Military Romance Scam: Fake US Army Leave Permit Requests (2026)

[Jewles74]

I just recently met this guy on meetme, who is suppose to be in the united states army and he is over in afghanastan. we started talking on the meetme website than he had asked me to remove myself from the dating site. He seems to be sweet and a true believer of god.
well I am new to this site and when I was going through the scammers pictures I recognize his picture to be on here. he has sent me several pictures and videos of himself, he told me he was divorced with two kids and his wife agreed to have a baby to another man while he was deployed in afghanastan,
He just recently started talking about taking a leave and he sent me a copy of the leave paper and at first he told me it would cost 350.00 for his leave and then I had asked him who was paying for that, he sent me an email telling me he just wanted me to have a copy of his leave paper.
His name he is going by is Brandt Johnson and his email is [email protected] and if anyone would notice at the bottom of the email it says sent from ANA MILITARY BASE DOD approve intel or it will say sent from S.A MILITARY BASE DOD approve intel now I don't know if this guy is the real guy or not, but I have asked him to Skype or get on viber so we could talk to each other but he told me he cant because of terrorist acts.
I do have his pictures and videos saved though and I am still talking to him, but I need to know if he is a scammer or not.

[Bryon Williams]

It is 100% a scam.

Military members do not pay for leave. They earn free leave each year. Also only the member can request leave through his chain of command. His wife, mother, children nor internet girlfriend can do this. Also they would never have contact with his chain of command.

Military members have access to their money. They also do not pay for phones, internet or medical.

Please stop all contact with the scammer. If you confront him he will continue to lie.



This is a warning from the Army about this scam.
http://www.army.mil/article/130861/Army ... nce_scams/

QUANTICO, Va. (July 30, 2014) -- Special Agents from the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, commonly known as CID, are once again warning internet users worldwide about cyber criminals involved in an online crime that CID has dubbed "the Romance Scam."

CID special agents continue to receive numerous reports from victims located around the world regarding various scams of persons impersonating U.S. Soldiers online. Victims are usually unsuspecting women, 30 to 55 years old, who believe they are romantically involved with an American Soldier, yet are being exploited and ultimately robbed, by perpetrators who strike from thousands of miles away.

"We cannot stress enough that people need to stop sending money to persons they meet on the internet and claim to be in the U.S. military," said Chris Grey, Army CID's spokesman.

"It is very troubling to hear these stories over and over again of people who have sent thousands of dollars to someone they have never met and sometimes have never even spoken to on the phone," Grey said.

The majority of the "romance scams," are being perpetrated on social media and dating-type websites where unsuspecting females are the main target.

The criminals are pretending to be U.S. servicemen, routinely serving in a combat zone. The perpetrators will often take the true rank and name of a U.S. Soldier who is honorably serving his country somewhere in the world, or has previously served and been honorably discharged, then marry that up with some photographs of a Soldier off the internet, and then build a false identity to begin prowling the internet for victims.

The scams often involve carefully worded romantic requests for money from the victim to purchase special laptop computers, international telephones, military leave papers, and transportation fees to be used by the fictitious "deployed Soldier" so their false relationship can continue. The scams include asking the victim to send money, often thousands of dollars at a time, to a third party address.

Once victims are hooked, the criminals continue their ruse.

"We've even seen instances where the perpetrators are asking the victims for money to purchase "leave papers" from the Army, help pay for medical expenses from combat wounds or help pay for their flight home so they can leave the war zone," said Grey.

These scams are outright theft and are a grave misrepresentation of the U.S. Army and the tremendous amount of support programs and mechanisms that exist for Soldiers today, especially those serving overseas, said Grey.

Along with the romance-type scams, CID has been receiving complaints from citizens worldwide that they have been the victims of other types of scams -- once again where a cyber crook is impersonating a U.S. service member. One version usually involves the sale of a vehicle; where the service member claims to be living overseas and has to quickly sell their vehicle because they are being sent to another duty station. After sending bogus information regarding the vehicle, the seller requests the buyer do a wire transfer to a third party to complete the purchase. When in reality, the entire exchange is a ruse for the crook to get the wire transfer and leave the buyer high and dry, with no vehicle.

Army CID continues to warn people to be very suspicious if they begin a relationship on the internet with someone claiming to be an American Soldier and within a matter of weeks, the alleged Soldier is asking for money, as well as discussing marriage.

The majority of these scams have a distinct pattern to them, explained Grey.

