Dating scam involves man posing as deployed Airman

  • Published
  • By Merrie Schilter-Lowe
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE,Calif. --  "He seemed genuine," she said. His profile on the dating website included a photo of himself in uniform while carving Halloween pumpkins with his daughter.

He also claimed to be deployed to Afghanistan and, for nearly two months, he chatted "live" with the intended victim before asking for money. But then, as always, it happened.

Lisa Bond (not her real name) recently called the 60th Air Mobility Wing public affairs office only to find that she had been the target of an on-line dating scam.

"I'm disappointed," she said. "He seemed like such a nice person . . . he just wanted a relationship. We talked about his life and his 10-year-old daughter. He never mentioned which base he was deployed from, but I didn't expect a scam.

"This was the first time I'd used an on-line dating service," said Ms. Bond. "A family member recommended (the site) to me. I met three people (online) before Sergeant Carson . They immediately asked for money so I realized they were scamming me. But Nick was different."

Not knowing much about the military, Ms. Bond said she believed Staff Sgt. Nick Carson (not his real name) when he said the Air Force had frozen his pay for the duration of his deployment. He said it was a common practice to prevent single Airmen from overspending.

When Sergeant Carson asked for a loan to visit Ms. Bond in California and then his home in Atlanta, she became suspicious. "When his 'commander' started chatting live with me and offered to pay half of the $2,000 airfare if I paid the other half, I started asking questions."

On-line dating scams are not new, according to the Federal Trade Commission. The agency's primary responsibilities are consumer protection and eliminating or preventing anti-competitive business practices. The FTC also has published numerous articles on dating scams.

"In a typical scenario, the scam artist creates a fake profile, gains the trust of an on-line love interest and then asks that person to wire money -- usually to a location outside the United States," said Special Agent Joshua Hannan, Air Force Office of Special Investigations at Travis.

SA Hannan said in the latest twist on dating scams, scam artists pose as deployed military members to gain sympathy and get money from people using popular dating sites.

With an estimated one in five relationships starting through online dating, the FTC has issued warning signs of a possible scam. These include the scammer:

· Wanting to leave the dating site immediately and use personal e-mail or instant messenger accounts.

· Claiming instant feelings of love.

· Claiming to be from the United States but currently overseas.

· Planning to visit, but being unable to do so because of a tragic event.

· Asking for money to pay for travel, visas or other travel documents, medication, a child or other relative's hospital bills, recovery from a temporary financial setback or expenses while a big business deal comes through.

· Making multiple requests for money.

According to the FTC, people have also reported scammers who secured their trust through passionate and intimate conversation and those - like Sergeant Carson - who wooed their targets for months before asking for money. Some scammers have even made wedding plans.

"The FTC warns consumers that wiring money to someone they haven't met is the same as sending cash," said SA Hannan. "Once it's gone, it can't be recovered."

People who think they have been the target of a relationship scam can report it by going to the FTC website at www.ftc.gov/complaint or call toll-free 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357), TTY: 1-866-653-4261.

For more information on on-line dating scams and tips to guard against Internet fraud, visit the federal government's online safety website at www.OnGuardOnline.gov.

Ms. Bond also has a recommendation for those using on-line dating services: "Ask questions."