I just came across a post on “A Soldier’s Perspective” discussing a rather disgusting and disturbing trend that has guys posing as soldiers on Internet dating sites. Here’s the quote from CJ’s:
The latest trend involves trolling internet dating sites and convincing women that they are honorable Soldiers who have fallen in love and would do anything to communicate with the object of their affection. But, because they are deployed to Afghanistan or Iraq, they need you to sign up for an expensive telecommunications service like “Military TELEX” in order to make that happen. They profess unending love as their motivator and, unfortunately, many women have fallen for it.
The BIG red flag here is that the guy is asking for money. NEVER fall for that con.
If you come across anyone on a dating site who is asking you for money, regardless of the reason; block them immediately from further contact and then report them to the internet dating service.
You can also check out who is really behind their email address…
AND / or their telephone number…
To read specific details about about one incident, read CJ’s post “The New Military Dating Scam”.
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Hi!
I’ve been talking to someone who claims to be in Iraq as a Sargeant. I have found his conversation very juvenile is email jet_white@hotmail.fr claims to be Robert White. Cries that he’s poor (cry me a river) he has not asked me for money yet. Sends me these emails about Love and Trust what dribble coming from suppose to be a 50 year old. I do have pics two of them if interested let me know. I caught him lying a couple of times which brought be to google the email and came about this site. He’s on lavalife under ED343 in dating now.
I am certainly going to block him. Glad I found this site.
Was contacted by a soldier who said his name is Walter Bruston on Facebook and asked me to be friends on Jan.1st, 2011. After checking his profile on Facebook I thought he would be okay and accepted being friends. I asked him to tell me about himself. I was told he was stationed in Afghanistan at the moment, was divorced 8 years after finding out his wife was cheating. Said he was from Moody Alabama. Had been in the service for 15 years. He said he was going to have to resign soon and wanted to find someone to love. He said he had a mission he had signed up for which would take him to Nigeria but would be resigning when the mission was done. On Feb 1st he announced he was sent to Nigeria. I have received hundreds of emails from him on Yahoo since Jan.1st and he claims to be extremely in love with me and wants to retire and come here to the states and marry me. He asked for $3000 and said it was for a plane ticket and to process his leave. Said he could finish his retirement after he was here. He said he was unable to get any of his money from the bank in the states until after he was officially retired. He did give me the name of a bank that is in Moody as I did ask why could he not get his own funds to do this. He sent a copy of a phony plane ticket and a form i was to sign that would make me beneficiary to all his benefits, both forms were phony. It looked like he was just trying to get a copy of my signature since he already had my name, age, address, and phone number, which by the way, he said he was not allowed to make any phone calls from there. I told him the Army said the forms were phony and all he said was “dear this is what i was given”. Then he claimed all the paperwork did not go through his Commanding Officer and he could not come. Now he claims his retirement is being processed but he has to give them $6000 and only has two weeks to give them the money or his chances of retiring will not happen and he will have to remain in the Army and fulfill his 20 yrs.He is begging me to send this money saying he cannot stand the thought of not being here with me and how much he loves me and I have to do this for our love. I have three pictures of a man in an Army uniform that I fell deeply in love with. I have told this scammer that I know he is a scum sucking lowlife worm and will never forgive him for letting me fall in love with someone and making me think this man was coming to make a wonderful life with me. I told him that he had robbed me of this man. He still insists he’s the real person, in these pictures, and confesses to love me beyond anything imaginable. He has torn my heart out. I am posting this so that hopefully no one else gets hurt by this scammer. I wish i knew who the soldier really was, even if it was just so he knew he was being used. I saw somewhere someone posted scammer, do not trust, don’t send money and another post said scammer, tried to get their paypal info just recently like 4-2-11 and 4-12-11. It was connected to the same email address. He used walter_bruston@rocketmail.com. He always starts his email with Hello Love, are you there, i have missed you a lot. I swear this will be the name of my book. God help us lonely ladies just wanting real love.
