Master Sergeant David Tripp army scammer

Hi, I think I may have been scammed. I was checking out my military "friends" name on line and I found it as a army scammer on this web site. I was contacted by master sergeant David Tripp on an over 40 dating web site. He seemed so nice and I did send money to receive calls from him. Now he wants to come home on leave. And keeps telling me I will have to pay up front and he will reimburse me. Big red flag. I am so hurt and disappointed. The email he gave me [email protected] is not military. Also the info he gave me about being a widower with a teen daughter matched perfectly with what another user posted here . He is supposedly in Afghanistan in Camp Black Jack(B21). Is he a fraud. I'm pretty sure he is. After reading on line that military leave doesn't have to be paid for it is granted. Am I being scammed

Yes, you are being scammed. The person writing to you is not an American soldier, but a young African man.

You need to cut off all contact with this scammer immediately. Posting his first couple messages to you, as well as the ones about the calls (you will NEVER have to pay to receive calls from a soldier, nor will you EVER have to send them a phone in order for them to contact you) may help others to avoid being scammed, as these emails are often scripts that they will reuse, even after they change names and photos (which are simply stolen from online--the scammers do not know the soldiers in the photos they steal.)

If you look at the topics at the beginning of our romance scam section, you will find some overview topics that will help you to see the red flags that should alert you to scammers. Please read the posted information for romance scam victims as well.

Now he wants to come home on leave. And keeps telling me I will have to pay up front and he will reimburse me. Big red flag... Am I being scammed

Yes, sadly, you are being scammed. Leave is not granted to soldiers in this way.

I just hope the money you have already sent wasn't much. Drop all contact with this person he will only keep trying to guilt you into sending him more money.

If someone else contacts you claiming they can get your money back for a fee this is a scam too.

How could I be so stupid. I feel like and idiot. You were right he denied it. But couldn't answer simple questions about his military career. Thanks for helping me. I cut off contact with him. I even told my family about him. So stupid!!

How could I be so stupid. I feel like and idiot. You were right he denied it. But couldn't answer simple questions about his military career. Thanks for helping me. I cut off contact with him. I even told my family about him. So stupid!!

Loosen up Evolet51 and pay attention!
Don't think yourself so stupid. You are not to blame for the other individual being a slimey tosser. Unfortunate to say but these military type scams are a huge problem. The reason you received no answers to simple questions is you threw the scammer into confusion mode. It wouldn't have known what you were talking about. Scammers like to control the script and not the other way around, And yes you're correct - the david tripp character is posted elsewhere within the forums in mid 2012. Always a good idea to simply cease all forms of communicatrions with it. By doing so, you will create confusion for the trickster. Just be careful within the coming days or weeks of more scam emails from the same individual or syndicate as they have your email address. However ask questions in the forum if in doubt.

Well it just goes to show that when something is to good to be true it is. I'll stop being so hard in
myself and I have learned a hard lesson.

Thanks

Your mistake was to be trusting, which isn't a bad thing, you just need to get it the right way round. People need to earn your trust before they receive any tangible benefit. It's really that simple.

Unfortunately many of the sites people go to for chatting, companionship, friendship or romance are overrun with scammers, so you may find that you won't be so popular doing this, but if you realise that it's life's dross and garbage you're discouraging, that's no bad thing.

That's so true thank you. I should have been more careful. But now I know. And I'm more the wiser. And no military guys for me. Lol. I should not have given my trust out to someone so easily. I'm a little ashamed. And more than a little hurt.

What Terrance is eluding to is the so called internet dating is simply fraught with danger. When people first begin, they are in high spirits, full of hope and happy to be putting a profile out there. I used to be. Many honest folks only fault is maybe being too trustworthy because that is their up-bringing. I am certainly not suggesting that is wrong. But some people out there exploit the honest folk because they are downright sleazy. The feelings being experienced by you at this time are normal and they will dissapate. How long the recovery takes depends upon your resolve. But you will recover and become a stronger person for the experience.

Thank you for the encouragement . I am upset but ill be fine. It's just sad that American soldiers are being used to perpetrate a scam. It is really easy to get sucked in for that reason. Because who wouldn't believe that a man claiming to be a soldier is in fact an African scammer. But lesson learned. And now I am wiser about on line dating.

