how can you see if someone really is in the army?

[Sonia]

I need to see if someone is really in the army and not a scam

[Matthew]

what unit does he claim he is in? if he is asking for money its a scam.

[wraeth]

If they asked you for ANYTHING it is a scam.

[Dexter]

Ask for their identification number.

[candy g]

have you met them face to face or is it a dating site.

If face to face ask to see his ID card......do not believe the BS about leaving it at home.

If on a dating site, ask to skype with them and have him hold his ID card up to the camera.

[NWIP]

Person you have "met" online then most likely a scam especially if done through Facebook or Twitter or Yahoo friends, etc..

If there they ARE in the military then he would give you:

- his military email address which would be something like joe.smith12@army.mil or smith.joe99@navy.mil

- his proper mailing address that would be an FPO or APO address that is valid (you can look that up).

If they are NOT in the military then they would ask you:

- tells you he loves you within a few days
- asks for money for someone and it has to go Western Union
- asks you to fill out his leave or retirement paperwork through some person
- asks you for money for a phone

You can also trace the IP that he is sending emails from as well. Most likely this is something from Ghana or Sierra Leone or Nigeria.

[Dan H]

I'll bet this is someone you met on a dating site. If so, it's a person in Nigeria claiming to be in the military in Afghanistan. If the person has said they can't skype because of security reason....can't give a military address because of security reasons....or has asked for money so he can "apply" for leave or replace an ID card, it is DEFINATELY a scam.

Check these out:

http://www.cid.army.mil/documents/Lookou...0FINAL.pdf

http://www.army.mil/article/67457/

http://www.army.mil/article/36242/cid-wa...nce-scams/

http://www.cid.army.mil/romance_scam.html

[JROTC Cadet]

Ask them if they have fired a "gun". In the military it is called a weapon, not a "gun". Most military members and veterans I have met can't stand it when you call thier weapon a "gun". An imposter probably won't know that.

[Marine5]

You met him on a Dating Site...IT IS A SCAM...
It is being run out of Nigeria for years...
Out Government does nothing to stop it...

The Picture isn't even of Him...

You have been "WARNED"...

[Kittysue]

1 - Insist on a Skype video chat ASAP. If he can email you he can Skype you as the computers he uses to email you are all equipped with webcams for soldiers to Skype friends and family back home. Don't believe anyone who says they don't have a webcam, can't Skype you or that they need you to send money for a webcam. Those are all lies. Tell him he has 48 hours to Skype you and if he refuses or has excuses, then he's a scammer and you need to cut off all contact
2 - Do an IP lookup of his emails. The IP address is the physical location of the computer that sent the email http://aruljohn.com/info/howtofindipaddress/ -- If the IP address is NOT where this person claims they are, that's more proof they are a scam
3 - Ask them to email you from their military email address. Don't believe anyone who says they can't use it for security reasons. That's BS. If it's not from @us.army.mil he's NOT in the Army
4 - If he gave you his full name, rank and location and you met online, he's not real. NO real soldier is going to give the information to anyone they only know online. If he were a real soldier the most you would know would be his first name and general location, nothing more