Ex-Army Officer Deceived on Dating App Leaks Sensitive Defense Information: Cybersecurity Concerns Raised

A retired United States Army lieutenant colonel, Franklin David Slater, has admitted to sharing classified information with a user on an unidentified foreign dating platform. This development was announced by the Department of Justice last week, which suggests that Slater may have fallen victim to a romance scam.

Slater, who resides in Nebraska and retired from the US Army in 2020, subsequently took up employment as a civilian contractor for the US Strategic Command, handling classified information. Court documents indicate that he had access to sensitive data regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Despite this, Slater willingly shared confidential defense secrets with an individual claiming to be a Ukrainian woman in 2022, during the escalation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Communications between Slater and this user took place via email and an online messaging platform.

The alleged Ukrainian woman sent messages such as “Beloved Dave, do NATO and (President) Biden have a secret plan to help us?” and “Dave, I hope tomorrow NATO will prepare a very unpleasant ‘surprise’ for Putin! Will you tell me?” In response, Slater provided classified intelligence detailing military targets and Russia’s military capabilities.

Federal investigators claim that the Ukrainian woman referred to Slater as her “secret informant love” and her “secret agent.” The true identity of this individual remains undisclosed, leaving it unclear whether she was a genuine romantic interest or a state-sponsored spy operation.

However, antivirus provider Malwarebytes highlighted the case’s significance in demonstrating how romance scams can exploit individuals seeking affection. In a blog post, Malwarebytes stated: “Slater’s years of military experience should have precluded such actions, according to Justice Department prosecutors. However, this unfortunate incident underscores the powerful impact emotions can have on crossing personal and professional boundaries.”

Slater now faces up to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for conspiring to transmit classified information.