Not sure

I got an email/message from a member through match.com. His profile had no picture and he claims he doesn't use one because looks shouldn't be what attraction is based on. He stated this again from his yahoo email. On Match.com his location is Addison, TX however he said he's just moved to my area. I remember from a previous scammer, his phone traced to Addison. This guys emails trace to TX too as far as I can tell, but can they cover their location in emails too?? I asked again for a pic and he sent one, matches the story but looks maybe a little older than he said.

Here is the header from his initial email:

>>x-store-info:SmXCjkY1Un5L3qlTmewTw2528Vzv4BD3oVwPqvwx6IvjjEdpJLuHYf1z7fFuZfkvvOeZfJqITKsd5Mg2YQzjKTSqBuY0hDFdno1pDTAEdjivXWcUSfE0anPH/Jiwqa16WzF9Id9MZU8=
Authentication-Results: hotmail.com; spf=pass (sender IP is 98.138.229.30; identity alignment result is pass and alignment mode is relaxed) [email protected]; dkim=pass (identity alignment result is pass and alignment mode is relaxed) header.d=yahoo.com; x-hmca=pass [email protected]
X-SID-PRA: [email protected]
X-AUTH-Result: PASS
X-SID-Result: PASS
X-Message-Status: n:n
X-Message-Delivery: Vj0xLjE7dXM9MTtsPTE7YT0xO0Q9MDtHRD0wO1NDTD0w
X-Message-Info: DFa+w7oqK+9KtdTT4RrJBVLBq5t7s7fcuC1ra27WwSzgElG76QYCThAuN7gXboTAIF29IxgW08hzmoSHOXaOyUPT6eGVev3OiJGwUyKfbTD0MHCWfv62141HVGZdMKZuJ4KZowTe+xD9RwvTts/6MJmV9UxJYwcRnFv+kMkt15FoVWN8sgwQcMzM8xWz8t+ODbT7fFmUOAhC9IYQIzdFngQEMuPBRNgp
Received: from nm37.bullet.mail.ne1.yahoo.com ([98.138.229.30]) by SNT0-MC4-F44.Snt0.hotmail.com with Microsoft SMTPSVC(6.0.3790.4900);
Sat, 24 May 2014 05:56:49 -0700
Received: from [127.0.0.1] by nm37.bullet.mail.ne1.yahoo.com with NNFMP; 24 May 2014 12:56:49 -0000
Received: from [98.138.100.102] by nm37.bullet.mail.ne1.yahoo.com with NNFMP; 24 May 2014 12:54:03 -0000
Received: from [98.138.87.8] by tm101.bullet.mail.ne1.yahoo.com with NNFMP; 24 May 2014 12:54:03 -0000
Received: from [127.0.0.1] by omp1008.mail.ne1.yahoo.com with NNFMP; 24 May 2014 12:54:03 -0000
X-Yahoo-Newman-Property: ymail-4
X-Yahoo-Newman-Id: [email protected]
Received: (qmail 18538 invoked by uid 60001); 24 May 2014 12:54:03 -0000
DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=yahoo.com; s=s1024; t=1400936043; bh=f9jcEN5WYXGlYRw/pb21dZwctQw4CHrZ7CtJh8y+fOs=; h=References:Message-ID:Date:From:Reply-To:Subject:To:In-Reply-To:MIME-Version:Content-Type; b=kSDVeSOP9L5t3KPlKLdhLDC/CCCvya12KAItcxGiW1ITyGYQ+WU0KUz9c15aV/Rx8vSyQcVegwW6A4VjuMtLTsP2MZ7JKb1w36TOxSnzx3a0DJDQY62aDTEOjaKwETvARydGIMz7bU9im6RxH8SVxaZoMvzybHy1XsPUXxU3YkY=
X-YMail-OSG: CE.nEMEVM1nMjxJTOmQXEUVycariZMT2JHiYTjyqwPLtJey
fqarAGSKrQGVaAR6nEBm_X05URm3LM_vWn3Ug4yniPPMQ
Received: from [24.238.166.146] by web125403.mail.ne1.yahoo.com via HTTP; Sat, 24 May 2014 05:54:02 PDT
X-Rocket-MIMEInfo: 002.001,U3VyZSwgbXkgbmFtZSBpcyBwYXVsIGFuZCBhbSBmcm9tIGluZGlhIGFuZCBhIENocmlzdGlhbi7CoCBJIHdvcmsgaW4gSVQgYW5kIGFtIGRpdm9yY2VkIHdpdGggbm8ga2lkcy7CoCBJJ3ZlIG5vdCBzZWVuIHlvdXIgcGljcyBlaXRoZXIgc2luY2UgSSBkaXNhYmxlIHBpY3Mgb2Ygb3RoZXJzIGluIG15IGJyb3dzZXIgYW5kIHNvIGFsbCBJIGNhbiBzZWUgaXMgdGhlIHRleHQuwqAgV2hhdCBob3VycyBhbmQgZGF5cyBkbyB5b3Ugd29yaz8gV2hhdCBhcmUgeW91IGxvb2tpbmcgZm9yPyBXaGF0IGFyZcKgeW91ciABMAEBAQE-
X-Mailer: YahooMailWebService/0.8.188.663
References: <[email protected]>
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Date: Sat, 24 May 2014 05:54:02 -0700 (PDT)
From: Paul Singh <[email protected]>
Reply-To: Paul Singh <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Hello
To: Removed (BW)
In-Reply-To: <[email protected]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="1993147269-1011065646-1400936042=:69781"
Return-Path: [email protected]
X-OriginalArrivalTime: 24 May 2014 12:56:49.0798 (UTC) FILETIME=[A09FC260:01CF774F]
>>>

I can't find any scam matches with his email address, but the name popped up as someone a scammer claimed help them scam people. Also searching his name a very well known person has many articles and social media links. They don't match his divorced with no kids story, but the age looks about right. Also, the pictures associated with the search aren't the same person from the pic he emailed me. The email address is kind of funny too, maybe he's just cheesy LOL

I guess I'm on the defense, having been scammed once. I've contacted this man on an email and name that's made up. What's everyone think?

