Blaze
08-16-2010, 08:29 PM
Technology a blessing, curse for deployed troops trying to stay connected with loved ones
By Pamela E. Walck
Ginger Cucolo knew something was fishy when her husband's online Skype account still wasn't set up for video calls.
Then he started ending all his sentences in "Love."
That didn't sound like her Tony.
"It was when Tony first deployed," said Ginger Cucolo, wife of Maj. Gen. Tony Cucolo, the 3rd Infantry Division's commanding general. "We were Skyping, but the visual still wasn't on so it was basically like texting back and fourth. After the third day of the visual not working, I realized either something is wrong, or you're not my husband."
When her husband called a day later - allowing them a conversation longer than the brief moments they had shared online - he confirmed her suspicions. He had been so busy getting his troops situated in Iraq that he still hadn't set up his Skype account.
She was gobsmacked.
The person with the Army-issued command photo of the two-star general was an imposter.
"I am not the Lone Ranger in this," said Maj. Gen. Cucolo during a recent phone interview from Camp Speicher, Iraq. "There are scams out there.
"I've had ... instances where someone has impersonated me, with everything from fake Skyping and Facebook accounts to fake e-mails of all types."
He is quick to note this happens with even greater frequency among the rank-and-file troops deployed to places such as Iraq and Afghanistan.
So much so that the Army's Criminal Investigation Division issued press releases earlier this year alerting the public to watch out for such scams - especially when the "soldier" starts asking for money.
'Hundreds' of cases
"In the past six to eight months, I've seen hundreds of cases, from majors and lower-level officers, to mid-level ranks and everything in between," said Christopher Grey, spokesman for the Army's Criminal Investigation Division based in northern Virginia. "It happens, quite frankly, from Australia to Ireland."
Grey said it's difficult to investigate cases such as these because many are coming from foreign shores, such as Nigeria and Angola, where earlier scams came in the form of e-mails asking U.S. citizens for bank account numbers so a God-fearing, benevolent person could wire $8 million to them for "safe keeping."
"The bottom line is you just don't send money to someone you haven't met and only know from the Internet," Grey said.
"I brought it up to everyone in our command group and told them to please just watch out for this," Ginger Cucolo said of her Skype experience. "I kind of just laughed it off at first ... but I've asked the other spouses to please watch what they're doing, even on Facebook for that matter.
"I don't want them to be afraid, but I do want them to cautious. It is the world we live in and they need to be careful."
And while Ginger Cucolo quickly put the incident behind her, the modern-day world and easy access to information online caught up with the Cucolos shortly after the Skype incident.
"A woman contacted our daughter on Facebook, just to say she really liked her dad and had a picture of him with his ex-wife (me)," Ginger Cucolo said. "At first, I was jealous. Then she ended up contacting me and that's when she found out Tony was not divorced and that she was being taken.
"I am glad that they have contacted me, but it's just horrible for them."
Over the course of this deployment, Ginger Cucolo said she has befriended three of the victims on her Facebook account. She knows there was an innocence on their part, and several lost money to the scams.
She said the overall tally of broken hearts is up to about 18 women from all over the world, ranging in nationalities from English and Australian to Iranian and Swedish.
Some are widows, many are divorced.
All are lonely.
Each one, she said, was very embarrassed when they learned they had been scammed.
"It's just so unfortunate," Ginger Cucolo said.
Don't believe what you read
In December, only two months into his deployment, a profile popped up for Maj. Gen. Cucolo on PerfSpot, a social networking site.
In it, "Tony Cucolo" described himself as "a kind hearten [sic] man and Humble with a good heart."
It goes on to say that friends and family "never have to question whether the words I say are sincere."
But these were not the words of the 3rd ID's commanding general - despite the official U.S. Army portrait and an extensive profile listing everything from his preferred activities (boxing/kickboxing) and beverages of choice (Lemon Iced Tea) to favorite books (Bible and anything by J.K. Rowling.)
Instead, they were the detailed workings of someone posing as the commander.
The owner of this "Tony Cucolo" page has since removed the official photo and locked the profile to a secured setting.