The perpetrators often tell the victims that their units do not have telephones or they are not allowed to make calls or they need money to "help keep the Army internet running." They often say they are widowers and raising a young child on their own to pull on the heartstrings of their victims.

"We've even seen where the criminals said that the Army won't allow the Soldier to access their personal bank accounts or credit cards," said Grey.

All lies, according to CID officials.

"These perpetrators, often from other countries, most notably from West African countries, are good at what they do and quite familiar with American culture, but the claims about the Army and its regulations are ridiculous," said Grey.

The Army reports that numerous very senior officers and enlisted Soldiers throughout the Army have had their identities stolen to be used in these scams.

To date, there have been no reports to Army CID indicating any U.S. service members have suffered any financial loss as a result of these attacks. Photographs and actual names of U.S. service members have been the only thing utilized. On the contrary, the victims have lost thousands.

One victim revealed that she had sent more than $60,000 to the scammer. Another victim from Great Britain told CID officials that over the course of a year, she had sent more than $75,000 to the con artists.

"The criminals are preying on the emotions and patriotism of their victims," added Grey.

The U.S. has established numerous task force organizations to deal with this and other growing issues; unfortunately, the people committing these scams are using untraceable email addresses on Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc., routing accounts through numerous locations around the world, and utilizing pay-per-hour Internet cyber cafes, which often times maintain no accountability of use. The ability of law enforcement to identify these perpetrators is very limited, so individuals must stay on the alert and be personally responsible to protect themselves.

"Another critical issue is we don't want victims who do not report this crime walking away and thinking that a U.S. serviceman has ripped them off when in fact that serviceman is honorably serving his country and often not even aware that his pictures or identity have been stolen," said Grey.

What to look for:

DON'T EVER SEND MONEY! Be extremely suspicious if you are asked for money for transportation costs, communication fees or marriage processing and medical fees.

Carefully check out the stories you are being told. If it sounds suspicious, there is a reason, it's routinely false -- trust your instincts.

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.

Military members have an email address that end in ".mil." If the person you are speaking with cannot sent you at least one email from a ".mil" (that will be the very LAST part of the address and nothing after), then there is a high probability they are not in the military.

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. Often times 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 emails.

Be cognizant of foreign and regional accents that do not match the person's story.

WHERE TO GO FOR HELP

Report the theft to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) (FBI-NW3C Partnership) at http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx.

Report the theft to the Federal Trade Commission at http://www.ftc.gov/idtheft.

Your report helps law enforcement officials across the United States in their investigations.

Report the theft by phone at 1-877-ID-THEFT (438-4338) or TTY, 1-866-653-4261.

Report the theft by mail at the following address:

Identity Theft Clearinghouse
Federal Trade Commission
Washington, DC 20580

Report the fraud by email to the Federal Trade Commission on Nigerian Scams via at [email protected].

For more information on CID, visit http://www.cid.army.mil.

[Tomibomb]

That's a Romance Scam for the purpose of identity theft. Look at my scammer:

Here is a very elaborate scammer: Someone posing as a U.S. military service member asking you to request a leave permit via email on their behalf with your name and location. Later another email will come asking for your detailed person information in order to approve the request. This one is Corporal Sharon B. Hillz, U.S. Army Tactical Instructor from Ohio stationed at Fort Sill, Lawton, Oklahoma. Age 36. The pictures she shows is supposedly her in her military gear with the last name of Bacon on her jacket. She says that is her middle name hence the middle initial B. Remove information educating scammers (BW) The email address "she" wants you to send the request to is [email protected]. "She" even has a Facebook page but only posts posters and memes. One of her Places Liked is Abuju, Nigeria. Not her email to you, but your email to her. I found her on Mingle2 dating website which her profile is now deactivated.

[eni56]

Hi ,

I'm dutch, so my englisch is'nt perfectly. It's a long time ago that there was some one told her/his story here in this topic.

But i recieved this morning a mail including a form no. : 90186 from [email protected]
This because i send a request to them to send a contact, who is military man, home.
He gave me his isaf number and i send it back. But i 'm afraid something is terrible wrong. Because in the policy of those form, there is a line what 's to me very strange.

