Army sgt scam -- watch out

I was recently the victim of a scam by someone who contacted me on an online dating site. He claimed to be a sargeant in the army serving in iraq. As usual, he was madly in love with me almost immediately and claimed he was widowed and lonely after raising his son by himself for 8 years. After several weeks of regular emails/chats declaring undying and forever love, he told me he wanted to leave iraq to come home to be with me forever. He needed money to do so as all of his pay was in his accounts in America. Wanted me to Western Union money to him. DON'T FALL FOR IT!!! If this happens to you, block the texts, chats and delete emails. The scammer will go away eventually, but they will keep coming back around to see if they can continue to suck you in. Be aware! All of these reports about these scammers is true!!!!

Welcome here momtwomei

I'm sorry that you got sucked in to this scammer's stories, but i'm glad you didn't loose any money. Would you please post some of the emails that the scammer has send you? If possible with the full headers. If you don't know how to get the headers, just ask one of the support team members. If the scammer's scripts and email address are posted here, other possible victims might find it and be warned.

Here is the first email I received from this person, and the full header information. I've cut and pasted it to remove my identifying info. I received this within a couple of days of his making the first contact. Later messages contradict several details he carefully planted in this message.

From Sgt don Weaver Mon May 17 17:11:03 2010
X-Apparently-To: via 98.136.183.58; Mon, 17 May 2010 10:11:04 -0700
Return-Path: <[email protected]>
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Date: Mon, 17 May 2010 10:11:03 -0700 (PDT)
From: Sgt don Weaver <[email protected]>
Subject: More about me Sgt Don
To:
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Hello Sweetie..thanks for the mail,there is just more about me u may care to know,these speaks much about the kind of person i am,U and I are really getting along,i can feel the chemistry sparked and we are the same kind of person,i believe u are the best i will ever get and i will never let u Go unless u don't want to get along with me,i believe u have the qualities i want,i want someone that know the important and essence of true ad matured love dear...Finding true love as been very hard past years,i understand how u feel too baby and its normal,Am feel so much for u even though i have a lot going ton here baby,i wish i can be with u and spend time with u,have u within my arms and share thoughts with u if possible,God bless the day we met and it will always be a memorable day for me...i checked u on line at my free time but u are not there and i decided writing these for u and also for u to know have been thinking about u since our last chat.. I am fairly new to the Anderson area and I am from Macomb, Chicago area (born and raised) and now I live in Anderson and I love the seasons up here.have lost my parent,others are distance family and no god connection between us,and my aunt live in Guyana with her husband,I want to be near my only son. I can still have children but is undecided,its open because its depends on what my partner wants, but I certainly don't mind step children in my future. I believe you can choose your family in some cases like through adoption, friendship and marriage. I am an open book and never meet a stranger especially since my profession was in being a MILITARY MAN. I always looked out for the best interests of my trainees and I LOVED my job/career!. Work was always fun for me as long as I felt like I was doing a service in helping others and saving life of US citizen and protecting the interest of the country. Eventually, I enjoy visiting the folks at our local Nursing Home and teaching my son to cook and play football and traditional things like that as well as helping him with homework often over the telephone since am both dad and mom for him. I love to write poetry and I love books! I collect them and I feel like they are almost sacred. Maybe that sounds kinda strange, but I feel like a book is almost alive because through reading a book, you can literally go anywhere in your mind and I think that people don't read enough these days. Of course, I believe the Bible is also sacred and have read it through more than once and I collect a lot of Christian books also. I like to collect Inspirational Sayings and stories about faith and how God works in our lives every day and that we all experience miracles daily if we just take the time to look for them and it's very important not to take things for granted but appreciate each day we are blessed to have. Both of my parents have passed away and I had the privilege of being with them both when they left this life and was able to stay right with them through their illnesses and care for them and I feel like hospice work is very important and also difficult lol, but necessary and I have cared for others like this also and giving what i can to the needy. I love elderly people especially and have since i was a child. I am very much a people person and need others in my life and I enjoy just sitting around and talking with any and everyone! I just like hearing the stories that everyone has to share about their lives. We all have a story to tell - it's just that these days people often don't stop long enough to just talk and listen to one another because they plan so many activities or spend all their time working or watching TV. I do not need to be impressed with a lot of money or expensive things and luxuries or flashy cars,i own a house and as two cars,they are parked in the garage now that am in Iraq,but i walk sometimes to keep fit.I am a down to earth person and I enjoy just being at home and give my family much time. Sometimes I enjoy cooking and sometimes I enjoy putting a Marie Calendar Frozen Dinner in the microwave!! I have always lived in a town until I moved here in Anderson years ago. I have my own home and a large lot and a nice garden, I hope. I enjoy nature and animals. I loved fishing when I had the opportunity to fish, but it's been a while. I made a futile attempt to hunt once and got stuck in a briar patch with a bobcat after me and I stood there and screamed until my wife heard me and came to my rescue lol. I had sneaked out and planned to surprise her with dinner I had killed and cooked all by myself! It is funny now, but that was over 15 years ago when i was and we were still in marriage,I cooked whatever we could come up with (here I am reminiscing when I am supposed to be filling out a dating profile!) See, I like to talk! Most men are a bit unproductive and irresponsible side,but I supported my family through rescuing and rendering security advantage,i think was just doing my job! I am pretty much a homebody nowadays,because i always stay at home when am back from traveling and make my family feel my presence,take them to places and visit some interesting places too. I prefer not to have to do all the driving especially since I live a good ways out from any major town. I stay up a lot at night and write and read the scriptures. I attend Bible Studies at Church and I sometimes join the elders who gather weekly to quilt and visit and eat a snack on Tuesdays when I can make it there. (depends on my schedule) and work,I also love to shop - BUT - I mostly shop during the yard sale season and I buy good quality, low-priced items. I am not afraid to haggle for a really good deal and I usually get things for the price I want it for but I am always fair. I enjoy giving things to others and I often buy brand new things at yard sales with tags still on them and it doesn't have to be brand new but I always look for good quality items and make a fair offer for what I want to buy. People sometimes give me money and tell me their size and ask me to shop for them because I am good at it.I love Loius Vuiton,Gucci,Tommy and Ferragamo,I have been wealthy and dirt poor and there really isn't much difference in your happiness based on having lots of money because that's not how God measures our worth. I am proud of myself for all have achieved and been able to get things i want in life but having someone to love and be loved is more important to me.I guess you can see I do enjoy saying my mind and am open because i have nothing to hide from someone i want to get to know better and establish something serious with, huh? I may not have the perfect figure but my personality is well proportioned! lol I have a kind heart and one full of love for everyone and I am not judgmental nor do I judge someone on their looks. After all, a pearl starts off as a jagged rock that gets smooth and handsome through a very difficult experience; likewise with people. You have to look deep sometimes to find someone's true beauty. With that said, I will add my heart is a pot of Gold,in the rough. If you judge me based just on outer beauty (I am not ugly!!), anyway - you might miss out on a special person in me!
Wow...i have to get up now...tired of writing now...just want u to know the kind of person i am aside been a military man and been at war front.I just have to be sincere with u,for u to know who am i and things about me u will like me to change...i will check back for ur reply and read from u dearie..
Bye ?
and do have wonderful day...am still looking out for ur pictures dear
Sgt Don?

