A SOLDIER'S PERSPECTIVE
THE WEB'S LEADING MILITARY BLOG SINCE 2004
{Shoutout to the Facebook Group “Get the Scammer/@$$holes Online” for keying me into this guy.}
On April 16, 1988, Link Joe McCormick enlisted into the Army National Guard in St. Paul, MN, as a member of A Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Infantry. He had impeccable career that ended when he was discharged as a Private on February 1, 1989. His numerous decorations and medals include the Marksmanship Badge with Rifle Bar. Here is a copy of extracts from his DD214:
But, that’s not how his friends on Facebook know him. On Facebook, McCormick (who also goes by “Mike”) is a decorated war veteran of multiple conflicts, including Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan. He claims to be a veteran of 3rd Rangers Battalion. He claims to be an Army Ranger who was shot down in a helicopter over Mogadishu, Somalia. The truth is that he served time in Stillwater, Minnesota prison for assault. He fooled a lot of Vietnam veterans, online and in person, who said he was an amazing con-man. He has had many convictions for swindle, felony credit card theft, assault on women, and terroristic threats involving a weapon. He had an Army uniform with patches and medals. He wore a Purple Heart medal. He had a Ranger “coin.” He also claims to be a retired Army Major with over 21 years of service. Here is the shadow box he has on his Facebook page:
It’s impossible to read the plaque because of the resolution, but some of the first indicators that this guy is a fraud is that the rank doesn’t go any higher than Captain. He claimes to have a Silver Star, but doesn’t show up in the Hall of Heroes database under this name. He claims to have retired 3-4 months ago, but isn’t in the Army retired personnel database.
I was first informed of this guy by a woman who has been scammed out of nearly $1300 from this dude. This isn’t your typical Nigerian Scam. It’s an actual American who is using his fleeting experience in the military to befriend woman and convince them to give him money. He claims to be a father whose wife left him and took all his money. While he’s trying to fix things with the Army retirement system, he needs a little here and little there to make ends meet. Women typically send about $40 a week or so to help pay for food and his cell phone bill.
The problem is once women get an idea that he is a fraud, he gets very profain and abusive. When I contact him on Saturday, he went into full rage mode right off the bat.
Mike: Hello?
Me: Hey, Mike, where ya at? (very non-chalantly)
Mike: In Hawaii, who’s this?
Me: This is CJ.
Mike: CJ? Do I know you?
Me: No, but you know [name of woman he scammed].
I cannot print what he said for the new minute of so of his ranting. Something along the lines of “your a ******* idiot. She want your ****** *** in her mess” and on and on and on. Boy, did I send him into a tizzy. He then tries to pull rank on me by saying I better watch myself because he’s a retired 0-4. I asked him why he wasn’t in the database, then, but I’m not sure he heard me over all his yelling. On multiple occasions he asked if I knew anything about the UCMJ as an apparent threat to me for talking the way I was to a retired officer and called me an online commando.
By this time, I had already done my homework and located this guy. So, if you ever come across someone named Mike McCormick, or Link Joe McCormick, or Michael O’Malley McCormick, he’s a fraud. Here are the pictures he’s using:
Keep in mind that these photos are NOT of the real Mike McCormick. These are just the photos he stole from a REAL Ranger who was able to accomplish something the loser pretending to be in those photos could never do. The REAL person in this photo is enjoying his life outside the military in Washington State, enjoying the honor he truly deserves.
To the women being scammed by this guy, you need to contact the FBI immediately with all the information you have. I already have a LOT of identifiable information that is being passed to them already, including his arrest photos. Again, there is an easy way to tell a scammer when dealing with Soldiers. If they ask for money – no matter what they ask for – they are a scammer. And if he really is a Soldier asking for money, he’s a loser and needs to be dropped as well. This one is actually an American, so we can put his rear behind bars – again – for a LONG time.
(27) Readers Comments
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![[UPDATE] The “Face” of Military Dating Scams – The Wall of Shame](http://militarygear.com/asp/wp-content/themes/LondonLive/thumb.php?src=http://militarygear.com/asp/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/2.jpg&w=53&h=41&zc=1&q=100)
Anatomy of a Military Dating Scam
to Anonn, thank you. i thought so. i just want a clear picture of his
Military Dating Scams (More Nigerian Scammers)
New Scam to be aware of……….I am 2LT. Anderson Darrell Clinton , an off
Anatomy of a Military Dating Scam
New Scam to be aware of……….I am 2LT. Anderson Darrell Clinton , an off
[UPDATE] The "Face" of Military Dating Scams - The Wall of Shame
New Scam to be aware of……….I am 2LT. Anderson Darrell Clinton , an off
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Clif
Wow this guy is unbelievable. What a piece of work. I hope the authorities catch up to this guy soon and throw him in the slammer where he belongs. Good job on the investigative work.
