Identifying Fake U.S. Soldiers – 2025

Identifying Fake U.S. Soldiers – 2025 Edition

Techniques to Spot Fake Soldiers

Please Note: On September 5, 2025, the United States Department of Defense (DoD) was renamed to the United States Department of War (DoW) www.war.gov

Introduction

Criminal groups around the world still impersonate soldiers from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and European nations to win trust quickly and extract money.

They steal photos (see www.ScammerPhotos.com) and identities of real service members, build convincing profiles on social and dating platforms, and script stories that explain why they cannot video chat or meet in person. Common plots include deployments to remote bases, urgent leave fees, customs charges for parcels, medical expenses after a “mission,” or requests for gift cards and crypto because “military payments are restricted.” This pattern causes harm twice. Victims lose money and confidence, and the real soldiers whose images were stolen suffer reputation damage and harassment.

Since the pandemic, some scam operations have shifted resources toward investment and “pig-butchering” schemes, so military impersonation is proportionally less visible than at its peak, yet it remains widespread in parts of West Africa, India, and Latin America, as well as in other regions where online fraud hubs operate. The tactic persists because uniforms carry automatic credibility, and the deployment narrative explains away many red flags. The best protections are simple. Never send money, gift cards, or crypto to someone you have not met in person. Be cautious with anyone who refuses a live video call, cannot verify a .mil, .mod, or official government email, or asks you to keep the relationship secret. If you suspect a fake profile, stop contact, save evidence, report it to the platform and to appropriate authorities, and if an image belongs to a real service member, alert their public affairs channel so they can act.

The Harm These Scams Do

Military impersonation romance scams remain a significant threat, and the most serious harm is not measured in dollars. It is the injury to a person’s sense of safety, dignity, and trust. Criminals still pose as soldiers from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Europe because uniforms carry instant credibility. The script is familiar, a deployment that explains limited contact, rules that forbid video, urgent fees for leave or customs, and a plea for secrecy. The tactics are simple, the consequences are not. What follows for many victims is betrayal trauma, a deep wound to attachment and identity that does not disappear when the money is gone and can take years to recover from.

Betrayal Trauma

Betrayal trauma is the shock of realizing that care and commitment were counterfeited to extract time, intimacy, and resources. The mind tries to reconcile months of loving messages with the fact that none of it was real. That collision can produce intrusive memories, looping thoughts, and a loss of confidence in one’s own judgment. People describe sleep disruption, appetite changes, headaches, and chest tightness that arrive with images of chats and promises. They experience psychache, the aching mental pain that insists life has tilted off its axis. This is not weakness; it is a nervous system reacting to a prolonged deception that felt like love.

Social Dynamics

The social dynamics of the military story intensify the injury. A soldier’s role evokes service, sacrifice, and reliability. Many victims later say that was exactly what felt safe. When that image is exposed as stolen, the entire category of uniformed trust can feel contaminated. Some withdraw from communities they once admired. Others avoid the news, films, or reminders of military life because they trigger grief or disgust. There is often a second layer of harm to the real service members whose photos and names were abused. Victims struggle with guilt for contacting them by mistake or for telling friends and family a story that turned out to be a lie.

Shame

Shame is the loudest saboteur. It says you should have known better, you must be uniquely foolish, you can never talk about this. Shame isolates, and isolation slows recovery. The reality is different. These scams are designed to bypass defenses, to train rapid attachment, and to create daily rituals that feel like a relationship. Criminals study time zones and deployment jargon, they mirror values, they alternate warmth with mild distance to increase pursuit, and they escalate only after trust is established. Intelligent, capable people are deceived every day because the method targets human needs, not ignorance.

Emotional Crash

The emotional crash after discovery can be severe. Some people move between anger, grief, and numbness several times a day. Others describe dissociation, a sense of watching themselves from a distance or moving through fog. Depression and anxiety are common. So are urges to fix everything quickly, to confront the offender, or to get money back through risky schemes that promise recovery fees. All of these reactions make sense as attempts to reclaim control. None of them repair the injury at its source. Financial loss is a crisis, yet the deeper work is to rebuild a stable inner world that can trust carefully again.

