Where's That Photo From? Identify the Source | Retro Report
Summary
TLDRBryan Denny, a retired U.S. Army Colonel, recounts how scammers used his photos and identity to defraud women online. After receiving a message from a woman who believed she had been communicating with him, Denny discovered dozens of fake profiles across various platforms. Scammers, posing as him, manipulated victims into sending money for fake causes. Despite his efforts, the issue persists, and Denny advocates for using reverse image search as a defense tool to verify the authenticity of online profiles. He highlights the emotional and financial toll these scams have on victims.
Takeaways
- đ€ Bryan Denny is a retired U.S. Army Colonel whose identity has been exploited by scammers online.
- đ» In 2016, Denny was contacted by a woman on LinkedIn who believed she had been communicating with him for weeks, but it was a scammer using his photos.
- â ïž The scammers used Dennyâs photos to create fake profiles across various social media platforms, tricking women into sending money for false causes.
- đž Denny discovered multiple scam profiles using his photos on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and even dating sites like Christian Mingles.
- đ The scammers preyed on women, particularly those from military families, using Dennyâs Army uniform photos to build trust.
- đž Victims of these scams lost large sums of money, sometimes their life savings, to the fraudsters posing as Denny.
- đ Denny recommends using reverse image searches to check if a profile picture is genuine or being used elsewhere online.
- đ±ïž The reverse image search process involves right-clicking on an image, saving it, and dragging it into Googleâs image search to trace its origins.
- đČ Despite his efforts to stop the scams, Denny receives multiple messages daily from people who have been scammed and are seeking help.
- đĄïž Denny warns people to be cautious when navigating online spaces, likening it to entering a jungle, and advises using tools like reverse image searches for protection.
Q & A
Who is Bryan Denny?
-Bryan Denny is a retired U.S. Army Colonel who became a victim of an online scam where his photos were used by scammers to deceive people.
How did Bryan Denny first learn about the scam?
-Denny first learned about the scam when a woman on LinkedIn contacted him, claiming they had been talking for weeks and that he was coming to visit her, which he knew was untrue.
What was the scam that the woman on LinkedIn believed?
-The woman believed that Denny was on a humanitarian mission in Syria and was planning to visit her in Montreal. However, she had actually been speaking to a scammer posing as Denny.
How did the scammers use Bryan Dennyâs identity?
-The scammers used Dennyâs name and photos, especially images of him in his Army uniform, to create fake profiles on various social media platforms to lure victims into fake relationships and scams.
What platforms were Denny's fake profiles found on?
-Bryan Dennyâs fake profiles were found on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and even dating sites like Christian Mingle, under various names such as Bryan Denny, Scott Denny, Craig Denny, and Ricky Sanchez.
How do the scammers target their victims?
-The scammers use Dennyâs photos, particularly in his Army uniform, to target women from military families, as they tend to be sympathetic to someone in uniform.
What are the emotional consequences for victims of these scams?
-Victims often feel emotionally embarrassed, devastated, and guilty, especially when they realize theyâve lost significant sums of money, sometimes their entire savings.
How much money did victims lose in romance scams last year, according to the video?
-Victims lost $143 million in romance schemes last year, according to the information presented in the video.
What tool does Bryan Denny recommend to verify the authenticity of images online?
-Bryan Denny recommends using a reverse image search on platforms like Google Images to check if an image is being used elsewhere on the internet.
What advice does Denny give for protecting oneself online?
-Denny advises people to use tools like reverse image search to verify online profiles and to be cautious, as navigating the internet can be like stepping into a jungle, requiring proper tools to stay safe.
Outlines
đČ Identity Theft and Online Scams
Bryan Denny, a retired U.S. Army Colonel, discovers his identity has been stolen and used in online scams. A woman informs him that someone has been using his photos and name to scam her on LinkedIn. Denny learns that his photos are being used across various social media platforms to deceive women, particularly those from military families, into sending money for fabricated reasons. The scammers exploit the trust and sympathy of their targets by using Denny's military background. The emotional and financial impact on the victims is significant, with some losing substantial amounts of money. Denny takes it upon himself to raise awareness about these scams and educates on the use of reverse image search as a tool to verify the authenticity of online profiles.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄBryan Denny
đĄRomance scam
đĄReverse image search
đĄLinkedIn
đĄFake profiles
đĄMilitary uniform
đĄEmotional devastation
đĄHumanitarian mission
đĄFinancial loss
đĄOnline impersonation
Highlights
Bryan Denny, a retired U.S. Army Colonel, had his identity stolen and used in scams on social media.