If anyone gets a message from a Bob or Robert Jenkins from the US military stationed in Quate or Afghanistan, or ANY where STAY AWAY! My mother is currently being scammed into thinking he is real. He has yet to visit and has shown her the same pictures I have found all over the internet under different names and emails. Someone is using the guys picture and asking for money to come to canada. Do not give him anything he is a fake!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am also a victim of scam. I am still regaining my strength after being scammed of US$4,500.00 I met a guy having this email address: stnaldson@yahoo.com through http://www.christian-filipina.com. He is pretending as military officer, a divorcee with one daughter. Here was his communication when he scammed me:
My beloved,How are you there, I have been thinking of you restlessly I believe with God everything is possible if you have same faith with me. It is my inner most heart desire to do our marriage ceremony in your country be rest assured that I will make it up to you. I plead you don;t give up hope on me, please be strong for me God is at work for he knows all our problems.
I hope that I may be able to cope up with the bad experience that I had.
I have a good news from Mr.Wayne Haley , he really have been God sent on this matter.
the situation is giving a different shape now. on behalf of my consulate the immigration have extended my staying permit till 12 days.
Honey to be frank with you traveling back to USA is too risky for me because the UNO security men have collected my personal data and my national ID card number , if I travel without a better understanding conclusion with them , it will assume I have run away and they will black list my name and forward to CIA yard for my arrest.
I really want to solve this problem here in Malaysia and continue on my plans to meet you in Philippines for our wedding. I have requested Mr Haley to me as much as he can at his heighest level. This evening he have succided to renegotiate with the UNO on the condition of payment and he will stand as my grantor.
Upon request of Mr Haley to stand as my grantor the UNO have come at a conclusion that we should pay 50% up front which is $7,500 USD whereas I will pay the balance once i have my consignment released to me.
Mr Haley is ready to assist me with $2,500 USD, i will still need the sum of $5,000.00 USD to complete the 50% up front payment.
Please Honey try your level best to assist me finalized this problem once and for all I know you have already tried so much for me i do appreciate your caring love. Our daughter is in good hands now because her fiance, the father is taken charge of then and told me on phone not to worried my wife.
Please call Mr Haley in the morning and appreciate him for his understanding.
I love you with all my heart.
Then after he scammed me, he wrote me again saying:
My beloved,Good evening,How are you now ? hope everything is fine ? my regards to mum as well.
I am very grateful and so much appreciate your help and assitance towards on my problem with the Malaysian customs authority here at malaysia.I am writing this message just to clarify you more on what i told you over the phone regarding the present status of my consignment box.
Its quite unfortunate that the customs authority gone too far by involving United Nation Organization security bodies into this matter. Despite the money we have paid them , through the customs confirmed the received payment as Non Inspection Fees (NIF) coverage for not opening the box and for my released.
I was able to come out from the custom’s lock up at the air port through the influence aid of my consulate (American Embassy) in Kuala Lumpur, and the Immigration gave me a permit to stay for 72 hours (3 days).
The United Nation Anti Terrorist Campaign force have intercept the consignment box from the custom authority, I believed the tip off was prior to the little argument i had with the chief controller of the custom when i was angry because of the ill treatment i received from them.
Anyway the consignment is presently at the custody of the united nation , and they have requested me to come over in there office for proper questioning and for me to declare the exact content figure of my consignment value.
My consulate have advice me to avoid going there because of what happend at the airport to wave off more interrogations from The United Nation Anti Terrorist Campaign force.
My consulate advice that i should invite my fiance to come over in Malaysia and claim the consignment on my behalf since i have a limited time to stay, and
Furthermore, consulate have appointed one his staff by name Mr. Wayne Haley to represent me at the UNO office by tomorrow to en quire what is need to resolve the matter and hand over my consignment to me or to my fiance.
Please honey establish immediate communication with Mr.Wayne Haley from American Consulate.
i have explained everything about you to him . His contact is as below
Mr.Wayne Haley
Direct phone ; +60176679448
E-mail ; wayne.haley35@yahoo.com
Try and call him tomorrow morning.
I love you so much.
