The soldier in a war zone dating scam has been around for a few years now but it’s surprising how many people dating online remain unaware of it.
Nigerian and Russian scammers have long used the old “I’m a civil engineer working in Nigeria or Russia …. oops I’ve been robbed/got sick/got a great business deal and need a financial loan” trick to scam money out of trusting people they meet online.
The serviceman scam stoops to an even deeper low, playing on people’s patriotism, sympathies and trust.
When it began the soldier scam usually said they were a soldier (from US or UK) serving in Iraq but as public popularity for the Iraq war dwindled Afghanistan became the war zone of choice.
This is how the scam works:
After registering with an online dating site the scammer uploads a photo of a soldier they have downloaded from a facebook page or army recruiting website and then copies and pastes a great profile writeup from a script.
They immediately send a short but friendly message to numerous women on the site introducing themselves and asking about the woman.
You reply, saying a little about yourself and asking about him.
When they respond they will give very little away about themselves, again responding to what you have told them and asking questions about you. They will also give an email or msn address where you can contact them offsite.
NB … the more you tell a stranger about yourself, particularly personal stories, the closer you feel to them because there is a bond of trust … scammers use this against you and the more you tell the more trust you show.
In their second or third email they will tell you they are a US or UK soldier serving in Afghanistan or Iraq … they say they hope that doesn’t scare you … and they have one child they are totally devoted to.
The story then varies depending on which script the scammer is working from …. either they are a widower or divorced …. sometimes their ex/deceased wife was a Nigerian, if so the child may have gone to stay with his ex/deceased wife’s mother in Nigeria while he is away at war, or else the child is with his own mother in UK or US while they are in Afghanistan (this depends wether they have contacts in the UK or US to channel the money through).
After they feel they have your trust and you are emotionally hooked (usually after declarations of love or commitment to a long term relationship) they will start to mention how worried they are because they’ve heard their child is sick. This can either be a gradual process or they will receive a call with the heartbreaking news while they are talking to you online or by phone.
Then the first request to borrow money will arrive to pay for emergency medical care for their child … obviously they can’t send money from Afghanistan, it’s a war zone but will pay you back as soon as they get home.
If you send money the requests will keep coming as their imaginary child gets sicker and the medical bills mount up … oh and don’t forget his dear old mother who has to stay in a hotel next to the hospital.
This scam is quite successful because you have a patriotic soldier putting life and limb on the line each day. One who has gone through heartbreak and tough times emotionally (showing his vulnerable side) and of course one that is totally committed to loving and caring for you for the rest of your life … they are exactly what you have been looking for, a real life knight in shining armour.
A professional woman in the UK was scammed out of £10,000 by this very type of scam …. please don’t fall for it.
My apologies to the genuine US soldier in the photo used in this article, I simply copied it from google images to show how easy it is and I hope the soldier in the picture (and his family) would understand my intention is simply to keep women safe by explaining how the soldier scam works.
July 22nd, 2011 at 4:12 pm
I would like to post this email also.I just dealt with a scammer.He didnt receive any money .Is there a site you can actually post these pictures?
July 22nd, 2011 at 4:40 pm
Hi Rhonda
Just google report internet love scams and you shouold see a few forums, like romancescam.com, where you can leave pictures and details of your scammer.
August 8th, 2011 at 7:20 pm
Hi Rhonda.
I posted photos on the following site:
http://www.delphifaq.com/faq/about/f5644.shtml
Just to let you know, Andrew Nolan has resurfaced, with new photos and has contacted a woman in Slovenia.
Watch out for this name – the ‘real’ soldier in the photos has already been notified of his stolen identity.
August 3rd, 2011 at 6:33 pm
I was on a dating site-Girls Date For Free’,I was approched by a soldier,telling me how beautiful I was and he wanted to get to know me.We exchanged yahoo e-mail for over a month.He wanted a leave to come here in Canada with me to marry me.The commander sent me e-mails saying the price was 1350.00 Us and had to be sent by money gram.Stupid me,sent it.The commander said he would e-mail me the soldier’s flight information to me,but than said he needed another 1785.00 for procol,so the soldier wouldn’t have a delay at the aiport.I did not send it as I was a little bit worried,I knew something was up.This soldier still trys to talk to me everynight.Was this a scam,because my heart has been broken,as I let myself fall for this soldier.He knew all the right words to say to me.
August 5th, 2011 at 12:27 am
Hi Charlene
Yes this was a scam. Military commanders DO NOT email people to charge money for services … it simply does not ever happen in real life. Some scammers are very good at what they do and yes they say all the right things and seem to connect with you very quickly but I’m afraid it’s pure psychology and no emotion involved.
August 5th, 2011 at 12:47 am
Hi Sally;
Thank you,as of tonight he is still trying to convimce me he is real.I blocked him out,and some how he still pops up.I’m not sure if anybody has ever heard of him,He goes by Hector Jordan,Richard Jordan,and there could be many more names that is two of which I know of.
