New scam targets military spouses

Air Force Link ^ | 05/31/2007

[Spruce]

5/31/2007 - WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- The American Red Cross is warning military spouses about a new identity-theft scam that targets family members of deployed troops.

The Red Cross was alerted of the scam earlier this month, said Devorah Goldburg of the Red Cross.

The scam involves a person with an American accent calling a military spouse, identifying herself as a representative of the Red Cross, and telling the spouse that her husband was hurt in Iraq and was medically evacuated to Germany. The caller then says that doctors can't start treatment until paperwork is completed, and that to start the paperwork they need the spouse to verify her husband's social security number and date of birth.

It is hard to determine how many spouses have been targeted by this scam, Ms. Goldburg said, as there are many ways for spouses to report problems like this. However, one confirmed report was enough for the Red Cross to act, she said.

"We know that it happened to one person; it was probably going to happen to others, and we wanted to be prudent and alert people," she said.

American Red Cross representatives typically do not contact military members or dependents directly and almost always go through a commander or first sergeant, according to a Red Cross news release. Military family members are urged not to give out any personal information over the phone if contacted by unknown individuals, including confirmation that their spouse is deployed.

In addition, Red Cross representatives contact military members or dependents directly only in response to an emergency message initiated by a family member, the news release said. The Red Cross does not report any type of casualty information to family members; the Defense Department will contact families directly about family members' injuries.

It is a federal crime, punishable by up to five years in prison, for a person to fraudulently pretend to be a member of, or an agent for, the American Red Cross for the purpose of soliciting, collecting, or receiving money or material, according to the news release. Any military family member who receives such a call is urged to report it to his or her local family readiness group or military personnel flight.

[Spruce]

This is absolutely despicable. The perps should be handed-over to the Marines for bayonet practice.

[DesScorp]

Some crimes should be punishable by firing squad.

[FormerLib]

Nah, don’t use bayonets, that will only speed up the process.

[traditional1]

Probably ACORN operatives, lining up votes for Democrats in 2008....using identity theft.

As far as taking advantage of the military spouses, I have no problem with the death penalty in those cases.

[gridlock]

The scammers probably bought the call lists from InfoUSA...

[GovernmentShrinker]

It is despicable, but any military spouse who would fall for this must have an IQ well below room temperature.

hurt in Iraq . . . medically evacuated to Germany . . . doctors can't start treatment until paperwork is completed, and that to start the paperwork they need the spouse to verify her husband's social security number and date of birth

Please. I know our military is prone to bureaucratic screw-ups but they obviously don't have doctors standing around at Landstuhl looking at injured soldiers just med-evaced in from Iraq, and saying "He needs surgery right away, but I can't start until his wife in Idaho tells us his social security number and date of birth" (without seeing or speaking to the soldier to determine whether it's even her husband!).

[Red Badger]

I would seriously consider a baseball bat (wood, not metal) to be a good reforming tool for use on these people.............

[lilylangtree]

Bad, bad, bad!

[Centurion2000]

I wonder if the list of names is from that lost laptop from the VA? Maybe the SSN information was encrypted but everything else was in the clear.

[Calpernia]

My thoughts too.

[EGPWS]

The scam involves a person with an American accent calling a military spouse, identifying herself as a representative of the Red Cross, and telling the spouse that her husband was hurt in Iraq and was medically evacuated to Germany.

Why isn't the agenda of this scam explained in the article?

[USMCWife6869]

I got this from my KV yesterday. It sucks. I hate people that do these things.

I got a letter from DFAS saying that they had changed his password and giving me the new one and entering it. I was so afraid to do it, I waited until my husband called me and met with his SNCOIC to confirm it was legit. It stinks that it has come to this.

[USMCWife6869]

I would assume that the agenda for getting social security information from them would be the same as any other scam. Identity Theft.

[AwesomePossum]

The scammers probably bought the call lists from InfoUSA...

If so........... would derSlickmeister continue cashing his checks from InfoUSA? I think he would...........

[EGPWS]

I would assume that the agenda for getting social security information from them would be the same as any other scam. Identity Theft.

I would assume the same, however why isn't it stated as a reason?

[EGPWS]

Some crimes should be punishable by firing squad.

Now that doesn't sound very progressive....

You obviously aren't a liberal. ; )

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

There really are two Wars....one is over here....

There is a book (now available in paperback ):

***********************

Unholy Alliance: Radical Islam and the American Left
(Hardcover)
by David Horowitz

********************************************************

And reviews:

****************************************

Editorial Reviews

Rich Lowry, Editor National Review

David Horowitz is synonymous with pyrotechnics. A historian and polemicist of the first order, he is paid the ultimate compliment --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Davis Hanson, Author, Ripples of Battle

An original look at those who want us to fail in the Middle East, both at home and abroad. The --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

***********************************************************

See all Editorial Reviews

Fascinating Analysis of Leftist Goals, August 13, 2006

Reviewer: N. Sincerity - See all my reviews

A former 1960s radical, Horowitz is well-acquainted with the Leftist mindset. In this book, he strives to explain the modern alliance between left wing progressivists and radical Islamofascists. He argues that this alliance is based on a common desire to destroy Western capitalism. Leftist sympathy with Islamofascist ideas makes no sense from an intellectual point of view, given that countries ruled by radical Islamists are among the most racist, sexist, theocratic states in the world today. However, Leftists have recognized that they can benefit politically from destructive terrorist attacks on the Western world. A West under attack can be made to turn on its leaders in fear and desperation (as they did in Spain after the Madrid train bombings). Only once people reject current government structures can the Left execute its anti-capitalist revolution and build a new reality that mirrors the Leftist view of utopia.

The complete and utter idealogical hypocrisy of the Islamofascist-Leftist alliance is distressing, but as Horowitz reminds us,

Leftists radicals truly believe the ends justify the means.

***************************************

[Howard Jarvis Admirer]

Actually, I remember reading that something like this happened during WWII, scammers would bilk German war widows out of their German government death insurance money. The scammers were tried in a German court and sentenced to a year or so in jail for fraud. A German magazine wrote about what happened and Hitler read about it - and ordered the scammers to be executed. Something similar should happen here to the scammers.

[SFC Chromey]

thought you’d be interested...

[Lady J USA 1981]

This is just sick....