What made me trust with this guy is that he used a Filipina to persuade me over the phone that what he is saying was true. After a month with the incident, the Filipina whom he used to persuade me looked for me and met me to ask apology. With what she did, she won the trust of the scammer to let her go home to our country. According to her, those who scammed me and other nationalities are group of Nigerian students studying in Malaysia, with the aid of Malaysians in renting an apartment to do the scam. The Nigerians have plenty of passports using different names. Those who are claiming money at the Western Union or collectors are Malaysians whom they are paying to do the job.The western union also percentage in every money that they collected. They are using magic jack to call their victims to demand money and they also hijacked pictures of americans, british, and other nationalities. She told me also that they have fake websites of hospitals posting job placement to demand money to nurse or medical applicants. In her story, she was also a victim of on line dating for having Nigerian fiance who made her to aid in scamming different nationalities. If she refused, she will make her as prostitute. Until such time that she was totally released from the hands of her Nigerian fiance.
ok my scammer using the profile pic of garyaritchson@yahoo.com and now maybe using matthewsteohengore@yahoo.com. this matt supposley is gary friend!
gary is now wanting laptop sent to lincoln nebraska to a woman name kathy mcgahy something like that? i told him i need a address. besize just this kathy who ever lincoln nebraska with zip code only.i told him i wasnt sending unless he had an adress or po box. if i were to send who knows where it may end up in licoln. can anyone fiqure that out?? he told me she can give it to him there? another red flag. if she can give it to him there why cant i send it to him, instead of a strange woman i not know of?? he told me she was another military agent, i would like to know who in the hell really getting monies sent to the different agents in different states?? i am puzzled on this one
I met someone who introduced themselves through a dating site, also, lost wife in car accident and mother from cancer and has 4 year old daughter being looked after by guardian in Kenya. He says he is Sgt David Adams based in Afghanistan. We have been emailing for a while and then he requested I send $1000 to him for a special phone, so he could hear my voice and talk to me. Of course I said ‘no’ and since then started surfing the web to find out more about military scams. Hence now being on this site and reading about all the
scams that are about. I find it sad that there are genuine soldiers out there who are looking for someone special and these guys are upsetting the equation. Another surprise for me was when I went on to Military.com dating and saw a marine ‘GSStevens’ on there looking for someone to love and he has used my exact words I used to describe myself on the dating site. Has anyone had any contact from either GS Stevens or Sgt David Adams
To Robert McLaughlin
I think I’ve found the real CHEN JOHNSON the one who’s identity has been stolen
What do I do?
Wow Frankie tho it’s not great news, at least I know I’m not the only one who has been scammed by CHEN JOHNSON – it’s hard seeing him online on yahoo still (tho I blocked him ages ago!) it makes me so mad knowing whoever else is being conned by him whilst he’s online – I want revenge on him too so I will try and find him elsewhere under his other name and wind him up a bit!!
Can’t believe I fell for such bull!!
How do you get the IP address? I have been trying to source a way of doing it….help please!
Sorry, smucks e-mail address is: johnsonhugh1958@att.net
I am sorry to report that I have been scammed but no damage except emotional. The worst part is that I discovered that the pictures were of a deceased Colonel, graduate of West Point, KIA in Afghanistan, 26 yrs of service, highly decorated. The c.v. given to me was of another officer and that is where my due diligence paid off. The name give to me: Johnson Hugh did not connect with the dates of graduation from ROTC and college and War College, Master’s degrees, etc. I spent $30+ to find him through a Servicemans Civil Service Relief Act and they couldn’t find him with the DOB I had been given by him. They did give me the good tip that pictures are frequently lifted and that anyone legit would have .mil in his e-mail. I booted him from my e-mail and saw that he had set up a Facebook acct with the same picture so reported that and ironically a Nigerian lawyer with the same name had opened a new Facebook acct so I blocked that as well. Still feeling sorry for myself that my heart had been broken because he was pretty smooth with only a few trip ups here and there, I had the brainstorm to Google his e-mail address which lead me to a German site that does scam busting and sure enough, once I had Google translate, there was a full trail which spoke of the deceased Colonel with his name. Scammers name Johnson Hugh; email: johnsonhugh@att.net and the pictures were of Colonel John Michael McHugh of NJ and now deceased, father of 5 with the youngest 5 yo. The pictures of the Colonel show Hugh but the “Mc” could have been folded out of sight in uniform folds. These people are slick. So the feelings I have are for a dead man’s picture coupled with who knows c.v. and the too good to be true professions of a Nigerian smuck. I am so glad I listened to my instincts and remembered: “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is” and caveat emptor: let the buyer beware! Women still rule!!!!