A woman informed Denny that she had been scammed by someone using his photos and name on LinkedIn.
Denny discovered multiple scam profiles using his name and photos on various platforms.
Scammers targeted women from military families by using Denny's Army uniform photos.
Victims were lured into relationships and then scammed out of money for fake medical bills or plane tickets.
The emotional impact on victims is devastating, with some losing significant amounts of money.
Denny's case is not isolated; victims lost $143 million in romance scams in the reported year.
Reverse image search is recommended as a method to verify the authenticity of profile pictures.
Denny demonstrates how to perform a reverse image search using Google Images.
Scammers continue to impersonate Denny despite his efforts to combat the issue.
Denny receives multiple messages daily from people trying to sort out scams involving his identity.
People are advised to use reverse image search to protect themselves from online scams.
Denny emphasizes the importance of being prepared with tools to navigate the internet safely.
The transcript serves as a cautionary tale about the prevalence of online scams and the need for vigilance.
Denny's experience highlights the emotional and financial toll of identity theft and scams.
The transcript underscores the importance of digital literacy in detecting and preventing online fraud.
Transcripts
Meet Bryan Denny.
-My name is Bryan Denny.
Iâm a retired U.S. Army Colonel.
In 2016, Denny, whoâs a decorated veteran, was living in Virginia with
his wife and son when he received a strange message from a woman
on the professional networking site LinkedIn.
-She told me that she had been talking to me for several weeks.
I was on a humanitarian mission in
Syria and I was coming to Montreal to spend time with her.
And, uh, I had to tell her that none of it was true.
It turned out sheâd been chatting online with a man who posed as
Denny, with Dennyâs own photos, and scammed her
into sending him money.
-She said, you should go into Facebook
and search for your name.
The search revealed dozens of scam profiles.
-The scammers really didnât try to hide the fact that they were using
my name or my image, and they were all fake.
More women started reaching out to Denny and he discovered that his
photos were being used as part of a bizarre criminal racket
throughout the internet.
-Iâve seen my profiles on Facebook, I've seen them on
Instagram, Twitter.
Iâve been on Christian Mingles.
Bryan Denny, Scott Denny, Craig Denny, Ricky Sanchez.
The scammers lure victims into relationships, then ask for cash for
fake medical bills or a plane ticket.
They use photos of Denny in his Army uniform to target women from
military families who are sympathetic.
-In some cases their husband was a soldier, brother was a soldier, and
they just want to do something nice for someone in uniform.
-By the time they realize this really just happened to me, and I gave
away my, I gave away my kidâs inheritance, I have nothing left.
And theyâre, and itâs emotionally
embarrassing, itâs devastating, and itâs really hard to come back from.
And it isnât just Denny.
-Victims lost $143 million in romance schemes last year.
But Denny says people can find out if a profile picture, or any image,
is genuine by searching if there is anywhere else that
image exists online.
Itâs called the reverse image search.
Here, Denny has come across one of his profile pictures on a scam
Facebook account and is going to do a reverse image search of it.
He simply right-clicks on the image and saves it.
Then, he opens images.google.com.
-Dag that image to where it says drop image here.
Itâs pretty simple.
Once heâs done that, he gets a series of results that he can look
through to find out more about the image.
And by clicking on âFind Image Source,â he finds links that
make it clear the image is being used in scams.
Despite his efforts to stop the scams, Denny says the problem
has only gotten worse.
-I get five to six different messages through Messenger every day.
Itâs someone whoâs been talking to a
scammer and is now trying to sort things out.
He says that people can protect themselves with the reverse image
search by right-clicking and saving the image, dragging it into Google
image search, and scrolling through the results to find out where else
the image has shown up online.
That way, you can use the internet to check the internet.
-Youâve got to know that, you know, youâre stepping into a jungle, and
youâve got to step into that jungle armed with the tools
to help you survive.
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