Denver, CO – August 18th, 2010 – Scammers pretending to be members of the military are wooing women on internet dating and social networking sites…but they aren’t looking for love – they are looking for money.
According to the U.S. Army Criminal Investigative Command, these scammers are using real military photos to create fake profiles and they have received hundreds of complaints in the last year about the scam. Some scammers have even used photos of military members that have passed away.
The Command reports that con artists build relationships with women and then start asking for money for things like internet use, phones, leave papers, money to enable them to come visit the victim, etc. Once the woman sends the money, they never hear from the man again.
“To systemize a scam based on someone’s pure emotion and admiration for our troops is extremely appalling,” said Dale Mingilton, President and CEO of the BBB Serving Denver/Boulder. “While the environment of online dating has become very popular, it has simultaneously become much too trusting.”
Many of these emails have been traced back to foreign cyber-cafes in Africa but the individuals operating these scams are difficult, if not, impossible to track down.
At least one local dating service has seen this scam on their radar so be careful when on such a Web site and never, ever send money to someone you’ve never met.
If you feel you may have been a victim of such a scam, report it to the Internet Crime Complaint Center: ic3.gov / 800-251-3221 and the Federal Trade Commission: ftc.gov / 1-877-438-4338.
# # # #
About the BBB
The BBB is an unbiased nonprofit organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. Businesses that earn BBB Accreditation contractually agree and adhere to the organization’s high standards of ethical business behavior. The BBB provides objective advice, free BBB Reliability ReportsTM on businesses and BBB Wise Giving ReportsTM on charities, and educational information on topics affecting marketplace trust. To further promote trust, your BBB also offers dispute resolution services for consumers and businesses. The first BBB was founded in 1912. Today, 125 BBBs serve communities across the U.S. and Canada. Please visit www.denver.bbb.org for more information.
