Australian and New Zealand
authorities are investigating whether the identities of top military officers
are being used in an International Facebook dating scam, officials said. Australian
Federal Police confirmed the existence of a fake profile of incoming Australian
Defence Force chief Mark Binskin, with the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper
reporting that the page was used to befriend a woman in Germany and ask her for
money. Anna Linden, from Aachen in Western Germany, told the newspaper she
received a message from a man posing as Binskin. The man said he was soon to
retire from serving in Afghanistan and was looking for a partner after being
single for eight years. "I really love you" and "I promise you
my life", the messages reportedly stated. Linden said she notified the
newspaper after the man asked her to transfer 300euros (US$409) to him and said
that he would repay her with five kilogrammes of gold (11 pounds). "I knew
he would just keep asking for more money," Linden said, adding she had
been a victim of a previous internet love scam.
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The Australian Federal
Police said it was aware of the Facebook page, and was providing advice to the
defence department on removing the profile. An Australian Defence Force
spokesman said Ministry of Defence is not aware of this particular case; but
promised to investigate it". Air
Marshal Binskin is set to take over the role of defence chief in July.
New Zealand said is aware
of a Facebook page impersonating Lieutenant General Rhys Jones, who until
February was the chief of the New Zealand Defence Force. Jones' profile was
also used in a similar scam in 2012, which was "referred to the NZ Police
and also to Facebook as a violation", the New Zealand Defence Force said
in a statement.
"This case in 2014 appears to be a new
impersonation page and the NZDF will be taking similar action," the force
said in the statement. However, Facebook has been contacted for comment.
According to the
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Australians lost Aus$25 million
($23.5 million) to dating and romance scams, including online schemes, last
year. New Zealanders lost more than NZ$2 million ($1.8 million) to dating scams
in 2012, official statistics showed.
Culled from www.globalpost.com
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