mdyer
Link Joe McCormick is a very bad and dangerous person. I knew him in 1997 and he lived with me for 10 months and said his name was Mike. I never knew his real name until I finally had him arrested for assaulting me and threatening me with a knife. He loves knives. He said he was a survivor of the “Black Hawk Down” incident. He took me for a Lot of money and subsequently served 14 months in a Minnesota state prison. Please beware of this man. He has assaulted numerous women and is a pathological liar. I fear he will eventually kill someone.
mdyer
I just want to add that at the time of his arrest for assaulting me in 1997, the police advised me that Link Joe McCormick had outstanding warrants for assault and terroristic threats against other women. He also had been convicted of “theft by swindle.” He becomes very agressive if confronted in any way, as I found out. Some military men I spoke with after the fact said he was one on the best con men they had ever met. He was constantly on the Internet, grooming new potential victims, and it seems his process has not changed at all. He also had an army friend named Sheldon whom I met, who seemed to actually be in the Army, but Link Joe McCormick told vastly inflated stories about Sheldon’s rank and military history. Sheldon seemed embarassed by this and may no longer be an associate of McCormick. It would be nice to get the word out to more sites about McCormick, since it seems that prison has not deterred his career as a military impostor and con man. Also, he looks nothing like the man whose pictures he is using, being short and kind of heavy-set and unattractive.
Riley
Oh holy crap, I never really thought that people did that! This is further proof that facebook might be the devil. I hope he gets caught soon!
Heather
What I find truly disgusting about this horrible excuse for a human being is the fact that he also borrowed $200 from a woman on disability, never intending on paying her back. Instead, he yelled at her terribly as she said she was going to the police to turn him in as a scammer. He was coming to visit her but had to help a friend in Hawaii. How convenient as he has told another that he was stationed in Hawaii because he was angry at a domestic situation involving his ex girlfriend beating him in the face with a glass beer mug in front of his son.
I am praying like mad that this bag of filth will be arrested and made an example of by those wanting justice and peace. What I find most disgusting of all is that he used a true soldier’s identity as a smoke screen to steal from female victims all around the United States.
CJ, you should be commended for your hard work on this case. Let us know the update of when this loser gets arrested and convicted. Thank you!
Melanie
What I find interesting about your story is that I know for FACT you sent this man a birth certifcate to him in Hawaii…so if your so dead set on putting this “scammer” away then why don’t you give them the address you sent the birth certificate too. I mean you know this man…you my dear need a life just like this blogger.
amit
not only facebook, its all dating sites and social networks. and yes it happens extremely often our grou has almost 2000 members that most of them were scammed some more then once.
we are trying to identify these @$$holes before they cause damage
Rhonda Hixson
I think I may have jumped to the wrong conclusion after reading these articles and reported someone that I now believe to be who he says he is but I am still proceeding with caution. It is hard to know when meeting someone online if they are who and what they say they are and it is a shame that these people are misrepresenting themselves. The name I reported was Charles Schulzes and if I have caused unnecessary work for anyone I deeply apologize. Thank you for being there for those who need you.
Rhonda Hixson
Heather
It is best to always proceed with caution and to please do your homework when it comes to meeting people online. You never know who is behind that monitor and keyboard as many killers, rapists and scammers use their online personalities to hurt and swindle those who are vulnerable. Also it would be most wise to make sure you do not give out any information about yourself (online or otherwise) to this person unless you have met them face to face or know them personally.
Some of us had to learn the hard way on what and who a scammer was/is. Scammers/predators steal our dignity, our money, our self respect and our hearts promising us the moon and the stars..but leaving behind a trail of destruction behind them as they go to the next victim. Please be careful…
Paula
Hi everyone, I`m from the uk and I`m a single mum. I wish I had known about this kind of scam before. The guy i`m talking with, calls himself Chris Brad Cordingly, he says he is serving in Afghanistan, but also there was another guy working with him and this guy also contact it me, this one calls himself Mr. Lloyd Henry, I spoke to both on the phone and one has an american accent but the other one sounds african. I have also their email addresses and a few photos from this U.S. American Soldier. I have been through a horrible ordeal and this only happened last weekend. I have lost £9.250 and on top of this they were demanding me to pay another £18.000 pounds, when I told them I couldn`t get this kind of money and that I had no more money left, the american soldier that i was talking to, the one that calls himself Chris, he told me that he was going to kill himself and he asked me to get a loan but by now I got suspicious and talked to a friend of mine who already knew about this type of scams, I just wish I had gone to her sooner. There is a lot more to this story but right now I feel so upset over this and haven`t got the energy to write everything that has happen, I end up spending the night in the hospital because of this. Now I can`t hardly afford to buy my son`s Christmas presents and I will be strugling paying for my bills and my morgage. I still can`t believe that I got myself into this situation,I feel so stupid and ashemed now. I just wish that I could find out who is the real person in the pictures, to let him know that his pictures are being used to scam inocent and vulnerable women. Now I keep wondering if the real person is still alive or dead, I just wish I could find out, if anyone knows a way of finding out please let me know, it will mean a lot to me.
