Scam targeting new Army troops costs soldiers thousands, service warns

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Army injustice: Thousands of soldiers slapped with misleading criminal record | Digital Originals

Soldiers and veterans say the Army’s investigation of a now-defunct recruiting program left them with a criminal record even though they were never charged.

Fraudsters have scammed dozens of new Army soldiers out of more than $140,000 in a payroll scheme that tricks service members into sending cash through digital payment apps like Venmo, military officials said.

Multiple Army installations and the service academy at West Point warned troops about the scam targeting initial entry soldiers “at multiple duty stations throughout the Army,” U.S. Army Fort Huachuca, Arizona said in a Facebook post.

“The caller identifies themselves as [a non-commissioned officer] or first sergeant with [the Defense Finance and Accounting Service] or the local finance office and requests payment through a peer-to-peer money transfer app to ‘rectify a military pay problem,'” the post said.

Fort Huachuca Military Police say the scam has so far claimed more than 74 victims and cost soldiers more than $143,000. According to a fact sheet attached to the post, the scammers request soldiers take care of the apparent pay issue using apps such as Zelle, CashApp, Venmo, Apple Pay, or PayPal, something the post warns the military would never do.

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A U.S. Army drill sergeant corrects a recruit during her first day of training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.
(U.S. Army photo by Stephen Standifird )

“The Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) or your local military pay office will never ask or require a Soldier to pay a debt or receive backpay through any peer-to-peer money transfer applications,” the post said. “If you have received a similar call or have been a victim of this scam, please contact your local Military Police or civilian law enforcement agency.”

Police say the scam appears to be targeting new soldiers, according to a post from Fort Benning, Georgia, which hosts basic training.

“The unknown persons appear to be targeting initial entry Soldiers who are in Basic Combat Training (BCT), Advanced Individual Training or those who have newly arrived at their first duty station,” a Fort Benning Facebook post said on Wednesday. “Victims have been identified throughout the Army, among all components and within other uniformed services.”

U.S. Soldiers of the 330th Movement Control Battalion stand in formation.
(U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Joseph Aleman)

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The widespread nature of the scam also prompted West Point, the Army’s service academy, to post a warning to cadets Monday stating, “to date, no West Point personnel have been affected, but we want to make everyone aware of the methods being used to target and take advantage of soldiers.”

Army Cadets salute as they march on the field before an NCAA college football game against Navy.
(AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

The Army’s Criminal Investigation Division did not immediately reply to a Fox News Digital request for comment. 

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Michael Lee is a writer at Fox News. Follow him on Twitter @UAMichaelLee