Online scams target lonely hearts with troops' photos

[red zora]

I found this CNN report.....and it makes me angry that scammer are so ruthless and heartless and use pictures of died soldiers
CNN report on July 28, 2010
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/07/27 ... &wom=false" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Pinky]

for CNN.

[wayne]

Pretty good article.

[Sntmntl_lady]

I have a friend who was in contact with this guy who had a bunch of pictures that he sent her, then he sent her a bogus sat phone application, then a bogus leave request form. The things he wrote to her reminded me of my scammer so I told her about that and she got wise. She told him she was poor and having trouble paying her bills and asked him to send her money. She didn't hear from him after that.

I wish I'd thought of that.

[Marisa]

this is very sad, and if any scammer needs to be baited, and the baiters should make their life miserable - those should come first!!

we have one posted here, maybe I will find him later and post here.

However, read the comments to this article!!!! Most are bashing the victim. Comments like:

Anyone trying to find love online is an idiot. Seriously. Scams on the Internet exists because there is no end to the supply of fools.

She should've know by how over-weight she is that this was a scam. Like a fit, American warrior was going to be interested in a homely, over-weight woman of 3 kids? Get serious.

get most "likes". and this is the saddest part...

[FrumpyBB]

Typical outsiders´ point of view. Like "Haha, no one will ever steal my purse, I´m too clever for them!".
The "How could one ever fall for this?" people, they are just not thinking. If they think they are too clever for that, they may well have already been stolen from by pet scams, ebay scams etc.

Well at least, even the dumbest commentators have now heard there is such a thing as soldier scams and 419.

PS. From a baiting point of view, soldier scammers who do 419, which are the ones I come across mostly (not the romance ones), stick to their scripts like flies on the glue. Like lotto lads or job scammers. At least that is my observation. I post them every once in a while as they appear in my inbox but they are all emails, of course (not chats or social sites, in my case).
They want me to accept a consignment for them at my doorstep but something happens and I am to pay the delivery company a fee. Or Saddam´s millions get stuck on the way to my account (more fees).

[Sntmntl_lady]

To Frumpy: I get those too some to me but most to 'undisclosed recipients'. And their all 'urgent'. Most are deleted as spam, and a lot of them carry viruses or worms.

[red zora]

http://www.quova.com/why/prevent-fraud/ ... ZgodDzZQvA" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
maybe this report is good, too

[tinyrose]

I met this guy named Joe Honore. Says he is in army in Iraq. Has anyone heard of him. I cannot find anything one him and I hate to keep talking to him if he is a scammer. Hasn't asked for anything but then again I have only talked to him a couple days.Sent photos whick look real but don't they all. Cna't trust anyone any more.

[Marisa]

The first thing you should always do, with ALL online contacts, is check their IP address and make sure they are located where they claim to be from. And definately not from West Africa. In most cases, this simple routine check should eliminate all guesses: real or fake, and you will not waste your time talking to imposters.