Active Duty Military - Help needed on possible scam

[Kies99]

Hoping any active or recently active military can help on this one (USMC specific). Put this here as I'm sure this will involve money at some point in the near future.

Co-worker (CW) has sister who met a guy online. CW and I both are 99% positive this is a scam, but hoping for some input on a specific aspect of this. The sister asked this person for a copy of his ID to put to rest CW's concerns. Here is a link to the exact thing he sent (copied directly from the e-mail). I blanked out the face, name and barcode just in case this turns out to be real:

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b164/worldwar2buff/Reenacting stuff/Scam.jpg

Red flags to CW and me are:

1) He sent it in the first place
2) It is not a photocopy of an ID, but a digital file
3) Says "Special Forces" at the bottom insted of "Geneva Convention" like the others I've seen.
4) That date uses numeric format for month instead of letters
5) "Studio" portrait for picture

Here are my questions.

First, when you receive a new ID like this do you get a digital copy of the ID? (I SERIOUSLY doubt it).

Second, do any of you have pictures like this with the flags in the back?

Any help would be appreciated as we are trying to "save" the sister.

 

[Ashlander]

This definitely doesn't look right. I am pretty sure the ID card should say at the bottom Geneva Convention Identification Card - and not Special Forces Identification Card. It seems odd that it expires 15 years after it was issued Also - there is no way there would be a digital copy of the id card.

The card in the picture is a Common Access Card. There is another military id card that active duty, retirees, reserves and national guard receive. They are different colors based on your status. My Dad retired from the military and he has this id card to present at military bases or whenever he needs to show a military id.

 

[lovemygoofy]

There is no special identification for special forces on a CAC.

The first thing I noticed is the dates on the card. No CAC is issued for 15 years. The dates are also not listed that way on a real CAC.


Here is a link http://www.cac.mil/common-access-card/

Sorry, forgot to add that no my husband does no have a staged picture in his CAC. It's a goofy picture in his ACUS(regular cammos not dress) where he is trying to lean back to get his big head in the pic

I do have a digital copy of the CAC but because I scanned it in for uses when he is away.

 

[Nomad70]

As a former soldier and wife of a 20+ year career officer, I can tell you without any doubt whatsoever that is not real. I would advise your CW to end any and all communication with this person. It is sad, but this type of thing happens all the time.

 

[Kies99]

Thanks everyone.

Like I said, my CW and I are positive this is a scam so just trying to gather as much info as we can so the CW can present to her sister.

 

[Praying Colonel]

Unfortunately, online scams by people claiming to be military are becoming more and more common. For example:

A mother and daughter in Colorado were indicted for their role in a "Nigerian internet romance scam" in which associates in Nigeria posed as members of the U.S. Armed Forces and stole over $1 million from 374 victims.

Tracy Vasseur, 40, and her mother, Karen Vasseur, 73, of Brighton, Colo., about 21 miles north of Denver, face a hearing on Tuesday in the Adams County District Court. The Colorado Attorney General, John Suthers, said the two were part of a scam since 2009 that "lured unsuspecting women to internet dating sites by posing as members of the U.S. military serving in Afghanistan. The Vasseurs' 374 victims over a three year period were based throughout the United States and from 40 other countries."

...

Most of the victims were women, the indictment stated, "looking for love and companionship on the internet" on various dating sites and social networking sites like Facebook. During the "Nigerian internet romance scam," the attorney general's office said the Vasseurs never made contact with the victims, nor did they ever meet with their associates abroad. But the Vasseurs engaged in "regular, frequent and detailed discussions" about where the money and how much would be sent. Tracy Vasseur allegedly set up a "dating website" for one of her associates, the indictment stated.

"After an online relationship was established, the perpetrator would often send the victim fake military documents and personal photographs in order to convince the victim that they were truly a member of the U.S. military serving in a foreign country, usually Afghanistan," the indictment filing stated.

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/colo...erian-internet-romance-scam/story?id=16629203

 

[1Mouse2RulethemAll]

I am looking at my card now and that is definitely a fake.


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[21yankees]

I'm AD in USAF. Absolutely a fake. The 15 years from issue to expiration is completely fake. No digital copy is ever made available to member either.

 

[donaldlovesdaisy]

Married to an Army man with 16 years as enlisted and now as an officer and I can tell that is no way real. Plus I can't imagine his military ID labeling him as Special Forces. They usually just say name, rank and bday.

 

[sissy_ib]

Fake. Also if it were real, he should not be to making copies of his ID and sending it to a stranger.

 

[Kies99]

Thanks everyone!

 

[Boston Tea Party]

Please don't tell him how you can tell it is fake. That will give him feedback on how to improve this scam for his next victim.

 

[bdcp]

Military members are not allowed to make copies of ID cards. No one in the military would send a copy of their card to anyone unless they want to get in a lot of trouble.

Photo should have a white background and is face on, not "studio" appearing. There are sligh variations in CAC cards, but I've never seen one that looks like that.

The link that lovemygoofy posted is what I've seen. I have a civilian card and DH is retired Navy and both our cards look like that, (his did til he retired). The expiration dates are up in the corner and there's no "issue date" on it. The dates are also not done with /. THe month is abbreviated (3 letters) and the year is complete (ex 2013).

Also, the only digital copy perse is held in the computer system. No one is given anything other than their actual card.

 

[Kies99]

Please don't tell him how you can tell it is fake. That will give him feedback on how to improve this scam for his next victim.

Definitely won't do that.

 

[DisneyPolve]

Totally fake, also, the fact that he tells her he is special forces without meeting her should be first clue. Most if not all active special forces don't give out that info, due to it could compromise missions.

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

Most definitely not real. The pictures aren't that good. DH is a drilling Reservist and looks just like the active Duty card. Dh and I just renewed ours and he had messed up his moustache and he looks like Hitler and he is in civilian clothes. The picture isn't that clear on ours either.

Did he not send a copy of the back?

 

[Msmit002]

As someone who uses Photoshop extensively in the QD section of our crime lab, I can tell you that the edit job this person used is complete crap. For example, look closely at the fonts. They aren't even the same. Also, every legit military ID we have ever seen has a holographic overlay these days. Really screws up the image big time when scanned (for precisely this reason!)

I asked a few guys over in QD to look at it and they all laughed. It's not a good job, this one.

 

[Kies99]

Thanks everyone for confirming what CW and I knew. Now to just convince my CW's sister!

 

[Kies99]

As someone who uses Photoshop extensively in the QD section of our crime lab, I can tell you that the edit job this person used is complete crap. For example, look closely at the fonts. They aren't even the same. Also, every legit military ID we have ever seen has a holographic overlay these days. Really screws up the image big time when scanned (for precisely this reason!)

I asked a few guys over in QD to look at it and they all laughed. It's not a good job, this one.

Perfect! This might be what tips in CW's favor when talking to her sister.

 

[laurafergie]

Wife of a "former" Marine (because once a Marine...) and wanted to mention that the Marines Corps do not have a "Special Forces", that is Army. Marine Corps is Marine Force Recon or just Recon.