The commander or so called commander e-mailed me by;commandercruz@armymail.com
August 5th, 2011 at 3:27 am
I was approached by more than one person using the soldier scam. I noticed that as we were chatting, all he was doing was sending huge chunks of text saying how much he thought of me and how he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me…telling me he would come and live in my house with me and my children. BUT he never really ‘talked’ to me. I caught him out when the second soldier scam came through and I pointed out that the passages were exactly the same and that even the grammar and punctuation were the same. I tried to find the passages on google but was unsuccessful. Of course, the second chap was horrified and asked me who the first chap was. Of course, I told him nothing!!I let them carry on for a while, never giving anything away and certainly not falling for these great passages of texts. Besides I knew they werent typing them…a) because it didnt say that the person was typing anything and b) they came through far too quickly to have been freshly typed….BUSTED!!! Glad to have it finally confirmed that it was all a scam. And more importantly, even more glad I never fell for it. Having said that, I had been conned out of £500 in real life from a professiona conman, shortly before I met the ‘soldiers’ online.
August 5th, 2011 at 4:54 pm
Hi Sally,I have a couple of names that are scammers.I have been approached by David Lloyd-and he also goes by lloyddavid80@yahoo.com,and anothr is Robert Evans,not sure of his e-mail as he only approached me on the dating site.”Girls Date for Free”.This dating site is loaded with scammers.Hector contacted me yesterday,telling me because I didn’t send anymore money he asked for,that his commander cancelled his flight and all his friends are laughing at him.Than he asked me if I wanted to continue this relationship on the computer seeing that he wasn’t coming anymore. I told him to have a great life and God will get you for what you did to me.My heart is slowly mending but it will be a long time before I ever trust another guy again.
August 7th, 2011 at 3:37 pm
Hi Sally;
I think I have something written on my forhead for all the scammers to see.This weekend alone I have been appraoched by Mark Perr=mark01live@yahoo.com,Michael Jonson=spmh99[that's all he gave me,but it was enough to get me to add him],Steven Douglas=stevendouglas60@yahoo.com,and Richard Briggs=not sure of his e-mail.Girls Date for Free are crawling with them.This Hector Jordan still contacts me,talling me he is real and loves me and so on.He already has my money so why doean’t he leave me alone.I was an easy target but I know better know.Thank Sally,hopefully some of these names will help other women from being scammed
August 11th, 2011 at 12:47 am
Hector I ran into him also same stuff…
August 12th, 2011 at 5:34 pm
Hi,Angi..if you go on the interent and type in “Jason Jordan” a whole page and pictures come up about him….he is really a piece of work.Hector [as I know him] goes under so many names,that I can’t keep track of all them.I have deleted my yahoo account which took all my contact of Hector away.I should of thought of this earlier,as this is the second night and no more contact with him….I hope I have helped you in anyway…thanks
August 10th, 2011 at 9:43 am
captain williams galva good looking soldier
August 10th, 2011 at 12:17 pm
hi , i want 2 warn people of a matthew watson , i got talking 2 him on girls date for free , he claims he has a 16 yr old son in booarding skool in uk & has 2 houses in kent & manchester & also lost a wife 2 a car accident 5 years ago. i was really led 2 believe this man after him sending me loving emails & talking threw skype . after a few days of talking he claims he went on a mission & found a large sum of money claiming 2 be 6.1 million . he told me it was shared out between him and his tropes 2 send 2 there wives bk in uk . suddenly i had a call from a anthony amanyo and he was an agent of major matthew watson & that he had a parcel he was waiting 2 send me & that i needed 2 send 1,200 2 kotoka international airport accra ghana , i found this very strange , he also told me i needed 2 pay documentation 2 release this money . i then was getting very warey . my daughter later saw in a magazine how another story had come out about another innocent woman being conned with what was exactly the same story as i was being told & my daughter warned me not 2 send no money . even tho i was susoisious i still kpt in contact with major matthew watson , who then claimed one of his soldies had been killed by the tallibans & that he was now fearing 4 his life & he advised me 2 pay his agaent the 1,200 so he could start a new life here in uk with me , i went along and said i would speak with the agent 2 arrange payment , obviously i dnt i knew he was a scammer as like i said in this magazine the name anthony came up so i defo knew now it was a scam . i have not heard much from him the last few days as he claims he been trying 2 find the dead soldiers nxt of kin ( yeah right )until this morning i recieved another email from major matthew watson claming the agent is getting very angry & unless i pay the 1, 200 he will be arrested and i will go down with him , plus threats that his men will come looking 4 me , this has give me some great concerns as i dnt know wot this man is capable of & im now in toatal fear of not knowing wot i can do 2 stop tese threats . so plz ladies dnt fall 4 his tricks as after reading some comments posted on here by othere women there stories sound vry simular 2 mine and is making me wonder if its the same man but using differnt names . plz be aware .
August 12th, 2011 at 3:35 pm
This is the forth comment today from girls date for free … maybe a site to stear clear of.
