Page 2 - Nellis AFB Bullseye 8-21-15

2 August 21, 2015
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Avoid ‘bird-dogging’
By 2nd Lt. Cynthia McGrath
633rd Air Base Wing Legal Office
JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS,
Va. — Scams aimed at taking advan-
tage of U.S. military members are
nothing new; however, one such scam,
“bird-dogging,” has re-emerged as a
threat to service members’ financial
security.
Bird-dogging refers to the act of
soliciting sales for a third party and is
illegal both on and off base. One ex-
ample occurs when a person serves as
an unlicensed car broker who is paid
to bring their friends into a dealership
and persuade them to buy a car.
The scam is often used in conjunc-
tion with other rip-offs. Consider the
following real-world examples:
(1) The drop-off: An acquaintance,
friend or stranger offers a ride to
a car dealer and then leaves the
victim stranded. The seemingly
concerned car dealership then
pressures the stranded individual
into buying a car to get home.
(2) The lemon: Taking advantage of
lack of knowledge and reliance
A true, true hero
By Airman 1st Class John Day
14th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE,
Miss. — “Man, it is way too hot to be
out here.”
That was the only thought in my mind
as I stood in the grass of the Mississippi
Veterans Memorial Cemetery in full
honor guard ceremonial uniform and
holding my rifle, waiting for the family
to arrive.
Recently, I had the opportunity to par-
ticipate in a Missing in Action ceremony
for a true, true hero.
This man, Capt. Frederick Partridge,
an F-51 pilot formerly assigned to the
67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing,
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Commentary
on a recommendation, victims
buy a defective car, or a car with-
out applicable warranty.
(3) The yo-yo: The car dealer per-
suades a victim to sign a credit
contract that they claim is final;
however, the dealer later informs
the target that the first transac-
tion was canceled and either the
car must be returned or a con-
tract signed with worse terms.
(4) Plain old fraud: A car dealer fill-
ing out loan documents submits
quotes that do not match the
car sold or interest rate offered.
When the target receives the
loan paperwork from the bank,
the dealer refuses to take the
car back because it was already
driven off the lot.
(5) Covering up the dirt: A car
dealer fails to disclose, or lies
about, a vehicle’s mileage or prior
history.
(6) Bait and switch: The target responds
to an ad for a specific car on precise
credit terms and then the dealer
claims not to have the car or the
terms. This can also occur when a
Kimpo Air Base, South Korea, was shot
down over Korea Aug. 10, 1952. While
returning from a recon mission and tak-
ing subsequent enemy fire, his aircraft
began to smoke. He planned to eject
once he reached friendly airspace, but
the damage was too great and he quickly
lost too much altitude.
Partridge’s wingman discovered his
crashed aircraft with no sight of him or
his parachute, leading the wingman to
the conclusion that Partridge would be
never seen again.
Fast forward exactly 63 years later to
a sweltering hot, 100-degree, southern
Mississippi day. As I stood there waiting
for the ceremony to start, I thought noth-
ing of Partridge. I thought only of myself
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dealer advertises a specific trade-in
price, then later claims to realize
the value was overestimated and
tries to reduce the offer.
Under laws in many states, it is il-
legal to engage in paid referral systems
without getting a license as a sales
broker employed by a dealership. Ad-
ditionally, under some circumstances,
a service member can be charged with
violating Uniformed Code of Military
Justice Article 92, which prohibits
certain forms of solicitation, or with
UCMJ Article 134, which violates
good order and discipline.
The following list is compiled of
tips to assist in scam avoidance:
Remain vigilant. Shopping at a big
dealership does not mean someone
is safe from scammers. If buying a
used car, check the odometer against
the listed mileage on the paperwork;
watch out for a prior history of acci-
dents; be wary of cars that have been
sold multiple times by the same dealer;
and consider using www.vehiclehis-
tory.gov to look into a car’s history
before buying.
Do research. Research how similar
and when I would be able to enjoy a cold
drink and get out of the sweat-drenched
blues I was wearing.
All these selfish thoughts faded as the
ceremony started and the pastor began
to speak. He talked about this Airman
and his character, but that is not what
struck me. He began to detail just what
it means to be a hero. He said that a hero
is somebody that signs the bottom of a
blank check. Sometimes the cost of that
check can be your very life.
And it did. It cost Partridge his life,
but it was what he stood for that made
him feel this check was worth signing.
Freedom. The freedom of you and I,
our families, our allies and their families.
In that moment, I forgot about the
status, physical handicap, political affiliation or any other
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products compare; how much others
are selling the item for; and the repu-
tation of the seller.
Have a backup plan and call a com-
mand representative for help.
Read and confirm everything. Call
the bank before leaving the car lot to
confirm all of the purchase informa-
tion. If filling out paperwork, read
the entire document. The document
represents the complete agreement,
so anything the dealer verbally agrees
to must be included in the written
contract. If something does not make
sense then wait. Consult others for
help or seek legal assistance on big
transactions.
Think twice before cosigning be-
cause if a friend is getting swindled or
if the friend is the scammer, the victim
could be left with the entire bill. If
deciding to co-sign for someone, treat
the transaction as your own.
Report problems to chain of com-
mand, financial management or base
legal office as soon as there is an issue.
Seeking assistance from base officials
could prevent the same scammer from
taking advantage of someone else.
heat. I’m sure it was hot in the cockpit of
that F-51 as it was going down uncontrol-
lably over enemy territory in Korea, but
that did not stop Partridge from making
his sacrifice or giving up and calling it
quits.
I lost all desire to wipe the sweat from
my face or to shift to a more comfortable
position. Instead, I felt a surge of pride as
the honor guard colors team I was on was
called to attention and given the order to
raise my rifle and salute this fallen hero.
Today, think about what it means to
be a hero and realize that it is not about
just you. We are a band of true, true
heroes fighting to preserve what we hold
most dear.
Freedom.
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