In a recent search of the 3rd ID's command staff, a similar PerfSpot profile - without a photo and secured - existed for Brig. Gen. Patrick Donahue, the Marne Division's deputy commanding general-maneuver.
In a similar fashion, two weeks ago, CNN reported a story about an American woman who fell in love with a man she thought was deployed, only to learn after wiring him thousands of dollars her soldier was a scammer using the image and name of a young man who had died in combat.
Since those initial media reports, the Army's Criminal Investigation Division's Grey said the scammers have begun changing their tactics.
"The bottom line is they are not as good as they think," he said.
In the case of the 3rd ID's commanding general, Maj. Gen. Cucolo said he has developed a standard operating procedure.
"Well, the first thing you do is tell your wife, at least in my case, I do," he said with a chuckle.
He then notifies the FBI.
"What I have tried to do with the help of my personal staff and Ginger is we engage the victim, because eventually the victim comes around," he said.
With the victim on board, the Cucolos try to track down the imposter.
"In very short terms, when we find them, we tell them to knock it off," he said.
'Ridiculous claims'
Grey said the stories, much like the Cucolos' experiences, all start the same.
"(The scammers) start a dating relationship with the victims by stealing the identity of a U.S. soldier, sometimes deceased ones, and marry it up with photographs," Grey said. "Then, a few weeks into the 'relationship' they start singing a sad song about having to buy leave papers ... or specialized phones or laptops.
"They make a lot of ridiculous claims, and people who aren't familiar with the military respond because they are trying to help them, so they start sending money. Thousands and thousands of dollars are spent."
Maj. Gen. Cucolo said it is upsetting to think the scammers are benefitting from the benevolence of others - and in the process tarnishing the reputations of American troops.
"It's very frustrating, when I stop and think about it," he said. "And news of people misrepresenting the families of the wounded or families of the killed, that's absolutely horrible."
What to look for
-- If you do start an Internet-based relationship with someone, check them out. Research what they are telling you with someone who would know, such as a current or former service member.
-- Be very suspicious if you never get to actually speak with the person on the phone or are told you cannot write or receive letters in the mail. Servicemen and women serving overseas will often have an APO or FPO mailing address. Internet or not, service members always appreciate a letter in the mail.
-- Be extremely suspicious if you are asked for money for transportation costs, communication fees or marriage processing and medical fees.
-- Many of the negative claims made about the military and the supposed lack of support and services provided to troops overseas are far from reality - check the facts.
-- Be very suspicious if you are asked to send money or ship property to a third party or company. Oftentimes the company exists, but has no idea or is not a part of the scam.
-- Be aware of common spelling, grammatical or language errors in the e-mails.
Where to go for help
-- Report the theft to the Federal Trade Commission, by going online at www.ftc.gov/idtheft; by phone at 1-877-ID-THEFT (438-4338) or TTY, 1-866-653-4261 or by mail: Identity Theft Clearinghouse, Federal Trade Commission, Washington, D.C. 20580.
-- Report the fraud to the Federal Trade Commission on Nigerian Scams by sending an e-mail to spam@uce.gov.
-- Report the theft to the Internet Crime Complaint Center by going online at www.ic3.gov/default.aspx.
-- Report the theft to one of your local law enforcement agencies: FBI: www.fbi.gov/homepage.htm; U.S. Secret Service: www.secretservice.gov; U.S. Postal Inspection Service: postalinspectors.uspis.gov.
-- If you are in the Army, report fraud to the United States Army Criminal Investigation Command: www.cid.army.mil.
-- If you are in the Navy, report fraud to the United States Navy Criminal Investigative Service: www.ncis.navy.mil.
-- If you are in the Air Force, report fraud to the United States Air Force Office of Special of Special Investigations: www.osi.andrews.af.mil.
-- If you are in the Coast Guard, report fraud to the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service: www.uscg.mil/hq/cg2/cgis.
Source: U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division
http://savannahnow.com/news/2010-08-15/scammers-hit-3rd-ids-top-brass
2 more notes.
Cam feeds can be captured and used to spoof another person.
Be suspicious if the cam does not match the actions being typed.
Communications can be fed through a slave computer with or without the person on the slave computer participating in the slight.