Thank you and god bless you all.
Joy Smart
I just found out that the army man I thought I was emailing for months, is on the wall of shame for scammers. the name he is going by is Brian Wood. Stationed in Afghanistan. Has cute little blonde boy. Wife died in car crash earlier in year. Couldn’t acess his money till he got the states. His son is in UK with wifes parents. He didn’t get anything from me except some dignity. His email is capt.brianwood46@yahoo.com . He’s real sweet talking. He now also has mobile phone. I saw that as I deleted his ass!!!
Slipdigit
Would the author of this article please contact me at the given email address. I admin a WWII discussion forum (link is provided) and we have have contact with this individual.
Slipdigit
Would the author of this article please contact me at the given email address? I admin a WWII discussion forum (link is provided) and we have have contact with this individual.
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Pingback: Online 'Soldier' Scam Targets Women
Shanter
Yes, I have a scammer also. Jeffrey White Abizaid, jeffabi1@hotmail. He claims to be in Kabul, Afghanistan, son Kelvin “Kells”, other names he mentioned are Constance Botchery, Desmond, Alex Schofield, Shadrach Michson-Yeboah. He also is going by James, and Jeff Johnson. He sure is a smooth talker. Love to nail him.
Joe
I am looking into this guy’s background for a friend. I will share anything I learn of note.
pam
Hi David Bromley is keep contacting me and believe he is also Jonny Rellinger . Jonny Rellinger was writing tome and took me in big and I lost money to him , before hand I was talking to a David Bromley11@yahoomail.com He said he was a art dealer and travelled the world but camed from Australia said he was 47yr old . At 23rd December out of the blue he contacted me asking or money as he had been mucked in china everything had beeen taken but he still had this 17,000 dollar cheque on him I didnt replie the next 24th i had another email asking for help I told him I would get 30 ponds to him, I didnt send it that evening I had a telephone call on my mobile with a man shouting his head off at me asking where davids money was , I asked who he was and he said he was the Manager of the hotel he had a weird accent but not chinese , I never gave my phone no out to anyone . I never heard from him untill tuesday of this week after I had found out about my scammer .
After I had come on here and read I knew what to look for , (God I wish I d known 6 months ago about it all) When so called David said “hello How is everyone around you”
Alarm bless chimed !! Jonny Rellinger scammer
Always used that sentence . I had a conversation with david ?? who said he was still in china , I asked about his sons college and he went quiet for 10 mins he came back and said some one had been at the door I mentioned that I thought he had been in hotel and he said he had a place of his own lol i asked the name of college again in Adelaide Australia and he said what college then quickly said Lincoln North Adelaide I was laughing at him so much I came off line .
All that has happened to so many people has made me so angry I look after my terminally ill father, and even this has effected me ..
I have my health and love of my children I am broke lost all my saving and it hurts me to think he will now steal my identity and the photos of some of my family I have sent and even my pets and father , I can only pray that he will one day face the justice System .
I am a British woman ..I just feel so sad for all those people who have had their identity stolen from these scum bags
Rhonda Hixson
CJ,
Just wondering if there is anything that can be done to idenify these men before breaking off communication with one of these scammers? Can they be traced over the internet or through Western Union? I suppose if that were true you would have done it already but just had to ask the question.
Thanks,
Rhonda
Margie
CJ,
Can you please send me a email address. I have info on this guy.
Pam
Hi CJ
I know its late in answering but you say you have info on my scammer Jonny Rellinger and David Bromley . I would be grateful if you could email me …
Even nearly a year later I still am Traumatised by all this its not the money its my Sanity I just carnt have a relationship with any one I just dont know how to get it out of my mind is this Natural .
Thanks Cj
Pam
Susan
Please give me info on this man for months I have tried I see as late as June some people knew him well I need to know more. He was calling me again and abruptly stopped, I know his last place of residence some of you ladies please help me out I will return the favor if I can. Thanks
angela
If anyone needs to press charges against this guy, I have him holed up in a hotel room tonight (Sept 22, 2011) in New Jersey. Tomorrow I’m shipping him out of my life….unless I have to go thru legal channels first.
Michelle
I just found him again on a website called OkCupid. He put the first picture on this page along with another picture of a man who was killed in Iraq named, Michael Cerrone. I’m glad he wasn’t able to get anything from me. So scary.
Michelle
His name on OKCupid is Ranger2014.
Gary Phillips
I am an actual U.S. Army Ranger (class 07/01) and would love to sit down with this guy to have a nice little “Chat”. He’s obviously lacking in the self esteem department and needs to be validated by being revered as an elite human being. The fact that he is scamming people is just downright evil. Don’t worry, though; what goes around comes around.