Is a soldier stationed abroad asking for money on Facebook a scammer?
Almost certainly yes. Military romance scams are extremely common — scammers use stolen photos of soldiers and claim deployment prevents them from meeting until they receive financial help.
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Explanation
Military romance scams exploit the credibility and sympathy that genuine military service carries. A scammer uses photos of real service personnel (stolen from public social media) to create convincing profiles. They claim to be deployed in a conflict zone or on a peacekeeping mission, which conveniently explains why they cannot meet, video-call properly, or access their own finances. After building an emotional bond, requests for money follow: for a special leave pass, satellite phone fees, medical bills, or to access a bank account frozen by deployment. The US Army, UK Ministry of Defence, and other military organisations publish warnings explicitly stating that service members do not need to pay for leave or communications from deployment.
Common red flags
- Claims to be a soldier deployed abroad but cannot video-call
- Needs money for leave travel, communication fees, or a medical bill
- Photos look like professional or official military portraits
- Asks you to send money via wire transfer or gift cards
What to do now
- Do not send money, gift cards, or wire transfers
- Reverse image-search the photos to check for stolen identity
- Report the Facebook profile for impersonation
- Report to your national fraud or consumer protection body
Frequently asked questions
Is there a way to verify if someone is actually in the military?
You can ask them to arrange a video call through an official base channel or check with the relevant national defence verification service. Real soldiers do not require money to access leave.