Support

Support that helps begins with belief. Being heard without interruption reduces the load of shame and resets a person’s relationship to their own story. Validation does not excuse the crime, it acknowledges reality. Statements like” I believe you, what you are feeling makes sense, and the offender bears responsibility may look simple, but they loosen self-blame and allow nervous system arousal to drop. From there, practical steps become possible. Stop contact, save evidence, report to platforms and appropriate authorities, and consider notifications to the public affairs office if a real service member’s images were used. These are concrete actions, yet they work best when paired with emotional care.

Recovery

Recovery is gradual and benefits from structure. Short, repeatable skills help the body settle. Paced breathing, five-sense grounding, and brief journaling create windows of calm that build over time. Trauma informed support groups provide universality, the relief of hearing I am not the only one. Good groups focus on skills and boundaries, not just storytelling. They avoid rescuing, they ask for consent before advice, and they keep the purpose in view, to help members become more independent and safer in daily life. Professional counseling can address trauma symptoms, identity injuries, and complicated grief. Legal and financial guidance should come from qualified providers, never from unsolicited outreach that promises quick restitution.

To begin your recovery journey start by visiting www.ScamVictimsSupport.org

If you want to join a support group of other survivors, go to support.AgainstScams.org

Family & Friends

Family and friends can make a decisive difference. Lectures and comparisons do harm. Listening, protecting dignity, and helping with logistics when asked do good. A few sentences go a long way. I am on your side. We will take this one step at a time. Let us talk to a qualified advisor before making any decisions. These phrases respect agency while adding guardrails. Loved ones should watch for signs of crisis, such as talk of self-harm, and respond by connecting the person to emergency services or crisis lines. Warmth and boundaries can live in the same sentence.

Law Enforcement

Law enforcement and public agencies also play a role. People who report are often nervous, ashamed, or angry after earlier dismissals. A trauma aware intake that acknowledges harm, uses neutral language, and explains requests for evidence helps restore trust in systems. While jurisdictional limits are real, information sharing, victim assistance referrals, and professional tone reduce secondary injury. Partnerships with credible victim service organizations provide a bridge between the criminal process and the long arc of personal recovery.

Learn where to report these crimes at reporting.AgainstScams.org

The Public

The message for the public is straightforward. The impersonation of soldiers is not a quaint internet trick, it is a sustained exploitation strategy that wounds identity and mental health. The losses are financial, relational, and neurological. Prevention requires skepticism about secrecy, refusal to send money or gift cards or crypto to anyone unmet in person, and verification that cannot be faked by email screenshots and stories about restricted communications. Response requires compassion before analysis, then careful steps guided by professionals, not by the person who caused the harm or by their accomplices.

People heal. They do so by being believed, by learning small skills that settle the body, by rebuilding routines, by accepting help that respects their agency, and by choosing safe communities that teach rather than judge. Military impersonation romance scams remain widespread because they hijack symbols of honor and duty to reach the softest parts of human life. The antidote is not silence and self blame. It is informed caution, clear boundaries, and steady support that restores confidence one humane conversation at a time.

Process-Based Verification

When someone claims military service, rely on processes, not promises. The checks below help you verify identity without creating new risks, and they keep you aligned with lawful, official channels. Use them only with consent, treat all personal data carefully, and remember that no single item proves anything on its own. Real identities withstand patient, procedural verification.

