The FTC pointed out that the websites promised to use the information people submit for military recruitment purposes only, but that's clearly not the case. In addition, applicants who send their personal details through the fake portals receive phone calls from telemarketers pretending to be affiliated with the military. Based on the commission's investigations, the defendants have been running this scheme since 2010.

After charging them with violating the FTC Act and the FTC's Telemarketing Sales Rule, the FTC has slapped Sunkey with a fine of $11.1 million and Fanmail with $1 million. Duping military-hopefuls might not be that lucrative, though, since the penalties were suspended due to the companies' inability to pay.

FTC Chairman Joe Simons warns other companies with the same MO:

"Those who are considering a military career deserve to have confidence that the recruitment site is legitimate and their personal information will not be misused. The FTC will take action against any party in the lead generation ecosystem -- from sellers to purchasers -- that fails to comply with the law."

The agency is now encouraging people who think they talked to a government imposter to report the incident through their Complaint Assistant portal.