'Alleged soldiers' in Internet scams

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 4 (UPI) -- Impostors posing as U.S. soldiers on Internet dating sites are using the emotions and patriotism of unsuspecting women to get money, authorities say.

The U.S. Army Criminal Investigative Command calls the impostors "alleged soldiers" because they are using real military photos to create fake dating profiles, WBTV, Charlotte, N.C., reported Wednesday.

"In the last six months, I've seen a dramatic increase in reported scams involving people who get involved with alleged soldiers," command spokesman Chris Grey said.

The scam artists want money from the women they contact on dating sites, investigators charge.

"They build a relationship with them, they're intimate with them and talk marriage and romance, and then the scam starts -- they start asking for money," Grey said.

Money is requested for items like specialized computers, telephones and leave papers, all with the excuse that the "soldier" cannot access his own personal bank accounts, he said.

The women never see the money again, and catching the impostors is difficult if not impossible, investigators say.

The crooks, officials suspect, are mostly in Ghana, Angola and Nigeria in public cyber cafes far from the reach of U.S. investigators.