• Use official status checks with the Defense Manpower Data Center’s SCRA site when you have a legitimate reason and the person’s consent. Handle any identifiers with care.
• Route any public requests through the unit’s Public Affairs Office. Real service members who are cleared to speak can be coordinated by PAO.
• Ask for a short email from a .mil address that includes a unique sentence you provide. Treat this as one data point, not definitive proof, since email can be spoofed.
• Never accept images of military IDs, CACs, or “orders.” Sharing those is illegal and trivial to fake.
• Validate mailing claims. APO and FPO addresses follow standard formats and never require private couriers, customs “release fees,” or gift cards.
• Prefer ordinary live video over photos. Deepfakes and recycled images are common, and scammers resist spontaneous video.
• Involve third parties. Invite a trusted friend into the chat, slow the pace, and refuse secrecy or urgency.

25 Common Scam Claims and the Reality

Scammers reuse the same scripts when they pretend to be service members, counting on urgency, secrecy, and your goodwill to push you into paying or breaking rules. Use the list below as a quick reality check. Read the claim, then read the truth. You will see a pattern every time: real military life runs through official channels, not private payments, gift cards, crypto, couriers, or handlers. Slow the conversation, ask for ordinary proof of life, refuse pressure, and verify through trusted sources before you believe anything or send a cent.

1. You must pay for a soldier’s leave: Leave is approved through the chain of command and costs the soldier nothing.
2. Command will not allow video calls at all: Access may be limited, but ordinary video is common when operationally safe.
3. I need gift cards or crypto for “deployment fees”: The U.S. military does not use gift cards or crypto for fees.
4. I cannot access my bank while deployed, send money: Service members retain access to pay and banking.
5. Pay me and I will release a package from customs: Private individuals do not pay to release military shipments.
6. I am a “UN soldier” or “NATO Marine”: U.S. troops remain U.S. troops, there is no such title as NATO Marine.
7. My commander will confirm on Gmail or WhatsApp: Official business uses .mil or known official channels, not free webmail.
8. I need you to cover rations or lodging: Government provides these or pays allowances.
9. I need funds for a satellite phone to talk to you: Personal communication costs are not billed to strangers.
10. I was awarded funds that need your account to clear: No legitimate award or pay works this way.
11. Family must pay for emergency “humanitarian leave”: There is no such fee.
12. I must use a private courier for medals or personal effects: That is a scam pattern.
13. I cannot receive mail unless you pay a “green fee”: APO and FPO do not require extra fees from senders.
14. My unit finance office needs iTunes or Steam cards: No U.S. government office accepts gift cards.
15. I am special forces and cannot show any live proof: Operational security exists, but basic, ordinary proof of life is still possible outside missions.
16. Red Cross cannot reach me, only you can send money: Red Cross can deliver emergency messages through official channels.
17. I need you to invest for me while I am overseas: This is a classic advance-fee or pig-butchering pivot.
18. I cannot disclose base location but need wire transfers to a “handler”: Legitimate needs do not require third-party handlers.
19. I will repay you when the military reimburses me: Reimbursements go to the service member, not through civilians.
20. My commanding officer will chat to bless our relationship for a fee: Commanders do not collect relationship fees.
21. I am stuck at an airport in transit and need cash: The military issues travel orders and funds government travel.
22. My bank froze my pay due to deployment. Send funds: Pay is handled by DFAS and does not freeze because of deployment.
23. I won a military lottery or contract and you are my beneficiary: There is no such lottery, and contracts do not name random beneficiaries.
24. I need you to receive and forward packages for me: This often makes you an unwitting money mule or fence.
25. I cannot talk to your friend or meet your family online due to “classification”: Abusers isolate targets. Classification is not a blanket excuse to avoid basic social contact.

Practical Verification Script You Can Use

Do not try to play detective. You are setting simple, reasonable conditions that any real service member can meet without risk or drama. Your aim is to slow the conversation, move it into official channels, and avoid sharing private data or money.

The script to send

You can copy and paste this note to anyone claiming to be a service member. Send it once, then wait.

“Before we continue, please send a brief email from your .mil address that includes this exact line: ‘I received your note and I consent to a routine identity check.’”

“Also, please share the phone number for your unit’s Public Affairs Office so I can route any public questions through them. I will not accept scans of IDs, orders, or requests for money, gift cards, crypto, couriers, or third party handlers.”

