QUANTICO, Va. –
Frequently, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command receives notifications from individuals stating they were scammed online by someone claiming to be a U.S. Soldier. Unbeknownst to the U.S. Soldier, an online scammer has used the Soldier’s name and available social media photos to perpetrate a crime.
While the majority of U.S. Soldier social media impersonations are of officers, online scammers will impersonate enlisted personnel, Army civilians and contractors. Scammers, using information from your profile, capitalize on the trustworthy reputation of individuals associated with the Army. By monitoring your social media identity, you can protect your Army family and your reputation.
Mitigating Fraudulent Social Media Accounts
Search for your name on social media sites. Since scammers may use your photo but change the name, you should also conduct a Google image search of your social media profile pictures.
If you find yourself or a family member being impersonated online, the links below will lead you to step by step instructions for reporting false profiles on several popular social media sites.
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/help/167722253287296
Instagram
https://help.instagram.com/contact/636276399721841
Twitter
https://help.twitter.com/en/safety-and-security/report-twitter-impersonation
Google+
https://support.google.com/plus/troubleshooter/1715140?hl=en
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/61664/reporting-fake-profiles?lang=en