Lorrain i would send pics to anyone of my soldier scammer just dont know where to send them to
i also found him on flirt.com with one of the pics he sent me. screen name garyaritchison. and his friend matthewstephengore on flirt but gore has change his profile pic gary was from columbus ohio on yahoo and flirt he states he is from canada
Mary, all military addresses end in .mil and nothing else. Sometimes you may see .gov also, but .com is commercial and meaningless when it comes to the military.
Special Forces is an Army thing, not Air Force. Busted!
Sorry there is no database that I know of that civilians can access, otherwise the bad guys would be accessing it too. It is nice to know that a local recruiter helped out in one case!
All the money goes to the scammers, it is their livelihood.
I love to hear these stories asking the scammers for more details! I hope they go out of business as we get smarter.
As a final note, if one of these guys does turn out to be real, do you really want a man who cannot even come up with $350 on his own? It will be like hooking up with an irresponsible teenager. :>
Keep up the great work scamming the scammers!
In response to Claire 7th March 2011, yes I was scammed by the same Lt. Chen Johnson on NETLOG. Same story, about his wife, etc,etc…….I knew something was not right, but just chose to ignore it. The broken English, the bad spelling, the “babe” or “wife” pet names he would call me! When he wanted me to fill out his REQUEST OF LEAVE forms I knew it was just not right! Thankfully no money lost. Just lost emotions on a faceless, disgusting, person that calls himself a human being. I am sorry for the real soldier “Chen” in the photos. I want everyone to know (the scammer) he is on FB as “Chen Jonson” also as “Marty Chen” with two different profiles. Then he also has is profile on NETLOG which I initially had gotten deleted as I reported it to them. But yes he just changes his profile name slighlty. He also is on NETLOG as “Marty Chen” as well. Funny thing is I have contacted him again using an alias and going to lead him on a wild goose chase. Then I will have him deleted again. We can play their games too!
Does anybody encountered scammer using the name of General Kevin Leonard? Please let me know.
update, on my soldier scammer, now he is requesting laptop be sent to a so called military agent in lincoln nebraska, and he will get the laptop there. lmao! wanted phone money sent to ts2 milataryphone 350dollars to a military agent in aviila indiana lmao! more money to be sent to another military agent for travel transit $2000 in nigeria.again lmao.there is an agent for every cause. lol.??? these agents all have names. so who is rally recieving the money???puzzling to me.ipaddress coming out of sunnyvale ca. so if he is there in CA. why have monies sent to these so called agents??? in these different states??? puzzling to me. HELP!!!! WHO IS REALLY GETTING THIS MONEY???
I am now starting to believe that I am involved in a scam or being scammed by a man portraying a US Soldier based in Kabul, Afghanistan – Sergeant T Jackson. Unfortunately I have sent money to this man, I have always been careful but not obviously enough?
Recently while letting him see me on webcam through MSN Messenger (he had told me that because of security at the base that he could not do the same in return for me) however for a brief moment while I was on camera I saw a man on the receiving end of my call. It was not the man I knew from photo’s. I told him what I had seen and I immediately had doubts about this whole thing…..he said that some person may have hacked into my system etc. None of that settled my nerves and I asked him to send me his military email address to help calm my nerves…..this is what I got in return U.S.ARMYJK64JKI@usa.com with the heading INFANTRY INFANTRY. I questioned him regarding the email address and suddenly I am silly and trying to frame him for something? What the? I know what the military addresses should read like and it is not the one he gave me……….
This person is meant to be from Pennsylvania, has an 17-18 year old son, never been married.
I could be wrong but I am no longer willing to take such a huge chance on my emotions more than anything. I have photo’s to share if anyone has a similar story his name also goes by Toni Jackson Thorne.
