Like us, you’ve probably stumbled across those famous YouTube videos where stolen-valor types dress up in military gear they’ve ordered off the Internet to get a free coffee or donut or whatever else, only to be tripped up by a savvy bystander who recognizes a patch in the wrong place or some other dead giveaway that the perpetrator is a phony. But we didn’t realize that faking military service and/or accolades is quite as widespread as it apparently is. Widespread enough that there’s a quiet cadre of resolute amateurs dedicated to sniffing them out and exposing them. This New Yorker piece details the entire effort, and it’s a fascinating read.
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/10/26/how-to-spot-a-military-impostor