BRITISH ARMY
MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY TO THE ARMY
POLICIES AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR A VOCATIONAL LEAVE REQUEST FROM ACTIVE DUTY.
Ø Deployed officer requesting for a vocational leave must have a reasonable motive of
applying. The request can only be made by His/Her spouse or fiancée.
Ø Officer leaving his country of deployment on a vocational leave request must have a
"Liberty Pass Card" with Him/Her at departure and arrival. Identification Card shall
suffice to identify a service member on authorized absence from service duty.
Ø Experience has shown that short term vacation from service duty tends to make
service men relent in their effort to return back to their country of deployment. So
officers on vocational leave are advice to speak to their commanding officer every
now and then.
Ø Officer on vocational leave is liable to receive some amount of money as a Leave Bonus and this can only be claimed by The Husband/Wife requesting for the leave on behalf of the officer. Leave bonus are granted to soldiers who are legible for a leave. When the leave process is complete your account information can be requested for so as to make the payment.
Ø The maximum of the leave period is three (3) Months unless on special cases or if the
Officer is quitting the military. Returning officer will be liable to leave his country of
deployment 72 hours after all the process is completed.
Ø During the period of the processing, some amount of money will be requested. These
charges are strictly refundable. The total amount spent will be returned afterward as
soon the officer’s safe arrival is confirmed.
Ø Spouse or fiancée requesting for a vocation leave on behalf of a deployed officer will
pay all necessary charges accordingly.

Is there anyone who could help e with this, i think it is fake..because of the money they ask..and the form was in a pdf ...

[AlanJones]

Hi eni56, it is a definite scam.

[email protected] is a free email address, which is not something the military of any country would use. Also, soldiers do not pay for leave and the military would not comunicate with outsiders.

Just block the scammer and don't respond to him any further.

Please can you also post the email address that the fake soldier is using.

[girmagic1]

Inline image 1 Inline image 2
*** DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE / UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ***

my mom received this email from a man she met on Facebook and I don't trust him.
he has a "mail2army.com" email address.
never heard of such a thing.
help.




Dear (deleted),

We are hereby to inform you that your Husband (Sgt. Robert Williams)'s permission for leave has been granted. Before he would be allow to come back home to be with you on the exact date we have chosen (MARCH 17th, 2016) and spend 3 weeks with you. Here are some facts you have to know and agree to the terms and conditions below:


In Our Department at Forth Sam Houston Zone Base San Antonio, Texas
Concerning the Permission for Leave


* HEALTH CARE: Active duty Soldiers and Reserve Component (RC) Soldiers who are ordered to active duty are generally entitled to free Service Provider Health Care and are automatically enrolled in a program called TRICARE Prime. TRICARE is the Department of Defense’s (DoD) medical entitlement program. TRICARE is free to Soldiers. For Family members, TRICARE may involve some out-of-pocket expenses. The cost varies depending on the soldier's Rank and the specific TRICARE program option in which the family member is enrolled. Health Care for the Soldier is almost available at the medical treatment facility located on the post where the Soldier is assigned. HEALTH CARE AND TRICARE IS FREE TO SOLDIERS.


* DENTAL CARE: The availability of Dental care will vary from post to post, but is usually available for Soldiers. However, Family Member Care is generally not available at Military Dental Facilities. Family Members may get Dental Insurance through the TRICARE DENTAL PROGRAM, which is managed by a Civilian Firm, United Concordia. This is a Dental Insurance Program in which you pay a monthly fee in exchange for Family coverage. It is a voluntary, cost effective, comprehensive program offered worldwide by the Department of Defense to Family Members of all active duty branches of the Military.


* ARMY PHYSICAL FITNESS TEST (APFT): The United States Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) is designed to test the muscular strength, endurance, and cardiovascular respiratory fitness of soldiers in the Army. PHYSICAL TEST AND EXAMINATION IS FREE TO SOLDIERS.


* MILITARY MOVES: Relocation is part of Army life. There is always a bit of excitement, anticipation, and adventure each time your Family relocates to a new duty station. Each move offers an opportunity to see new places and make new friendships. As part of the Army Family you have many entitlements when it is time to move. An entitlement is a payment or benefit that is allowed by law, such as basic allowance for housing; packing, shipping, and storage of household goods; and transportation costs. But to make the best of a move, you have to plan ahead and be prepared.

* WEIGHT ALLOWANCES: Your weight allowance is the amount (weight) of household goods, such
as furniture, pots and pans, dishes, appliances, odds and ends, musical instruments, clothing, etc., that the government will ship without charge. The movement of other items, such as boats and trailers, depends on
the Soldier’s rank and whether he or she has any dependents.


