Need help to prove to a friend that a scammer is a scammer

[K3vl4r]

Long story short, I have a friend who is being scammed by someone that is playing with her heart (recently divorced) over the internet, and has started to con money out of her. She is being blinded and refuses to admit that he isn't real, and that he loves her and that they will be together and get married when he gets home from Iraq.

I called the Inspector General of the Army and talked to his assistant, who unofficially checked the DB for the name and rank, and could not find any commissioned officer by that name in service in that branch. He sent me an email to that effect, but he could not include the name in the email due to privacy reasons with the Army personell records, because there ARE people with that name, just not that rank. At the very least, he is lying, if he does exist and is enlisted.

I emailed the Assistant Inspector General again, asking if, as a civilian, I can make an official request for information. I hope to hear from him tomorrow as he is on the east coast.

Her entire family and friends do not feel comfortable with the situation and many of them are discouraging her from sending more money, as well as myself. I got fed up this morning after being yelled at for talking to her family about it, so I decided I had had enough and was going to verify things for myself, since she does not want to believe it and some of her family don't know what to do and other avenues are taking too much time.

I am asking if anyone else has another direction I can take or any suggested information I can try to get, or if anyone has the resource in the military to verify and get proof (preferably hardcopy) that he does not exist. The information that I have is limited:

Name: Brian Terry Jackson
Rank: Major General
Branch: Army
Location: Victory & Liberty Camps, Iraq
DOB: 6-11-58
Son: Aaron Jackson (supposedly child, around 9 or so, living with father's sister in Bullhead, AZ, name of sister unknown)
Marital Status: Widowed (Do not know the name of widow.)

I have also looked at the County Assessor's records and cannot find anyone with that name owning a home in the area of the Las Vegas Valley that he claims to live. I plan on bringing this to the attention of the Las Vegas Metro as well as the FCC (at the Assistant Inspector General's suggestion, as this was done via email).

If anyone can help by verifying/disproving any of this information so as to put the family at ease or prove that this really is a scam beyond a shadow of a doubt (the victim is quite stubborn in her belief), I would greatly appreciate any help you can provide, or suggestion. I do not have his serial number, or the accounts to which money was sent or how the money was sent, but I will be working on getting this information soon.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Kevin

[cybrdyke]

Good luck. Love is blind..

[cantolina]

1. A 2 star General doesn't need money from ANYONE....

2. There is no Army base in Vegas....there IS however the largest Air Base in the CONUS....

3. Your friend is an idiot, and no one's gonna tell her anything she don't wanna hear....

[ParrotHead]

For starters, I find it unlikely that a Major General would have to borrow money from someone. I realize military pay may not be the best, but lets face it, when you get near the top the pay should not be that bad ...

[Jason's Sporty]

A major General? I seriously doubt that. Most of the officers that age are retired. I don't think a rank that high would even be asking for money either.
Oh well love is blind, hopefully your friend won't get too badly burned by this asshole.
Just in case you need a rank refresher: http://www.army.mil/symbols/Images/NewRanks_03.jpg
A Major general is way the hell up there too.

[K3vl4r]

He does have an excuse for everything, but the one for not calling I don't know. As a 2 star, he should be able to call at any time. As for not having an army base here, I know that, I started by calling a recruiter and asked who to call from there.

I may be contacting officials at Nellis to see if they can provide any assitance.

[merc]

File a report with the state attorney general also.
At best they will do some digging to see if a crime (via the internet) has been committed. In the very least you will be at ease that you did not just allow it.

[rottenralph]

Your friend deserves whatever she gets if she is going to be stupid. This is an obvious scam. Would she give a hand full of money to some schlepp on the street. I suspect not. Why would she do it on the net. I bet his grammar is really poor as well. Most likely a African scammer. She needs to wake up and save her money.

[dashadow]

Impersonating an officer is a federal crime. Call the FBI, if they don't handle it then they can direct you to whatever office does.

[Sleeper]

Impersonating an officer is a federal crime. Call the FBI, if they don't handle it then they can direct you to whatever office does.
I agree.
The FBI has a Internet Crime Complaint Center.
Contact your local FBI office.

[skixx55]

Give selected XLforum members you can trust her email and get them to say so and so said you may be able to help me to, it might make her think he's passed the word around that she's an easy touch! Cheers, If she gets enough messages with his name envolved she may think twice.

[rottenralph]

Get us his address so we can ask him a thousand questions until we catch the lie. My guess is that it will take about 5 minutes to get some proof.

[cantolina]

Actually...gimme her email address....I'm a little short this week...

:laugh:laugh:laugh

[Sleeper]

Actually...gimme her email address....I'm a little short this week...

:laugh:laugh:laugh
As a Lieutenant General you out rank him too, Chuck. :laugh :laugh :laugh

[Cruzer]

K3vl4r-

I work in Network Security for the Marines and deal with this allot.

