuse, and other violations of law within the DoD.

You can file a complaint with the DoD Hotline online at [their website], or by phone at 1-800-424-9098.

These are some of the ways to report military scammers, but they are not exhaustive.

You may also contact your local law enforcement agency, your bank or credit card company, or the social media platform or dating site where you encountered the scammer.

The more information you provide, the better chance you have of recovering your losses and preventing others from falling victim to the same scammer.

Remember, you are not alone, and there are people and organizations that can help you.