* TRAVEL: Every time you move, it will probably cost you some money out of pocket, but you can control some of those costs by the decisions you make. When the Army orders your spouse to a new duty location, you will probably be provided travel tickets (at no cost to you) unless it is to a new location within the Continental United States (CONUS). When moving within CONUS, most Families choose to drive their own car to the new location. When you do that, you will probably be given a travel allowance to help cover your
expenses. Allowances for the miles driven in the Family car, a daily food and lodging allowance while traveling, and some money for temporary lodging at your new duty station might all be available.

Policy for Leave
Military requirement for leave
* The Army leave policies are an important command requirement and care must be taken to prevent misuse of leave.
* The frequent use of leave will make a positive contribution to morale, level of performance, and career motivation.
* Operational missions and essential supporting functions of each command must be accomplished to the extent permitted by the manning provided.

* LEAVE FEE: The total amount for the Leave Fee is ($1,700.00). It is a must to pay before a Soldier can be permit and fully allow to travel back home to be with his Family especially his Wife..

* NOTE: Your Husband Flight schedules and Ticket receipt will be forward to your email and also your Husband will have to wait for the signing and approval of the documents of His Paper Works then He will be preparing to travel to come home to be with you and report to Our Zone Base at San Antonio,Texas.

[AlanJones]

Hi girmagic1, your instincts are right. He's a scammer, not a member of the military.

Soldiers do not pay for leave and the military do not communicate with real family members of soldiers, let alone Internet pen paly (which is how your mother would be viewed). Also, the mail2army.com email address is nothing to do with the military, it is a free domain that anyone can get an address on.

The best thing for your mother to do is block this scammer and not respond to him any further. Do not accuse him of being a scammer, he will just deny it and carry on trying to scam her.

[matos34]

This doesn't seem right!! It was sent to me and when I told him I never received it it was forwarded back to me! The kicker was the misspellings and it came from the United Nation Organisation!!

Dear (almost fell for it),

We are glad to write you (almost fell for it) and also appreciate all your effort to get your fiance Sgt Alan Parker home on a month vacation,as well as make you both plan for your wedding too. his vacation takes effect on his arrival to your apartment ,Rank: Sgt, service number 6483bdssHQR, present country of deployment Syria . However, we are using medium to ask you to send your personal data to us as this will help us know who our general is dealing with and to be sure of his safety.

The following information is required of you Mrs. Xxxxxx :
NAME:
AGE:
ADDRESS:
DRIVERS LICENCE:
OCCUPATION:
PHONE NUMBER:
However, provision of all required information will aid us to speeding up your fiance's vacation and all necessary documentation.

Thank you for your swift response.

Best
Regards,
Admira William E. Gortney
LEAVE PROCESSING DEPT.
United Nations Organisation,
Public Affairs Office, Haskanita military camp
APO AE 09342

Thank god I have trust issues!!

[Mike Wilson]

Hello matos34,
Please post the email address the scammer is using. If you have any questions about this scam please ask.

[kura-1987]

hi i meat Racheal Haag Rank: Sergeant Id No: 5379 1st platoon, company D, 2nd battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry division Country of deployment: Afghanistan on polish.harts.co.uk her email is [email protected]

mail that wos yoused for leav is [email protected]

[Simonedavies77]

I have also met a guy he is a general on a peacemaking mission in Iraq and has asked me to fill a leave request form for him and send £ 1000 to pay for his life insurance as he is planning on coming to the uk and not the USA he said I would get the money back after his arrival is this right .

[AlanJones]

^^^This from an earlier post

Soldiers do not pay for leave and the military do not communicate with real family members of soldiers, let alone Internet pen pals

applies to any soldier regardless of nationality. The military will not communicate with outsiders and no one would be expected to pay for leave, insurance, communications or care packages for a soldier.

You are dealing with a scammer, so please cut off all contact with him and do not respond any further or accuse him of being a scammer.

Please can you also post all the email addresses that the scammer is using as other victims may be searching for them.

[asiangirl]

hello!
As of this time I am experiencing this too.Someone named Mann Collins or Collins Murphy by the name asked me to send him money too so he can leave.He's assigned in South Africa atm.He was asking me to send him 2-300$ so he can process leave. I am still thinking that's why I am researching now if this is legit before ill send him money. Please give me some advice.Thank you

[Mike Wilson]

Hello asiangirl,
It is all a scam. Everything this person told you was a lie to steal money from you. Please stop all communication with thief by ignoring all emails and telephone calls.

[teresakincaid]

I have a friend that's in Nigeria his name is john morgan and said that his military card will not work and he got aproved for his leave but his has to pay for it first should i send him the money