Alleged military guys?? on Grindr or other sites?

[njr47]

Have any of those purported "military men" who contact older guys online NOT been scams? A strikingly handsome guy in his late 30's contacted me on a "bear" site and keeps up a pretty interesting series of messages. But says he can't skype or video chat because he is on a "base" in the middle east. I, of course, have provided (I hope) no identifying information about me. My 95% gut reaction is that it is a scam, but hope always springs eternal.

[maninsoma]

If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck...

 

If you don't mind wasting your time chatting with someone who is pretending to be someone he isn't, then have at it. I personally don't even reply to the first message from anyone where it clearly doesn't pass the "sniff test." How is it that some young guy thousands of miles from me who is really looking for that "special someone" just happened to find my profile and decided I'm the man for him?

[marylander1940]

Have any of those purported "military men" who contact older guys online NOT been scams? A strikingly handsome guy in his late 30's contacted me on a "bear" site and keeps up a pretty interesting series of messages. But says he can't skype or video chat because he is on a "base" in the middle east. I, of course, have provided (I hope) no identifying information about me. My 95% gut reaction is that it is a scam, but hope always springs eternal.

 

Bots and scams all over...

[dfwmassagelover]

I have had at least 3 guys contact me claiming to be overseas. The first one I played along with for over a month and then finally he got around to asking for money.

[KeepItReal]

Have any of those purported "military men" who contact older guys online NOT been scams? A strikingly handsome guy in his late 30's contacted me on a "bear" site and keeps up a pretty interesting series of messages. But says he can't skype or video chat because he is on a "base" in the middle east. I, of course, have provided (I hope) no identifying information about me. My 95% gut reaction is that it is a scam, but hope always springs eternal.

http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com/storage/445dc15d55efa0b55b9f8f4f8675205c--fun-group-technology-humor.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1524148971604

[+ PapaTony]

Had one yesterday. Person said they were in Syria but when I asked for an explanation as to why his profile location indicated he was 190 miles away he offered some ridiculous explanation about his sergeant setting up his wi-fi.

I played along a bit longer but he cracked under pressure and blocked me. LOL

[+ WilliamM]

When I was overseas in the military decades ago a minor Hollywood actress contacted me. She was preparing for a film with Elizabeth Taylor and Warren Beatty. No scam, except when I went to the address she gave me in Studio City or perhaps Hollywood. the apartment was for rent.

[+ BlueSky]

When Craigslist used to have personals, I would find real local military men. But to get to them I always had to wade through dozens of fakes. Most weren't looking for money though. They just wanted to troll and lead people on.

 

I guess the money scams are practically an industry now:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/28/technology/military-romance-scams-facebook.html?searchResultPosition=1

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/26/magazine/facebook-love-scam-military.html?searchResultPosition=2