The person says they're a soldier or doctor on a mission abroad. Is that a red flag?
It is a common cover story in romance scams, because it explains why the person cannot video call, meet or use their own money. It is not proof on its own, but check carefully.
Scammers copy photos of real soldiers and doctors from social media. The story makes them look trustworthy and gives them a reason to ask for money for leave, flights or 'release fees'.
Real soldiers and doctors do not need a stranger online to pay for their leave or their travel.
How to check
- Do a reverse image search on the uniform photos.
- Ask for a short video call.
- Be careful if you are asked to pay for leave, a flight or documents.
- Search the name together with 'scam'.
- Check the photos and number on Veritaza.
Frequently asked questions
- They sent a photo of their ID card. Is that enough?
- No. ID photos are easy to fake or copy. Veritaza looks for signs of forgery, but never says a document is genuine.
Want to know if there are warning signs about the person you're chatting to? Veritaza checks the photos, the messages, the number, the email address, the name and the ID document, for GH₵25.
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