Thanks momtwomei for posting this. His email reads like a typical script that these romance scammers use, for the scammer writing an email to you, it's just one minute of cut and paste work. You can find some more intresting reading material about romance scams HERE.

Putting that header into an ip analyser comes up with

196.29.214.203 Nigeria*

as the source.

Yes, this scammer is quite proficient. He sent me a gorgeous bouquet of a dozen red and white roses at one point. That might have swayed me, but his complete declarations of love and devotion sight unseen just became disgusting. He still sends brief texts and chats like "am worried about u,baby", "talk to me, please" sometimes, but the contacts are starting to end. I just ignore all of it, but I do like to know if he's trying. There's something very frightening about knowing that the scammer has my address, but I assume he will just go away and move on when he sees that there's no reward coming for his illegal efforts. I have pictures that he sent me that I've doctored with 'SCAMMER' on them uploaded on a web site. If I can figure out how to post them here will add them so people can be warned.

Hi momtwomei,

Yes, the scammer will go away in time, if you completely ignore him, and do not reply to any of his emails.

Scammers who are pretending to be in love with you do sometimes send flowers - they purchase them with credit card details that they have stolen from another victim of their scams.

There are instructions for posting photographs on the forums here:

viewtopic.php?f=28&t=3219

though it sounds as if you are half-way there. If you have any further difficulties with doing this, just say, and somebody will be happy to help.

Hi,
Thanks to this site I escaped the sergeant serving in Iraq scam myself only yesterday. I had joined a dating site after being encouraged by my friends to do so. Along came warmheartycuddle alias Sgt Brad MONFILS. He claimed to be serving in the US Army part time and sent me two photos. He used the logon Johnbradmonfils.

The emails were daily, and we chatted every evening on MSN. He claimed to be divorced with a 15 year old son. After a few weeks he informed me about ARMTEL he said it was a special communications system set up between the forces and their loved ones where for a fixed fee we could talk on the phone as much as we wanted. The payment was 220.00 by money transfer. I tried to get the company to answer questions I had, but they were ignored, whilst Brad was daily asking me when I would be going ahead with the transfer. I did it, even against my gut feeling !!! However I then had a payment confirmation and we were connected within 48 hours.

I have spoken with 'Brad' on several occasions and this intensified the emails. He was due home in three months and we were arranging to meet. At this point I had forgotten my gut feelings and the money I had paid fro the priviledge of talking to him.

And then ..... lo and behold last night he said a senior officer had seen his name on the list to be sent to Afghanistan and he didnt want to go. It was at this point he asked if I would apply for transit leave for him. I had never heard of this before and asked what it was. He said it was where a soldier was paid to take his place as he was granted leave home, and it would be a bit expensive but he would refund me when he got home.
Now the alarm bells were really ringing !! As soon as he logged off MSN I went on to the internet and this is when I found the site, be warned everyone this scam is very much alive and kicking.
I escaped this by the skin of my teeth.

My friends also encouraged me to join a dating site. It became a nightmare. They prey on people new to the site. And you think wow that was so easy. Until you find out they want money. I finally got fed up with them all. I learned a few tricks, google their name, email address (that is how I found this site, tagged back), used spokeo to find if they are on other sites, and check IP address. It got to be a game sort of. The last dating site I joined, right off the bat 2 scammers. So when the 3rd one emailed me, I about bite his head off. Good thing he understood since he was for real and we have been an item for 3 months now. So there are good men out there. He is also retired military. He told me that field personel are given phones. Depending on the mission is whether they are allow to use them to call loved ones. If they are located on a base, the men buy phone cards for disposable phones like Tracfone. My brother who is also retired military, says that if you do not want to go, be deployed, tough, suck it up. You do it or be court marshall. Always go with your gut feelings they will never prove you wrong. Good luck.