Be aware of anomalies in visual, written, and audio clues
By Pamela E. Walck
Ginger Cucolo knew something was fishy when her husband's online Skype account still wasn't set up for video calls.
Then he started ending all his sentences in "Love."
That didn't sound like her Tony.
"It was when Tony first deployed," said Ginger Cucolo, wife of Maj. Gen. Tony Cucolo, the 3rd Infantry Division's commanding general. "We were Skyping, but the visual still wasn't on so it was basically like texting back and fourth. After the third day of the visual not working, I realized either something is wrong, or you're not my husband."
When her husband called a day later - allowing them a conversation longer than the brief moments they had shared online - he confirmed her suspicions. He had been so busy getting his troops situated in Iraq that he still hadn't set up his Skype account.
She was gobsmacked.
The person with the Army-issued command photo of the two-star general was an imposter.
"I am not the Lone Ranger in this," said Maj. Gen. Cucolo during a recent phone interview from Camp Speicher, Iraq. "There are scams out there.
"I've had ... instances where someone has impersonated me, with everything from fake Skyping and Facebook accounts to fake e-mails of all types."
He is quick to note this happens with even greater frequency among the rank-and-file troops deployed to places such as Iraq and Afghanistan.
So much so that the Army's Criminal Investigation Division issued press releases earlier this year alerting the public to watch out for such scams - especially when the "soldier" starts asking for money.
'Hundreds' of cases
"In the past six to eight months, I've seen hundreds of cases, from majors and lower-level officers, to mid-level ranks and everything in between," said Christopher Grey, spokesman for the Army's Criminal Investigation Division based in northern Virginia. "It happens, quite frankly, from Australia to Ireland."
Grey said it's difficult to investigate cases such as these because many are coming from foreign shores, such as Nigeria and Angola, where earlier scams came in the form of e-mails asking U.S. citizens for bank account numbers so a God-fearing, benevolent person could wire $8 million to them for "safe keeping."
"The bottom line is you just don't send money to someone you haven't met and only know from the Internet," Grey said.
"I brought it up to everyone in our command group and told them to please just watch out for this," Ginger Cucolo said of her Skype experience. "I kind of just laughed it off at first ... but I've asked the other spouses to please watch what they're doing, even on Facebook for that matter.
"I don't want them to be afraid, but I do want them to cautious. It is the world we live in and they need to be careful."
And while Ginger Cucolo quickly put the incident behind her, the modern-day world and easy access to information online caught up with the Cucolos shortly after the Skype incident.
"A woman contacted our daughter on Facebook, just to say she really liked her dad and had a picture of him with his ex-wife (me)," Ginger Cucolo said. "At first, I was jealous. Then she ended up contacting me and that's when she found out Tony was not divorced and that she was being taken.
"I am glad that they have contacted me, but it's just horrible for them."
Over the course of this deployment, Ginger Cucolo said she has befriended three of the victims on her Facebook account. She knows there was an innocence on their part, and several lost money to the scams.
She said the overall tally of broken hearts is up to about 18 women from all over the world, ranging in nationalities from English and Australian to Iranian and Swedish.
Some are widows, many are divorced.
All are lonely.
Each one, she said, was very embarrassed when they learned they had been scammed.
"It's just so unfortunate," Ginger Cucolo said.
Don't believe what you read
In December, only two months into his deployment, a profile popped up for Maj. Gen. Cucolo on PerfSpot, a social networking site.
In it, "Tony Cucolo" described himself as "a kind hearten [sic] man and Humble with a good heart."
It goes on to say that friends and family "never have to question whether the words I say are sincere."
But these were not the words of the 3rd ID's commanding general - despite the official U.S. Army portrait and an extensive profile listing everything from his preferred activities (boxing/kickboxing) and beverages of choice (Lemon Iced Tea) to favorite books (Bible and anything by J.K. Rowling.)
Instead, they were the detailed workings of someone posing as the commander.
The owner of this "Tony Cucolo" page has since removed the official photo and locked the profile to a secured setting.
In a recent search of the 3rd ID's command staff, a similar PerfSpot profile - without a photo and secured - existed for Brig. Gen. Patrick Donahue, the Marne Division's deputy commanding general-maneuver.
