https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/facebook-connected-her-to-a-tattooed-soldier-in-iraq-or-so-she-thought/ar-AAF0nTI?ocid=spartandhp
Apparently scammers are finding it lucrative to pretend they're military men, then hit on people for funds. But they don't just target women. And they use social media to target their victims.
Nor do they merely pretend to be active duty or Veterans and use fake ID/photos. The article addresses someone who pretends to to be Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, soliciting funds for Nigerian children.
Please share this alert and the articlel with friends and family, especially those caring for vulnerable people, whether they're older, male or female, and especially those who use social media frequently and interact with people they've never met.
I've read that fundraising dishonesty occurs more frequently in Veterans', animals and cancer non-profits. Apparently they're the high targets.
It's also my understanding that these outfits that claim to be collecting for first responders are generally fake charities. Before I knew that, I used to try to explain to them that I didn't have spare funds to donate, but they were still aggressive, and sometimes insulting.
These days I don't even answer the phone any more. If it's one of the many contractors, calling from cell phones rather than business land lines, they'll leave a message.