There may be quite a number of boys and young men who are dreaming of becoming SEALs one day, especially after that hugely popular mission that led to the death of one of the world’s most wanted – if not the sole most wanted – terrorist.

That is something that may bring a whole lot of good in the future, especially if these youngsters do pursue their dreams with conviction and determination.

There are, however, other SEAL wannabes who achieve their Navy SEAL status through hazy and doubtful means. Former Navy SEAL Steve Robinson, who has devoted part of his post-Navy life to hunting down and exposing SEAL impostors, shared that there has been a surge in the number of impostors – attempting to ride on the wave of the SEAL legacy and legend – since the news of Bin Laden’s death, and the role that the SEALs had in the operation, were made public.

In an interview with the Toronto Star, Robinson, who works with the impostor tracking site POW Network, shared: “Before I retired I handled 12 to 20 inquiries each day… The morning after the President announced the death of bin Laden … at that point until the beginning of June we were handling 30 to 50 each day.”

He has been tracking down SEAL wannabes since 2000, spurred by an encounter with a SEAL impostor during a highland games event in Kentucky. He shared: “I saw a man wearing a kilt and a military blouse with tones of military awards, a girl on his arm and a navy seal trident on his shirt… I hopped over the wire to meet what I thought was a fellow team mate and as soon as I shook the man’s hand and listened to him speak I knew he was not a member of the SEAL team.”