Keep it short. Do not negotiate. Do not add personal details.

Why this works

• • A real service member has a .mil email and can send a short, non sensitive sentence. You are asking for a unique line to reduce the chance of a recycled message.
  • Public Affairs Offices exist to handle outside contact. If the person is legitimate and authorized to speak, PAO can coordinate.
  • Scans of IDs, CACs, or orders are illegal to share and easy to fake. Refusing them keeps you safe and removes a common scam tactic.
  • Clear money boundaries end most fraud attempts quickly.

How to send it

• • Prefer text inside the app you are already using. Avoid clicking new links they provide.
  • Do not give your personal email. Ask them to send to a dedicated address you control or to a form that does not expose private info.
  • Screenshot your message for your records.

What to expect from a real service member

• • A calm, brief reply from a .mil address with your exact sentence.
  • A unit Public Affairs Office phone number you can find listed on an official site.
  • No pressure for money, gift cards, crypto, or couriers.
  • Respect for your caution.

Common pushbacks and how to answer

“Email is restricted in my location.”
“Thanks for understanding my caution. A single line from a .mil address is the minimum I can accept. If that is not possible, we should pause.”

“PAO cannot be involved because this is personal.”
“I only route public questions through PAO, not private matters. If they cannot confirm contact details, I will step back.”

“I cannot show anything due to classification.”
“Understood. I am not asking for sensitive details, only a basic proof of life through standard channels. If even that is not possible, I will step back.”

“Trust me and send help now.”
“I do not send money or assets to anyone online. If there is a legitimate need, your chain of command can address it.”

“Use this Gmail or WhatsApp for my commander.”
“I only use .mil or official numbers for unit contact. I will step back otherwise.”

If they pass the email step

Treat the .mil email as one data point, not final proof.

• • Call the Public Affairs Office yourself using a number you locate independently. Ask for general confirmation that a service member by that name and rank is assigned to that unit and whether personal interviews are appropriate.
  • If and only if you have lawful purpose and written consent, you can use the Defense Manpower Data Center Servicemembers Civil Relief Act active duty status tool to confirm service status. Handle any identifiers with care and never collect more than needed.
  • Request a brief, ordinary live video hello at a neutral time. No uniforms needed. Natural, unscripted interaction beats photos.

Red flags that end the conversation

• • Any request for money, gift cards, crypto, or payment for leave, rations, phones, couriers, customs, or “release fees.”
  • Refusal to use .mil email or to provide a PAO number.
  • Demands for secrecy, urgency, or isolation from friends and family.
  • Attempts to move you to private couriers, third party “handlers,” or personal bank accounts.
  • Claims of being a “UN soldier” or “NATO Marine,” which do not exist as personal service identities.

End the Connection

A simple line you can send when a red flag appears:

“I am ending this conversation and will not send money or personal information. Take care.”

Then block and report on the platform.

Safety and privacy reminders

• • Never accept or store images of military IDs, CACs, or orders.
  • Do not share your legal name, home address, workplace, or financial data.
  • Do not click links sent by the claimant.
  • If threats or doxxing occur, capture evidence and report to platform support and local authorities.

Quick checklist

• • Did you ask for a unique line from a .mil address?
  • Did you request the unit’s Public Affairs Office number?
  • Did you refuse IDs, orders, and all money requests?
  • Did you verify any number independently?
  • Did you stop at the first red flag?

Use this script as a line in the sand. Real service members understand caution. Scammers push for speed and secrecy. Your job is simple. Slow down, stay in official channels, never pay, and walk away at the first pressure.

What To Do If You Suspect an Impostor

• Stop all payments and stop sharing personal information.
• Save everything: profiles, messages, numbers, and receipts.
• Report to the platform, your bank or payment app, and the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center.
• If money or packages are involved, talk to your bank promptly and consider a police report.
• Seek support. Scam victims carry heavy shame and shock, and trauma-informed support helps recovery.

