Department of Defense Employee Social Media

Nowadays, you have to be cautious of everything you practice online. Scammers are always trying to get money, appurtenances or services out of unsuspecting people — and military members are frequently targets.

Here are some scams that have recently been affecting service members, Defense Department employees and their families.

Romance Scams

In April, Army Criminal Investigation Command put out a warning about romance scams in which online predators go on dating sites claiming to be deployed active-duty soldiers. It'south a problem that'southward affecting all branches of service — non just the Army.

CID said at that place have been hundreds of claims each month from people who said they've been scammed on legitimate dating apps and social media sites. Co-ordinate to the alleged victims, the scammers have asked for money for faux service-related needs such every bit transportation, communications fees, processing and medical fees — even marriage. CID said many of the victims take lost tens of thousands of dollars and likely won't get that money dorsum.

Recollect : Service members and regime employees DO Non PAY to keep leave, have their personal furnishings sent home or wing back to the U.Southward. from an overseas assignment. Scammers will sometimes provide false paperwork to make their case, merely real service members brand their own requests for time off. Also, whatever official armed forces or regime emails will end in .mil or .gov — not .com — so be suspicious if yous get a message claiming to be from the military or government that doesn't have ane of those addresses.

If you're worried about being scammed, know what red flags to wait for. If you call up you've been a victim, contact the FBI Internet Criminal offense Complaint Centre and the Federal Trade Commission.

DOD officials said task forces are working to deal with the growing problem, just the scammers are frequently from African nations and are using cyber cafes with untraceable email addresses, then routing their accounts across the earth to make them incredibly hard to trace. So exist vigilant!

'Sextortion'

Sexual extortion — known as "sextortion" — is when a service member is seduced into sexual activities online that are unknowingly recorded and used against them for money or goods. Often, if a victim caves on a demand, the scammer will just likely demand more.

Service members are bonny targets for these scammers for a few reasons:

• • They're often young men who are away from home and have an online presence
  • They have a steady income and are often more financially stable than civilians.
  • Considering of their careers, they're held to a higher standard of conduct.
  • Military members have security clearances and know things that might be of involvement to adversaries.

To avoid falling victim to sextortion, don't mail service or substitution compromising photos or videos with ANYONE online, and make sure your social media privacy settings limit the information outsiders can see — this includes advertising your affiliation with the military or government. Be careful when yous're communicating with anyone y'all don't personally know online, and trust your instincts. If people seem suspicious, terminate communicating with them.

DOD officials said sextortion often goes unreported considering many victims are embarrassed they fell for information technology. But information technology happens worldwide and beyond all ranks and services. Here'southward what y'all should do about it if information technology happens to you:

• • Cease communicating with the scammer.
  • Contact your control and your local CID role.
  • Exercise NOT pay the perpetrator.
  • Save all communications you had with that person.

Service Member Impersonation Scams

Scammers dear to impersonate people of authority, and that includes service members.

These people frequently steal the identity or profile images of a service fellow member and use them to ask for money or make claims that involve the sale of vehicles, house rentals or other big-ticket items. These scammers often send the victim bogus information about the advertised production and ask for a wire transfer through a third party to stop the buy, merely in that location'due south no production at the end of the transaction.

Lately, imitation profiles of high-ranking American armed services officials have been popping up on social media websites using photos and biographical data obtained from the net. As an example, in that location has been an increase in impersonator accounts on Twitter for Marine Corps Gen. Joe Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. However, the but official accounts for Joint Staff leadership are @thejointstaff and @SEAC_Troxell — Dunford does not have his own account.

Scammers are making these profiles to defraud potential victims. They claim to be high-ranking or well-placed regime/war machine officials or the surviving spouse of former government leaders, then they promise big profits in exchange for aid in moving big sums of money, oil or some other article. They offer to transfer significant amounts of coin into the victim's bank account in commutation for a small fee. Scammers that receive payment are never heard from again.

Hither are some ways to lower the chances of yous being impersonated or duped by a scammer:

• • To avoid having your personal data and photos stolen from your social media pages, limit the details you provide on them and don't post photos that include your proper noun tag, unit patch and rank.
  • If an declared official messages you lot with a request or demand, expect closely at their social media page. Frequently, official accounts will be verified, significant they have a blueish circle with a checkmark right beside their Twitter, Facebook or Instagram proper noun.
  • Search for yourself online — both your proper name and images y'all've posted — to see if someone else is trying to utilize your identity. If yous exercise detect a false profile, contact that social media platform and report it.

Source: Department of Defence

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