1. As everyone has stated a Maj Gen is second from the top, they mak over $10,000.00 not including tax free in a combat zone, or the other pay bumps we get when we are deployed or in a danger zone.
2. Here is military locator http://www.militarylocator.com it will find all members of service. You have to register to search.
3. As screwed up the military may be at times, they are services available to assist, a MGen would definetly know this.
4. Camp Victory/Liberty is a morale, recreation and welfare base. It has a MALL (keep paying ur taxes people).
5. Is his email address a *.mil address? If so get it to me. He would have a .mil address, but it is possible he has a .com address but it would be a personal address. But why would a 52 year old man need a personal account, if he is in the military in a "combat zone"?
6. It is possible to be in the service past 50, but he would be at the 30 year mark now, they WOULD NOT deploy him at this time.
7. AND FINALLY, I searched the internet high and low and could not find a picture of him. All Generals have their pictures taken at there command so everyone in the command can know who the old fogy is.
Ask for photo of him in his service "A" dress. Every service member has a picture in there senior uniform. Army has service "A". (Nothing like a Marine's dress Blue's thou)

Give out his email address to the forum so we can give him a piece of our mine and let him know not to XLFXLFXLFXLFXLF with an XLFORUM members family. It would really suck (well sort- nice group ride), to have an a$$ load of sporty's on his front lawn.

Hopefully this helped.
Cruzer...

P.S. I found these scams with Brian Jackson
http://www.ripoffreport.com/resorts/nh-krystal-resort-ca/nh-krystal-resort-cancun-ra-3xxc8.htm
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-953275051.html

[maximummaxime]

if this guys is scaming money out of your friend the infos you have are probably worthless as he is most likely going by a fake name and occupation. Military high rank is probably a cover to twist the mind of a week gulable person like your friend.

[ShaneMarie]

Perhaps you can convince her to stop the method she's using (Western Union?) and only send it to his APO address.

[Baphomet]

Put a real flesh and blood man in her life and she'll forget about all that Internet crap.

[K3vl4r]

To all: thanks for the help, to those of you with derogatory or funny comments, please refrain so I can sort out pertinent information quickly.

My first concern is that I convince my friend that this is a scam. Secondary is catching the son of a bitch. It is my assumption that all of the information is fraudulent, my goal is to prove to my friend that he doesn't exist/isn't who he says he is by finding concrete evidence.

Cruzer: I checked the military locator, no such soul. I have gotten in touch with the President of a chapter of the AUSA in California (came up in a search for a current listing of 2-star generals). She was married to one until he passed, and she has told me she will do everything in her power to get me evidence in some form, as well as help me catch this person. She is meeting tomorrow with some officials for AUSA business and will try to pull what strings she can. I am going to try to find a local chapter and get in contact with it tomorrow. I am also going to contact officials at Nellis and other local law, possibly FBI if I don't get anything out of Metro or Nellis. The FCC is on my list as well, as this was done over the internet.

I want to tell my friend what I have heard, but I don't think it's prudent until I find something solid that I can show her.

Thank you again for your help and suggestions.

[ShaneMarie]

I suspect the scammer is located in some place like Nigeria and you won't be able to prosecute. Good luck, though.

Have you tried tracking his IP address from his email?

[Baphomet]

Put a real flesh and blood man in her life and she'll forget about all that Internet crap.

I hope you don't think my reply was derogatory or funny. True, it would not be as expedient as making her feel foolish and crushed, but it is a real remedy. People are easily duped when they are lonely and I have a great deal of sympathy for your friend. If you DO convince her she is being duped there better be a damned good support system of friends there for her.

[K3vl4r]

I suspect the scammer is located in some place like Nigeria and you won't be able to prosecute. Good luck, though.

Have you tried tracking his IP address from his email?

I don't have access to that computer or much more information that I currently have, as my friend knows that I and her family do not believe he is real. She is not forthcoming with details at this point. The plan is to get some real evidence, show her, and get her to lead him until the law can get him.

[cafe_dave]

Its a scam..........its not how an officer of that rank would act.
Call the FBI

[Hopper]

Get your friend to some counseling. If she is in such bad shape after her divorce that she is clutching at such a desperate straw as this, she needs some real help. Seriously.

[WhiteKnuckle]

You gotta do something to boost her self esteem! Seriously,, She's broken and desperate.

Nothing you do or say can convince her of the truth, she wont listen until it's too late,,,, Unless, you can find a way to make her self confident.

If this were my friend,, I seriously would jack with the internet so she couldn't have contact. Even if it means she hates me.

[cootertwo]

Just be aware that the "messenger" usually catches hell from the "informed" person. Tough situation to be in for sure.