Scammers prey on servicemembers

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Janine Thibault
  • 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  People work hard to achieve their own goals, but what happens when a stranger begins to interfere with your plans?

Scams can include any trick used to gain information, money or resources. This is done by preying on a person until they can piece together information or convince the individual to meet the scammers' needs. Even though servicemembers are a prominent part of the nation, they are still targeted like everyone else.

"Anytime someone has access to your personal information, they may try to work a scam on you to get more information, whether it's your social security number, date of birth, name or address," said Investigator Anthony Mosher, 354th Security Forces Squadron branch chief of intelligence and investigations. "Once they start putting together all that information, they literally have control of your financial life."

Scams can be run in a variety of ways using new technology as well as old methods.

Computer scams often deal with companies and websites people trust. For instance, Facebook users are encouraged to input their personal information including their phone number and address, which if used by the wrong person could result in their identity being stolen.

"That's a big thing right now -- people need to protect their identity because there is not really much you can do once identity theft happens," said Investigator Jessica Baker, 354th Security Forces.

Scammers have also used real and false names to sell fraudulent items on Ebay and Craigslist, hoping someone will accept the offer and pay for an item that will never be sent. There are also email scams that ask for personal information. The email is sent so it looks like it is from a reputable person or company, but after the victim sends the requested information, scammers are fully equipped to access personal accounts of their choosing.

"Military members have a steady paycheck and drive nice cars. If they're a good, scammer they know who to target, and that'll be people with money," said Investigator Mosher.

Although there are not many mail fraud cases reported on base, they still happen, and precautions should be taken when disposing of personal mail.

"If it has any personal information at all, shred it," said Investigator Mosher. "There are dumpster divers everywhere, both on-base and off-base. There are people that regularly go to off-base transit or dump sites that are going through your garbage."

If a person is involved in a scam of any kind, one of their first actions should be to notify their banks and credit card companies so they can close or freeze their accounts. It is also important to account for what is missing and reestablish new bank accounts and credit lines, said Investigator Mosher.

Some banks will reimburse a person if he or she is the victim of a scam; that is not always guaranteed, however. It may be up to the victim to do the legwork to recover belongings.

Victims of a scam should also make a police report, and if it is believed a military member was the scammer, the 354th Security Forces Squadron investigations unit can look into that case. If the suspected scammer is civilian, the report must be made with the local police; if the suspect lives somewhere else, the report must be made in that town.

"Don't put your personal information out there," said Investigator Mosher. "Safeguard it like you're safeguarding your kids. Don't leave your information in plain sight. Whether or not you have friends coming to the house, put your stuff away."

By knowing about these scams and how they work, Airmen can take the appropriate steps to safeguard their information and prevent others from gaining access to their personal accounts.