Fraudulent Military Records Searches
Maybe I’ve neglected to tell you guys that there are lot of thieves on the internet, but well, there are. Our own Poetrooper sends this, one of his experiences;
Jonn, this is a scam website targeting veterans. They offer a records search for a dollar but then after going through their registration process you get a screen and email telling you that you must personally contact the federal records center in St. Louis. Meanwhile they bill your credit card for much more than the proffered dollar for absolutely no service. I signed up for a dollar thinking it was worth it to me to see how the scam would play out. Today when I checked my VISA account, they had charged me not a dollar, but $18.95, for them doing absolutely nothing other than to tell me to contact the records center in St. Louis. These guys are scumbags victimizing the veteran community.
Seeing the charge on my VISA account, I emailed them and threatened to take the issue to the Arkansas Attorney General’s office and expose them on military websites. They rolled over within a half hour, promising me a refund, which tells me they are a total scam. As you can see their website is slick and professional, the factor that led me to investigate them in the first place. In my last email to them, I informed them that if they don’t take down the website I will take all of my correspondence with them to the attorney general’s office.
A heads-up needs to be spread around the milblog network that this website, Militaryrecord.org is a scam designed to separate you from twenty bucks in return for nothing.
Yep, there are a lot of scam websites and most of them that try to help you find information are the worst. A lot of the information they help you find is available for free – like criminal records. Don’t fall for it. It would be nice if there was a database to local military records on line, but that isn’t going to happen anytime soon Remember the resistance that the DoD put up just to put the top few medal awardees and how they screwed the pooch every little step along the way – including putting Medal of Honor recipients’ social security numbers in the public domain for a few hours. Military.com had Friend Finders that worked pretty well years ago, but they let crumble into dust. There’s only the FOIA process. So keep your money in your pocket.
Category: Dumbass Bullshit
Jebus. Talk about some first class assholes.
There web site is still up so they must be making enough money to suffer your threats. It’s a shame that they would target veterans but hey, the POTUS, Congress and DoD target them so why not jump on board. Shit heads!
Your billing and their offer is enough to push it on to your state’s AG’s office. No threats are needed. The fact that you did receive a refund is neither here nor there. Plus, I am sure that you feel all fuzzy knowing they have access to your cc number. I’d contact the cc company too–despite the refund and tell it not to honor any future billings that may come from the company. Also, I would ask for their CC company’s fraud office and fill them in too. As alaways, names and times and dates should all be recorded for future reference.
Just did a Live Chat with a rep from this outfit. I told them I will be giving their website’s information and practices to the Washington State Attorney for Consumer Affairs. They responded that they are completely legitimate. I disagreed, politely and they terminated the chat session. Now I will send their link and information to the State office listed. Turds.
You know the sad part is that they wouldn’t be in business if there weren’t folks using the service much like scams that target the elderly.
A simple check at whois.net reveals that the domain is registered with a company out of Arizona and created on 10/29/13. Unfortunately who owns the domain name is private.
Just in time for Christmas… bastards…
What a shit website,no SSL? It need’s to be reported to the FBI or whomever still gives a fuck about us vets.
I would venture that the Phildo and APL probably know all about this.
FWIW, a whois lookup at internic indicates the militaryrecord.org registrant as:
DomainsByProxy.com
14747 N Northsight Blvd Suite 111, PMB 309
Scottsdale, AZ 85260
Phone: 480-624-2599
FAX: 480-624-2598
Email: MILITARYRECORD.ORG@domainsbyproxy.com
The same contact info also shows up for registrant, admin, and tech contacts. Something that’s usually a red flag.
A Google search shows the address as what is apparently a postal mail box in a UPS store in a shopping center near the airport.
The same Google search also shows links to various scam, spam, and phishing complaints for a bunch of domains under the Domains-by-Proxy umbrella, which is run by a woman named Lisa Villeneuve.
According to at least one report, Villeneuve will apparently suspend a domain but only if a formal complaint or investigation is triggered by law enforcement or an attorney general’s office. Domains-by-Proxy’s pitch, after all, is that it was set up to hide the identity of people who register a website with it.
Which arguably makes Villeneuve a key component in a game of legal whack-a-mole.