Where we met was not a date website, so I think scammers are not restricted to just those websites. Jango is an internet music station.
i too have been in contact with a certain solider goes by name SPANNER JAXS in iraq army ive notified the real solider but not heard a word by him this persons has sent emails i traced them to nigeria ghana he is on facebook and tagged and bike or not and my space to name a few sargent jaxs spanner or goes by sargent spanner jaxs now i didnt send money never would ive caught him and he is still running the scam there has been many others that i have caught and reported to a site called pig busters if they ask 4 money there a scammer if they ask 4 new telephone service to be hooked up its a scam poest this sites and names on all your dating sites use ip searches dont ring them over seas dont send money why would you pay for there attention they get payed to be in the army thats there choice its scammers that ask 4 money not the real soliders remmber that
well i would like have anybody have contact with this guy ,who is sgtobrianraymond in army claim to be from knoxville.tenn who wife is decreasd,have 15yrs old daughter name pricill .if anybody had contactwith this guy,let me know i so many pictures
Thanks for your comment MSG Robert McLaughlin; but you know some web-site or contact info where i can find out is he is real, u know what i mean, if he is a real person, he give me his information name, rank, etc… he don’t ask me for any money,he is just a little weird.
Hi out there,
WOW! How stupid did i feel. I was contacted by an Austin712 on the dating web site. It took us a while to catch up w/each other as “yes” he a deployed Capt.in the Air Force in a special forces unit in Kabul, Afghanistan. As I can see from so many of the other letters I read…he too claimed his undying love almost immediately as he had been “waiting for a Godly woman” such as myself since the passing of his wife 7yrs ago. After about 2wks of emails and IM’s he suggested we use a Telecom Communication Service and sent the info I’d need to get it started. I told him that I checked in line but couldn’t get any info and that I would go to the military recruiting office near my home to get help and he said “NO! don’t do that, I can just give you step by step instructions on how to do it” I ended up submitting the required info from my end to get the ball rolling , but when I received an email that said I needed to send $465 w/in 3 days I went ahead and called the recruiting office anyway……a data base search proved there to be NO SUCH “CAPT. AUSTIN T. GENTHE” in the US air force. He was claiming to be from Co. w/a 19 tr old son, his wife passed away 7yrs. ago and he will be retiring in 4 mo. after serving his country for 26yrs. (Seemed like a great catch to me) When I confronted him with the info I received from the recruiter’s he said “Do you think that they can just give out that kind of info to any civilian that asks?” he was very offended, heart broken even that I wouldn’t trust him. He said he didn’t want my money, just my heart. Man….he was good. I felt so bad for being mistrusting and we continued our intimate emails, like a dummy, for a couple more days,but something in my gut said to check him out more. That’s when I ran across this web site about the fake soldiers. With the help of some of the other suggested sites I ran across his name, only he had hit a different on line dating site for his prey that time. Thankfully I didn’t send any money….just feeling really dumb. I met him on a web site called Plenty of Fish, and I fell for it hook, line and sinker! Be careful out there.
Janice and Lynda, They are pulling the pictures from social network sites,like Facebook and MySpace. I did not know you could do it either until I saw my scammer’s photo with another first name on Facebook and he got all indignant and said it was not him and someone must have taken his picture from a profile he had up a while back and had taken down. He should know – that’s where he got the pix he was using! So after he said that I tried it, and sure enough, anyone can copy and save them. So be very careful about what you post, and make sure you are only “friends” with people you actually know and that only friends can view your photos, not even friends of friends.
i took ur advice,i ask him to send me a pic with him holding a sign that says will u marry me janice, had not heard from him since. IMAGINE THAT. BEEN TALKING TO THIS GUY FOR A YEAR, THEN STOP speaking to him. for a few months cause i had a boyfriend. but he keep after me.for sevral months after that. then i decided to start chatting with him again,was so ever charming.
he ask me to marry him 2months ago.after a year of speaking with him thot he was great.i accepted, then here comes the send money for travel and so and so on.this guy is just getting in frome patrol or he tired and needs to take a shower. he his very consistant.i ask ? from months ago and he always give the same ans. would like to meet the soldier in the pics that he sends he is very cute lol.
thank you MSG Robert McLaughlin, for looking into Mark Mehlhoff. Was hoping that it would be real. Appreciate all of your help!!
Angee