In a similar fashion, two weeks ago, CNN reported a story about an American woman who fell in love with a man she thought was deployed, only to learn after wiring him thousands of dollars her soldier was a scammer using the image and name of a young man who had died in combat.
Since those initial media reports, the Army's Criminal Investigation Division's Grey said the scammers have begun changing their tactics.
"The bottom line is they are not as good as they think," he said.
In the case of the 3rd ID's commanding general, Maj. Gen. Cucolo said he has developed a standard operating procedure.
"Well, the first thing you do is tell your wife, at least in my case, I do," he said with a chuckle.
He then notifies the FBI.
"What I have tried to do with the help of my personal staff and Ginger is we engage the victim, because eventually the victim comes around," he said.
With the victim on board, the Cucolos try to track down the imposter.
"In very short terms, when we find them, we tell them to knock it off," he said.
'Ridiculous claims'
Grey said the stories, much like the Cucolos' experiences, all start the same.
"(The scammers) start a dating relationship with the victims by stealing the identity of a U.S. soldier, sometimes deceased ones, and marry it up with photographs," Grey said. "Then, a few weeks into the 'relationship' they start singing a sad song about having to buy leave papers ... or specialized phones or laptops.
"They make a lot of ridiculous claims, and people who aren't familiar with the military respond because they are trying to help them, so they start sending money. Thousands and thousands of dollars are spent."
Maj. Gen. Cucolo said it is upsetting to think the scammers are benefitting from the benevolence of others - and in the process tarnishing the reputations of American troops.
"It's very frustrating, when I stop and think about it," he said. "And news of people misrepresenting the families of the wounded or families of the killed, that's absolutely horrible."
What to look for
-- If you do start an Internet-based relationship with someone, check them out. Research what they are telling you with someone who would know, such as a current or former service member.
-- Be very suspicious if you never get to actually speak with the person on the phone or are told you cannot write or receive letters in the mail. Servicemen and women serving overseas will often have an APO or FPO mailing address. Internet or not, service members always appreciate a letter in the mail.
-- Be extremely suspicious if you are asked for money for transportation costs, communication fees or marriage processing and medical fees.
-- Many of the negative claims made about the military and the supposed lack of support and services provided to troops overseas are far from reality - check the facts.
-- Be very suspicious if you are asked to send money or ship property to a third party or company. Oftentimes the company exists, but has no idea or is not a part of the scam.
-- Be aware of common spelling, grammatical or language errors in the e-mails.
Where to go for help
-- Report the theft to the Federal Trade Commission, by going online at www.ftc.gov/idtheft; by phone at 1-877-ID-THEFT (438-4338) or TTY, 1-866-653-4261 or by mail: Identity Theft Clearinghouse, Federal Trade Commission, Washington, D.C. 20580.
-- Report the fraud to the Federal Trade Commission on Nigerian Scams by sending an e-mail to spam@uce.gov.
-- Report the theft to the Internet Crime Complaint Center by going online at www.ic3.gov/default.aspx.
-- Report the theft to one of your local law enforcement agencies: FBI: www.fbi.gov/homepage.htm; U.S. Secret Service: www.secretservice.gov; U.S. Postal Inspection Service: postalinspectors.uspis.gov.
-- If you are in the Army, report fraud to the United States Army Criminal Investigation Command: www.cid.army.mil.
-- If you are in the Navy, report fraud to the United States Navy Criminal Investigative Service: www.ncis.navy.mil.
-- If you are in the Air Force, report fraud to the United States Air Force Office of Special of Special Investigations: www.osi.andrews.af.mil.
-- If you are in the Coast Guard, report fraud to the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service: www.uscg.mil/hq/cg2/cgis.
Source: U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division
http://savannahnow.com/news/2010-08-15/scammers-hit-3rd-ids-top-brass
2 more notes.
Cam feeds can be captured and used to spoof another person.
Be suspicious if the cam does not match the actions being typed.
Communications can be fed through a slave computer with or without the person on the slave computer participating in the slight.
Be aware of anomalies in visual, written, and audio clues