Arizona? Any connection to that con artist Jeff(?) or Ken or whatever from this year’s SV tourney? He was down in Arizona for a while.
Remember him? He made all sorts of unsubstantiated claims, invited people to dinner and left without paying, which made them pay the tab, and other things like that.
That’s a connection worth investigating.
@9.
Toss in the Subway Commando Popovic into that mix.
Yes, absolutely, the AG should be notified! At least give them the opportunity to do something about it.
I just went on their website and made a bogus chat conversation with them just to see what they would say. Here is a record of the conversation from a few minutes ago. “Please wait for a site operator to respond. You are now chatting with ‘Alice’ Alice: Welcome to Customer Service Livechat. In order to pull up your account, could you please provide me the email address, full name and zip code you used to order our services? you: Do you provide access to records of active duty service members and living US armed forces veterans? Alice: Could you please provide me the email address, full name and zip code you used to order our services? you: I have not ordered your services. I want to know what is available in your database for me to get before I order. Alice: Yes, we do . We created MilitaryRecord.org in order to help people get access to military records when they need them. We have built one of the largest databases of military records in North America. Alice: http://www.militaryrecord.org you: I am on your website but don’t see anything to tell me what type of records are available. I served in the US Army from 1966 to 1993. Will you provide me access to my records? Alice: Our reports are generated from several databases and we provide all the information available. you: My records are available from the National Personnel Records Center. Do you also have access to them? Alice: We source our information from several databases. We do not make any changes to any report so we are unable to comment on a particular aspect. you: I need to find records of an award I received. Will you have it? Do I have to pay if you don’t provide it? I would also like to check on my ex-wife’s boyfriends records. Can I get access to those? Alice: Your will get all available information. If you are ever unsatisfied with your report, we will immediately issue you another search credit at no additional charge. you: OK thanks. I might… Read more »
I copied the following from the payment page of their website:
“Optional Volume Discount Package of $18.95/month for 12 Months for a Total of $227.40 for up to 25 Monthly Reports”
Since Poetrooper was charged $18.95 this is probably what they signed him up for, 12 months of $18.95!
Anyone with more pull than me want to report them to the Internet cops? https://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx is the web address of the Internet Complaint Center.
I’d do it myself but it’ll probably have more pull coming from a vet (or someone who has FOIA’d, I leave that to the experts).
I am attempting to gather military records on a friend of mine. We are starting up a recruiting company for Veterans – job placement company. I used militaryrecords.org. I never received records and am concerned because I am missing over 50.00 out of my account. I signed up for the 1.00 deal with them. What concerned me initially was that my state of Maryland was not in state drop down menu for signio, which in turn directed me to chat with them. Then when I voiced my concern the chat person disappeared, dropped off. I feel sooooo stupid. I am usually smarter than this. But with a company dealing with vets, one would not expect such fraud. I am currently unemployed, trying my best to pinch pennies, and to think they are targeting people like this makes me ill. I will do my best to assist their being shutdown!
@15
Why would you pay anyone anything for something that YOU yourself can do on line, free of charge, in about 15 minutes worth of work?
http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/
Update: just called my bank card, and I will be calling the bank back to remove the charge and any pending charge. I am told to call back once it posted. Ugh! I have learned a lesson!
most of us good guys investigators never charge to do those kinds of searches be wary of those who actually charge you money
# 18 Chevy aka Dennis Chevalier aka Doc. Chevalier . Problem is, you’re not one of the good guys. In fact we are waiting on your FOIA to return. In the mean time, Maybe you can tell everyone how you’re a USAF Retired & has a PhD in psychology ? Plus you claimed to have been a Capt. in SWAT.
Nice block on FaceBook Chevalier. But if you think that is going to make me disappear. Think again wannabe. Nothing says I’m guilty like a good ole block.
Aw, Scotty, he’s afwaid of li’l ol’ you, ’cause you pointed out the obvious.
Keep it up.
Wow this was the beginning of Chevalier.
On another note: How is this phony militaryRecord.org still in business or even running still? Load of shit.
I can only imagine that Commander Monkress and All-Points Logistics have a hand in this “enterprise”.