More SCARS Institute Information

• United States Military ID Cards – How To Spot Fakes – [UPDATED 2025]
• U.S. Army Scammers / Fake Soldier Romance Scams
• United States Military & Social Media

Official U.S. Department of War Information

• U.S. Army CID Cybercrime Prevention Flyers
• Social Media Security: Tips From an Army Special Agent > U.S. Department of Defense > Defense Department News
• Have a Question? Defense.gov’s Got Answers > U.S. Department of Defense > Story
• DoD Warns Troops, Families to be Cyber Crime Smart > U.S. Department of Defense > Defense Department News
• Report a Crime > U.S. Department of Defense > Article

Military Acronyms and Abbreviation

These can be used to test a fake soldier’s knowledge, but remember they can look them up too.

• AAR – After Action Review
• ACFT – Army Combat Fitness Test
• ACU – Army Combat Uniform
• AIT – Advanced Individual Training
• AO – Area of Operations
• APO – Army Post Office
• ASVAB – Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery
• AWOL – Absent Without Leave
• BAH – Basic Allowance for Housing
• BAS – Basic Allowance for Subsistence
• BCT – Basic Combat Training
• BDE – Brigade
• BDU – Battle Dress Uniform
• BLC – Basic Leader Course
• BN – Battalion
• CAC – Common Access Card
• CBRN – Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear
• COC – Chain of Command
• COCOM – Combatant Command
• CONUS – Continental United States
• COP – Combat Outpost
• CO – Commanding Officer or Company (context)
• DFAC – Dining Facility
• DITY – Do-It-Yourself move
• PPM – Personally Procured Move
• DOD – Department of Defense
• DOR – Date of Rank
• ECP – Entry Control Point
• EO – Equal Opportunity
• EOD – Explosive Ordnance Disposal
• FDC – Fire Direction Center
• FMTV – Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles
• FOB – Forward Operating Base
• FRAGO – Fragmentary Order
• FRG – Family Readiness Group
• SFRG – Soldier and Family Readiness Group
• FTX – Field Training Exercise
• FY – Fiscal Year
• HAZMAT – Hazardous Materials
• HHC – Headquarters and Headquarters Company
• HRC – Human Resources Command
• IED – Improvised Explosive Device
• IPB – Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield
• IOT – In order to
• IRR – Individual Ready Reserve
• JAG – Judge Advocate General
• JRTC – Joint Readiness Training Center
• KIA – Killed in Action
• LOD – Line of Duty
• LZ – Landing Zone
• MEDEVAC – Medical Evacuation
• METL – Mission Essential Task List
• METT-TC – Mission, Enemy, Terrain and weather, Troops and support, Time, Civil considerations
• MIA – Missing in Action
• MRE – Meal, Ready-to-Eat
• MRAP – Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected
• MOS – Military Occupational Specialty
• MTOE – Modified Table of Organization and Equipment
• NATO – North Atlantic Treaty Organization
• NCO – Noncommissioned Officer
• NCOER – NCO Evaluation Report
• NLT – No Later Than
• OCONUS – Outside Continental United States
• OCS – Officer Candidate School
• OER – Officer Evaluation Report
• OEF – Operation Enduring Freedom
• OIF – Operation Iraqi Freedom
• OP – Observation Post
• OPORD – Operations Order
• OPSEC – Operations Security
• ORP – Objective Rally Point
• PAO – Public Affairs Office
• PCS – Permanent Change of Station
• PII – Personally Identifiable Information
• PME – Professional Military Education
• PMCS – Preventive Maintenance Checks and Services
• POV – Privately Owned Vehicle
• PT – Physical Training
• PX – Post Exchange
• QRF – Quick Reaction Force
• R&R – Rest and Recuperation
• ROE – Rules of Engagement
• RTO – Radio Telephone Operator
• SHARP – Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention
• SITREP – Situation Report
• SJA – Staff Judge Advocate
• SME – Subject Matter Expert
• SOFA – Status of Forces Agreement
• SOP – Standard Operating Procedure
• SRP – Soldier Readiness Processing
• TA-50 – Individual equipment issue listing
• TDY – Temporary Duty
• TOC – Tactical Operations Center
• TTP – Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures
• UCMJ – Uniform Code of Military Justice
• UXO – Unexploded Ordnance
• VBIED – Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device
• S1 – Personnel staff section
• S2 – Intelligence staff section
• VA – Department of Veterans Affairs

