Video Transcript

The following is part of a court testimony from a four-star U.S. Army General. His identity was exploited to con victims out of money in schemes known as romance scams.

"That a fellow American would seek to steal my identity, besmirch my reputation, and abuse my military rank as tools to deceive others for financial gain is something  I find disgraceful. It stinks of the moral bankruptcy of stolen valor, only worse because it results in actual harm to innocent people. When the defendant joined the plot to convince total strangers that I was romantically interested in them, she insulted the unconditional and undying love I have for my wife. When she sought to profit from the abuse of my rank, she dishonored every member of the military community with whom my family and I shared service and sacrifice. I’ll only say that the damage your actions caused goes far beyond the money you managed to steal from people whose trust you abused.

Abusing another man’s honor and the honor of an important American institution in service of your own craven greed is truly worthy of contempt."

“What you say? Hello?” 
“Hello? What you say?”
“I can’t hear you.”