Scam Spotting 101: 1-16

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Screenshots of your Donation


  • Scammers will ask you to take a screenshot of your donation. 

  • They often come from countries that are blocked from attaining PayPal accounts. 

  • They often use mules or otherwise shared accounts. 

  • They can't directly access said accounts and need proof of the amount of money flow they are responsible for. 

  • We suspect they often work on commission.

These are NETWORKS! 

You might lose 20 Dollars, but they amass hundreds of thousands. Hundreds of thousands of Dollars meant for Ukraine!




They have a homepage link!


  • We've seen a lot of scammers link homepages to their profile 

  • They do it to seem legit 

  • Anyone can link any webpage to their Xwitter profile

  • Does the webpage look trustworthy? 

  • Always check if the webpage is linked to the same Xwitter account

No 

  • Ask the owners of the webpage if they have a Twitter profile through their e-mail. 

Yes 

  • leads anywhere else than where you started? Red Flag!
  • leads to starting point and seems legit.
  • No Scam-warnings, friendly conversation, positive reviews?




They are Soldiers


🪖 Soldiers will not message strangers to ask for money for food, money for their child, new boots or whatever. 

🪖Soldiers have access to their money. 

🪖Soldiers are not charged money so he/ she can go on leave 

🪖No one is required to request leave on behalf of a soldier 

🪖Soldiers do not pay for their flights home 

🪖Soldiers do not have to pay to retire

Scammers pose as service members, typically soldiers, and emotionally manipulate victims into sending them money, gift cards etc.






Too Good to be True


  • If the profile of the soldier seems too perfect, it could be a sign of a scam.

  • Scammers often use photos stolen from the internet, typically of attractive individuals

  • The life they portray may seem unrealistically ideal.

UPDATE:

  • There are very attractive Soldiers, we know...

  • They will NOT send DM’s to you without knowing you

  • If that happens, send them to us!


Stay guarded with escalating emotions and avoid sharing personal info.






Quick Emotional Involvement



  • Scammers often try to accelerate the relationship and express strong emotions in a short period of time. 

  • They can be overly loving and caring to quickly gain your trust.

  • They will call you Sweetheart, My Queen, Love

  • You will be the most wonderful, gorgeous person in the world

  • And STRONG, you’ll be strong too!

...maybe even a hero...

Listen to your gut! If anything feels off, send them to us to get checked.



Inconsistent Information


  • If the details they share about their life don't add up, or if they avoid answering certain questions about their background, it may be a scam.

  • Do they know the actual time in Ukraine?

  • Do they know the weather?

Ask questions! They want something from you, so they should be able to answer a few questions, right?


Question inconsistencies. If you’re not satisfied with the answers, send them to us to check out! 



No Video Calls/Meeting


  • Scammers usually avoid video calls or meetings in person because they don't match the stolen photos they use. 

  • Excuses to not have a video call:

    1. Signal would give away their position

      • But they can text and send you pictures all day?

    2. They are just simply not allowed 

      • see above

  • They send a video instead...

Request video calls/meetings. If they keep refusing, consider ending communication and send them our way!



Asking for Money


  • This is the scammers ultimate goal. They will ask for money for various reasons, such as:  

    • flights to come see you

    • medical expenses 

    • they are trapped somewhere

    • Ransom

    • to transport treasures to your place to keep safe

    • they are starving

    • marriage certificates, documents, leave...

Yeah, we know... just make sure you donate to fundraisers that are in the OPEN. Ask to see receipts of how the donations were spent.



Language and Grammar


  • Despite portraying themselves as a native English speaker, their language may have notable mistakes or odd phrasing, as many scammers operate from non-English speaking countries.... yes, they often pretend to have grown up in the US. (The same goes for other countries

  • Their language level seems inconsistent... it seems like you're talking to different people? (Because you probably are)


Be wary if their language use seems off or inconsistent. Let us have a look at their profile. They will never know we looked and we only call out fakes.



Move Off Social Media Platform


  • Scammers often request to move the conversation to a more private channel like:  

    • email 

    • WhatsApp

    • Signal

    • Telegram

    • or another Chat platform 

      • where their activities are less likely to be monitored

      • to isolate you 

      • to connect to you emotionally faster



Stick to the original platform to maintain its security measures.



Documents or Photos


  • If they share photos or documents like a military ID, they may look tampered with or be of low quality. Military IDs and other sensitive documents should not be shared due to security reasons.

  • Take a good look at names and dates. Check how an original would look like.

  • You can always do a reverse search on the pictures you get! Ask Google how that’s done.


Take a very close look at anything you receive... It might just be fake! If you are unsure, ask someone who might know. We would help too.



Urgency and Pressure


  • Scammers often create a sense of urgency to induce their victims into acting quickly without thinking things through. 

    • It’s usually life or death, immediate danger

    • generally, at times when you would be asleep/ busy

  • They emotionally pressure you into sending money or sharing personal information.

    • because you just don’t love them enough if you don’t

    • they are lonely and afraid

    • you should feel bad for being safe


Always take your time with decisions involving money or personal info.



Vagueness about their Location


  • If they're vague about where they're stationed, or their location doesn't match up with what you know about the Ukrainian military, it might be a scam. 

  • Real soldiers should have a: 

    • reliable base or location

    • grasp on the Time and Weather

    • Company they are in

Just Ask Google if they are telling you the truth.



Do independent research and ask detailed questions about their location.



Always in Some Sort of Crisis


  • Scammers typically make it seem like they're always facing some sort of crisis or emergency situation, which only you can help resolve. 

  • This is a ploy to make you feel sympathetic and open your wallet. They will be:

    • Starving

    • Freezing

    • Barefoot

    • without shelter

    • Lost

    • Dying from injury

    • etc.


Don't feel compelled to help financially. Real problems should be handled by local authorities.



They Have NO Friends or Family


  • Scammers often claim they're alone in the world. 

    • NO family or friends who can help them out of their current predicament. 

  • This is a tactic designed to make you feel sorry for them and more likely to offer financial assistance.

  • We hear a lot about:

    • Families that have died in the war

    • Single Parents with Children that live with caretakers, far away

    • Loss of friends due to trauma


Understand that this is a common scam tactic. Don't offer financial help! Send them our way!




Dramatic/Complicated Story


  • Scammers often create intricate, dramatic narratives, involving heroism or tragedy, to legitimize money requests. 

  • Real military personnel typically avoid sharing such personal stories with recent online acquaintances.

  • Frequent contacting/ texting lets their target become part of the story.


Be sceptical of dramatic stories, especially if they lead to financial requests.



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