Glossary

• Advance-fee scam — a fraud that invents an up-front payment (fees, taxes, “processing”) to release nonexistent money or goods.
• APO/FPO — official U.S. military postal addresses; never require private couriers, “green fees,” or gift cards from senders.
• Betrayal trauma — the profound psychological injury that follows discovering care and commitment were counterfeited to extract resources.
• CAC (Common Access Card) — an official DoD identification card; sharing images is illegal and trivially faked by scammers.
• Chain of command — the formal authority path in military units; leave, pay, and approvals move through this, not private payers.
• Classification — rules limiting what information may be shared; not a blanket excuse to avoid basic proof of life or neutral contact.
• Customs “release fee” — a fake payment claim used to pressure targets to “free” a parcel that does not exist.
• Deepfake — synthetic media that swaps faces or voices; one reason spontaneous live video is safer than photos.
• DFAS (Defense Finance and Accounting Service) — the U.S. pay authority for service members; pay does not “freeze” due to deployment.
• DMDC / SCRA status check — a consent-based, lawful way to confirm active duty via the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act portal.
• Doxxing — publishing private information to intimidate or control; preserve evidence and report if threatened.
• “Green fee” — a bogus postage or access charge scammers attach to APO/FPO mail to justify payment requests.
• “Handler” — a fake third-party who supposedly manages money or wires for a deployed member; a hallmark of fraud.
• Humanitarian leave “fee” — a nonexistent charge scammers invent to rush targets into sending money.
• Identity theft — the reuse of real service members’ names and photos to build impostor profiles that harvest trust.
• Impersonation profile — a fake social or dating identity built from stolen images, scripted bios, and military jargon.
• Live video “proof of life” — a brief, ordinary, unscripted video interaction that resists recycled photos and deepfakes.
• Money mule — a person who receives or forwards funds or goods for criminals, often unknowingly, risking legal exposure.
• “NATO Marine” — a fictitious title used to sound official; nations contribute forces, but ranks remain national.
• OPSEC (operational security) — practices that safeguard missions; does not prohibit neutral contact or basic verification.
• Official military email (.mil) — controlled email domain for U.S. forces; a short, unique-line message is one useful data point, not final proof.
• PAO (Public Affairs Office) — the unit office that coordinates all external inquiries and media; a safe, official contact channel.
• Pig-butchering — long-con investment fraud that grooms trust, then escalates deposits; often a pivot from romance scams.
• “Proof of leave” — fake documents or screenshots offered to justify payment; leave never requires civilian funds.
• “Release package” claim — a scripted pretext that a parcel with valuables is stuck until a private fee is paid.
• Romance scam — a deception that manufactures intimacy to obtain money, data, or criminal logistics.
• Satellite phone “fee” — a fabricated cost used to extract money under the guise of communication expenses.
• Secret relationship demand — pressure to avoid family, friends, or third-party verification; a classic isolation tactic.
• SCRA (Servicemembers Civil Relief Act) — U.S. law that, among other things, enables official status checks with consent.
• Stepped care — matching needs to the right level of help (peer support, therapy, legal advice) rather than over- or under-servicing.
• “UN soldier” — a misleading label; personnel remain members of their national forces even on UN missions.
• Verification script — a short message that sets nonnegotiable, official-channel checks and refuses money or documents.
• “We can only talk on [app]” — an isolation tactic to control the channel and avoid scrutiny or platform reporting.
• Wire transfer to “unit handler” — a fraudulent instruction to route money to criminals posing as finance contacts.