Fake Soldiers Pull Scams on Facebook

Facebook sure has a way of bringing out the worst in people: A shameful new trend is developing, military officials say, in which con artists set up online profiles pretending to be members of the armed forces. The fraudsters post borrowed pictures and then strike up virtual romances with strangers; not long after, they start looking for cash. The scammers typically send their victims fake documents that say they need to register in order to speak to soldiers on the telephone (for $350, say) or ask for cash so they can go home on leave. One victim is out $25,000, an army spokesman says, and the scheme has hit hundreds of people.