August 10th, 2011 at 12:28 pm
please be aware of a major matthew watson who claims he lost his wife 5 years ago and has a 16 year old son here in uk . he claims he has 2 house here in uk 1 in manchester othere in kent . he will tell you he found a large sum of money and try have it sent over by his agaent anthony amonyos , this agent will call you trying 2 say u need 2 pay 4 documentation 2 release money , not true , this matthew watson is now thresating me by saying if the police go looking 4 him they will also come get me , but also that his agent and men will come looking me , im not sure wot 2 do as i became unaware he was filling me full of shit after reading an artical in take a break magazine , he sounds like hes the same person as the name of the agent was the same and the story . he will try and tell you he loves you and that he needs a wife here in uk and the money will be a new start 2 life , also ladies he speaks with a nigerian accent considering he suppose 2 be fron manchester uk , but he also states on his profile he is from aberdeen , dnt believe him , fom reading other peoples comments some of the stories are very simular 2 mine and im starting 2 think he is uasing various names on these dating sites .
August 11th, 2011 at 12:21 am
Martinengle is the name my man used. We talked slightly on the websit then on messanger. After a few days he said he wanted to be with me and asked me to send $500. refundable for his paper work for me to request his leave of absence. I know the military and also know there is no fee for requesting leave and also that they request it. When I tild him I didnt have 500.00 he asked how much I did have. When I told him nothing he signed off line. So no money was exchanged silly him.
August 17th, 2011 at 11:22 am
Hector Jordan,is going under another name again,he uses on “Girls Date For Free”Jones from Canada,he is very good looking man but please don’t talk to him,as he is a scammer.He has no first name but goes by Jones–he was stupid enough to leave me a note,and it was the exact same this Hector Jordan left me—-please beware!!I have reported him to the dating site,but as of yet they haven’t done anything
August 18th, 2011 at 5:33 pm
My scammer befriended me on Facebook, his profile is still there and he contacted me thru Yahoo Messenger just last night. Of course he was trying to explain that I am wrong and that I have let the things I read on the Internet confuse me. WHATEVER!! He says he is Colonel Richard G. Piscal, his Facebook is just Richard Piscal. Even has an email under his name col.richardpiscal@yahoo.com (how crazy is all this??)I found a newspaper article that shows the real Colonel with his wife and children that was from May of this year. He told me his wife has been dead from a sudden illness for 5 years. I don’t have the faintest idea how to stop this guy. I lost only $70 to his bogus phone service that I Western Union sent them he called it Telecom.Military.com and they sent me letters for over a week. The last one just being 2 days ago saying they were going to be returning my money. I sent it to a Richard O sharp in West Haven, CT
I’m angered, I’m ashamed, I feel just awful for this real Colonel. and yet have no idea how to stop this animal from doing this to other people and just ruining this honorable Colonels good name. If anyone can help me… It would be most appreciated.
August 19th, 2011 at 4:20 pm
Hi Tami
You are already doing something to stop it, you are posting details of this scammer for other potential victims to find. Please don’t feel ashamed, you did nothing to feel ashamed about .. the scammer is the one who should feel ashamed. The real Colonel is a grown man of the world and will either take steps to remove his name from such scams or more likely accept nothing can be done to stop scammers completely and get on with his life.
Report the profile to FB, it’s a small step but the more we keep scammers running the less chance they have to fake legitimacy and scam other victims. Find other scammer forums and blogs and post the details there too. The more places his details are posted the more likely it is other victims will find it.
August 20th, 2011 at 5:20 pm
Ok ladies, beware of Albert Donato, 51, of Houston Texas. Claims to originally be from Australia, moved to Texas after divorce. No children. Claims to have just finished construction in England of a gas station. We corresponded for over a month, claimed to want to meet me. Went so far as to send flowers and a musical card from England. Was getting ready to come back to the United States when he didn’t have enough money to ship all his equipment home. Started asking for $5,500 then decreased it to 2800 when I wouldn’t give it to him. When I continued to refuse he then told me he couldn’t be with me because I didn’t trust him enough to help him out even after he sent me flowers and a card. Claims he is being fined for his equipment being in the way and that he could no longer be with me because I didn’t “love him” like he did me. Whew! Tried explaining about all the scams online and of course he said he wasn’t one of them and that I couldn’t judge him on past experiences and everyone else. lol Met him on Match.com
August 24th, 2011 at 4:51 am
I served under Col Richard G Piscal many years ago and I can tell you that he is a very professional military person with a happy family and would never be on facebook trying to meet girls.
September 1st, 2011 at 10:14 pm
Hi,I first Idon’t speaking english very well ok? Then I want you excuse if I write something wrong. I found this article when I was looking for a site that my “boyfriend” gave to me to ask for a leave to him. He doesn’t ask for money yet, but I see he was on his way. I think this is a very organized gang of scumers because look a like when they engaged somebody they have to report it to other person and for this reason they ask to the lady for his leave. You know like a tower of control(sorry I don’t know how to said it). I’m very shamed because my ex- husband was a military and I knew that he has to ask for himself his leave if he want to get out. But I was so illusionate and so desperate to find somebody who love that I was almost fell. I feel sorry for the real sgt. Andrea Ramos, who looks so nice and so good.We most have to stop this people.
September 2nd, 2011 at 5:02 pm
Hi Petra
I’m sorry you have met a scammer but don’t feel ashamed, so many people are falling for their lies and yes the desire for love makes you blind to reality.
At least you worked out it is a scam before you sent any money.