Information from cid.army.mil — The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, commonly known as CID, is warning the Army community of an ongoing internet scam within popular social networking and dating sites where the criminal poses as a member of the U.S. Army.
CID has learned of scammers creating profiles of senior Army officers and non-commissioned officers, to include the use of official photographs, in an attempt to lure unsuspecting persons into revealing personal, banking or financial information.
In their latest attempt, scammers are making contact with potential victims through various social networking sites. After contact, often during instant messaging (IM) or email correspondence, the scammers appeal to the recipient’s sense of empathy or desire for financial gain.
By doing what is asked of them, often cashing a check, the recipients are told they would be helping the sender or the sender’s family out of a terrible situation. Complying with these requests often places the victim at risk both financially and opens them up to possibly becoming the victim of identity theft.
CID strongly recommends that Soldiers, civilians and family members who come across any known suspicious social networking or dating site profile or are solicited in this fashion from a person posing as a U.S. Soldier, immediately contact the nearest CID office or email CID at crimetips@conus.army.mil. They can also file a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center. Their web site is www.IC3.gov.
For more information, go to cid.army.mil.
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