Evolet51, Welcome to the site! I just wanted to say don't be too hard on yourself. I first came to Scamwarners after an interaction with a romance scammer. I didn't loose any money, but I got lost a little bit of my heart. Even though you have learned that the person you thought you were getting to know does not exist, you still need to give yourself a little time to grieve the loss as if it is the breakup of a relationship. Take some time to regroup. Treat yourself to something, i.e. eat ice cream, take a bubble bath, or escape for a weekend. Whatever it is that makes you feel good. Acknowledge that it is a loss and get ready to move on.

I had also told my family about the "man" that I met and the "things" we had planned. It was embarrassing when I told them that he wasn't real, but my family understood. Educate yourself and you will not need to give up on internet dating. A few years after my experience with the scammer I met the man who is now my husband on one of the more popular dating sites. We have now been married for 3 years and our relationship is truly wonderful.

Please feel free to PM me if you want to talk.

Dear
How can I know if the Sergeant John Wood is a scammer???
I found This website today
He sent me 3 photos with his wife and daughter and I felt strange because he said that the photo was taken three years ago when his wife and his young daughter died on a car crash but the most strange is it: he said his old daughter is 17 years old now but n the photo with the family she isn't more old than 12 years old more 3 years, she won't be 17

Grace I'm getting confused because the messages you sent me in pm appear to have come from a Portuguese mail host, which suggests that you are dealing with several scammers.

Dotti has already given you very detailed and accurate information about the American military and soldiers which proves that you're being told lies. This could be the same scammer using different identities, or perhaps it's several scammers but they only want one thing, money or perhaps electronic goods.

There is no point referring back to the scammer when you notice that he's lying - he'll just tell you another lie, or adopt another identity and gradually improve his story. As Dotti has said clearly, there is virtually no chance that any American soldier is on a dating site.

Dear Terrance, I was born in Brazil and I went there and a bought a Dell computer in Portuguese language. So, sometimes, I use it
Perhaps, is it
But just tell you ne thing: one of the scammer deleted his email; the second one Never answered me after I told him that I had a relationship with an US Army in Afghanistan and the third said: please, asked ONLY IF YOU COULD GO TO USA AND HELP MY DAUGHTER
I ASKED HIM WHAT HAPPENED TO HIS DAUGHTER AND HE SAID ME THAT THE CARE TAKER SAID TO HIM THAT SHE HAD A STRANGE PAIN IN THE LEGS AND NEEDED MONEY TO GO TO THE DOCTOR
Afteri heard that I asked him if she could not go to the hospital
He said NO PRoblem, the woman will care her and I wll pay when I arrive at home
After that he told to a friend by the Internet that hewasn't understnding why I sent him a link of scammer and that he was not a scammer
So, she said:if you are not a scammer try I to show it
He said her that he would call me, for me to hear his voice and she said: it isn't enough!!! Let her to talk to a serious man at your job and send the reality where you are because ISAF told to her friend that there is not a John Wood' s Sergeant in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Otherwise yo have another name
After these conversations he did not send any message and we don't see him online on Gmail
What did I learn with that???? I learned, Terrance, how I was sad with myself, how I had confidance of him, how many plans,Terrance, we made together
How were the things complicated but I did not want to see it
I putted on his hands the chance to be happy but, no matte How human I am, I was not naive to send any good or money.
He wanted, at he beginning of our contacts I sent parfum to his embassador in USA, because that's the way for him to receive the gifts
How am I know??? Terrance, my heart really is broken
John Wood is the most bad man I have meet in my life
I don't know why I did not see that he was not American
Just tell me: how a person who was in speaking English will write the phrase:
I don't know why she don't believe of me

In most of theAfrican countries the people forget to speak She, He Does not

I feel that he wanted all the time to tell me how he was liar but I did not pay attention

I can't make you feel any better about your contact with a scammer. All I can say is that it is a lot worse to discover the truth after he has taken all your money, and I have spoken to people this has happened to, and some have refused to believe me even after they lose their home, their partner and are spending money they use to buy medicines to send to them.

Love and affection have nothing to do with money. If he loves you he won't ask for money - he would rather die than do that - that's love - that's true love. Scammers don't understand that. To them they give love and want money in return, only you don't get much from love through the internet. It's all fake and a scam.

If I'm blunt I'm sorry but that's because what scammers do is nasty and disgusting. I can't describe it in a way that is nice.