If nothing matches after your search. I would treat it as a Red Flag and move on. Scammers often will steal profiles of others on the internet. He may not have had a picture on Match because Match will do a image search. The scammer will know his account will get deleted. It is already probably deleted.

If you will post his email to you and photo we will take a look at it.

ETA: It is probably the same scammer from your past with the Addison address. This time he changed his name and email address. He knows you are victim and he is coming back for more.

Below is the picture he emailed me and his email is [email protected]



I did a google image search with this but it didn't find matches. His username on Match.com is swengindfw . If you google that, there's a match on another dating site called SinglesBee, link http://www.singlesbee.com/view_profile_ ... d=42678549
The age on that profile is 42, not 36 which seems more to fit the man in the picture. I'm still waiting for a reply to an email. I know it's late night in Nigeria, so I guess they're busy partying or sleeping LOL

The email address is indeed a slight red flag--scammers like to choose email addresses that represent the qualities they are trying to convey.

Please post the original message(s) he sent you. We can most likely tell you whether it is a scammer from that.

Yeah, I'm sure this one's a scammer. I might keep going with him to see if I can get a phone number so I can post in on here to help other victims. I am still confused about the email headers linking back to Texas rather than Nigeria like I've seen before, any thoughts?

Here's the original Match.com email he sent:

<<
I liked your profile and feel we are quite right for each other based on our mutual interests, hobbies, and what we are looking for. I usually don't get on this site that often especially during the week but you can reach me via email or IM at simpleperfectguy on y a h o o. I don't have pics posted on my profile for good reasons. When I started out, I used to have pics on my profile. But soon after, I noticed that the nature of responses I got from others were all based on looks, outward appearances and knowing the outside person. They did not want to know me as a person from the inside. I feel that photos and outward appearances do matter as there has to be some level of physical attraction between two people. But it should not be the first step. I look forward to hearing from you if you are still interested. I can always email or IM you the pics if you are on yahoo or gmail.

I just found a job with a company in Washington DC and have moved to the area. I am looking for someone in the DC area.
>>

The email was sent from an Earthlink cable modem in the Houston area. If he has indeed moved from Texas to DC, his computer was still in Texas at the time. I moved a few months ago, and it took a month, and for a week I had computers in both places. Check the headers of future emails.

The writing does not look to me like that of an African or any non-Germanic language speaker.

I've asked him to meet up twice, but he doesn't seem to want to. I did get his number though:

<<
So, would you prefer to start out talking on the phone or this IM? When are you online? You can call me at 972-497-5078.
>>

The phone number traces to Dallas TX, but in his initial email, he said he now lives in DC. I've searched this site and the internet, but nothing about a scam has popped up. He's supposedly in IT, but he called our email an IM. I really doubt a real IT person would have said that.

The number is listed on http://searchreloaded.net/caller-972-497-5078/ as being in a Broadwing block. Broadwing, according to Wikipedia, has been bought by Level 3. Broadwing did VoIP, and Level3 is an ISP, so it looks like the number is a VoIP number. It is not uncommon these days to move and keep one's number, and it is possible to get a number in a place one has never been. If he really is in DC, he can prove it. Otherwise, be suspicious.

KRM1978, I had a scammer that had a cell phone set up with my area code, and called from a landline in Vancouver BC, and called from a Malaysian cell phone. If they want to hook you, they find a way. You have been scammed once and have suspicions on this one. That means you know you should stop contact and let it go. It's good that you posted here, pictures and emails, so others can see when they suspect too.
You deserve to find someone real, not get entwined with another scammer. Please let go, move on. Be careful, as you have here, when you see something that doesn't seem right, don't pursue.

Yeah, this felt weird early on. Anyone who's serious on dating sites has a picture and no one makes a big deal about not wanting to give one out. I was trying to be sure it was a scam, but the email headers keep showing TX. I had hoped to report it to Match.com, but I can't definitively prove anything and it's becoming a waste of time LOL. Thanks for everyone's help!

On Match.com his location is Addison, TX however he said he's just moved to my area. I remember from a previous scammer, his phone traced to Addison. This guys emails trace to TX too as far as I can tell, but can they cover their location in emails too?? I asked again for a pic and he sent one, matches the story but looks maybe a little older than he said.

One can never be to careful. There are plenty of ways to alter or change an IP so emails and browser activity trace to different locations. Saving a lot of technical jargon here and keeping it short: proxy and VPN's do this and are used by fraud artists all the time. The more advanced fraud artists use them frequently in fact. The same goes with phone lines. I could buy a phone number in any country and run it by VOIP (voice over IP) programs through my computer. A well set up scammer, who has a cover story set can and will use tactics like this. They have their script nailed down with shocking accuracy sometimes and almost to the point where they have a split personality.

There are also plenty of scammers doing advanced fee fraud in Texas too. I know and have heard of some operating out of the Houston area. Not all scams come from Nigeria.

As Smith Jones said, if you have doubts drop this one. The simple rules of dating sites are this: you are out there to date and the last I checked catching dinner and a movie with someone is better done and more fun on the town, not over a computer screen. Go find someone to catch dinner and a flick with in real life, someone who has nothing to hide. As for the other rule of dating sites, the most important one is you never send anyone you met on a dating site money. If people followed that one simple rule romance scammers would be down and out in a hurry.