LOUISVILLE, KY. — Scamsters are targeting women on Facebook in what is becoming a catch all-too-common: steal photos of soldiers to set profiles, profess their love and devotion in messages sappy — and then ask their victims to cut a check.
Army Sergeant James Hursey, 26, unloaded and sent home from the war in Iraq to a back injury, the nurse has found a page with your photo on Facebook — on a profile that was not his. It was fake, established by someone claiming to be an active-duty soldier looking for love.
Military officials say they have seen hundreds of similar cases in the last several years. Some of the imitators are used also photos of deceased soldiers abroad.
"It's identity theft, really, if you think about it," said Hursey, Corbin, KY., a married father of a 2-year-old.
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The impersonator using photos of Hursey portrait himself as a soldier named "(sic) Mark Johnson Sergent." The fake follow the same steps each time: send a friend request, immediately expressed undying love and affection and ask for money.
Fake cover was blown, though: Janice Robinson, 53, of Orlando, Florida, knew something wasn't right, when man has professed his love for her and signed every message with "Johnson cares". She had begun to speak with him was one of the most people named Mark Johnson who knew thought.
"I said," How can you say you love me? You don't even know me. You are crazy, ' "he told the Associated Press in a telephone interview. "... You could say that the guy in the photo he was young. I have 53 years. You can look at my picture and say that I am not 20. "
Her story was first reported by WYMT-TV in hazard, KY. and WKMG-TV in Orlando.
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Christopher Grey, spokesman for criminal investigation command of the army at Fort Belvoir, VA., said that imitators of the Internet often make ridiculous assertions. Some say that need money for special laptops and cell phones. Others say that they need money to buy specialty papers to come home on leave or a registration form for military officials don't let them talk to the family.
"Well, there is no such thing," gray said. The documents are phony, often poorly doctored versions of actual military documents.
The person using photographs of Hursey sent Robinson what he called a form to register to be able to talk to the soldier on the phone. He told her it would cost $ 350 in order to be able to communicate by telephone.
The module, a sore doctored copies of a form of joint army used to correct the information in the official record of a soldier, included a gap to be filled in the social security number of the intended victim.
Robinson said that she knew of people did not have to register to speak to soldiers and refused to complete the form. Refused her requests to wire money or send credit card numbers and bank account.
Instead, he contacted a local television reporter and Hursey, whose name was visible in profile photo.
"I just wanted to see exactly how much this would go and I wanted to protect people ... who are not as savvy of scams as they are and not pick up on this stuff," said Robinson.
Grey said that there are no known instances of staff of the army losing money on these scams. But the victims. In one case, a person has lost about $ 25,000, he said. Because many scams originate in foreign countries, military officials can do little except offer advice about the scams and the direct victims of agencies like the Federal Trade Commission.
Fraudsters use e-mail addresses untraceable, route accounts through international fora and pays per hour Internet cyber-cafes that make it difficult to trace, said gray.
The army encourages anyone who suspects that are used in a scam to route a report with their local police and report cases of agencies like the Federal Trade Commission.
Only one State, California, has made the representation online crime, said Tim Senft, founder of Facecrooks.com, a website that focuses on scams via social media. The law makes someone online is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to $ 1,000 fine and one year in prison.
Hursey, which was based at Fort Richardson, Alaska, said he has no clue who invented the schema or because he was targeted.
The fake profile several photos of Hursey: after basic training, in Iraq and decked out in his military uniform dress. There was also a photo of your dog. Apparently some of the photos that were taken from the Facebook page of his mother, said Hursey.
"I think it's pathetic that someone is going to be a soldier in an attempt to get money from women," he said.
Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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