Someone tried to scam me

I am certain this is a Nigerian Romance Scam but wanted to make sure, and also to warn others.
I joined the singles dating site OkCupid.com on January 1st and he contacts me right away.
He claims to be James Andrew or Andrew James, calls himself James. When I pinned him down with it he said his surname was Andrew but to call him James.
His email address is [email protected].
Phone # 011-44-7045761794 (this is where he actually answered).
He also gave me the # +44-7045761794 which did not work and 001-44-7045761794 (I couldn't get though to those numbers).
I am from US, his profile claims he is from Amanda, Ohio and that he is self employed.
I notice that is grammar and way of expressing himself is not like that of an American.
He wanted to talk on Yahoo IM and I didn't have that, so i had to sign up. He seemed a little reluctant to IM me on Widows Messenger.
He posted at least 2 photos on his profile at Cupid, and sent me three photos of himself on my email, one with who he claimed was his 16 year old daugher, says he has been divored 4 years, very lonely, wants to start dating right away. "He needs my love"
Says he is an antiques dealer and travels all over the world and wanted to know if I minded that (why should I mind as I had just met him?) Well I contact him on Yahoo Messenger and he is eager to show me himself on webcam and vice versa. My camera is old and doesn't work but he send me an image of himself, which was in a dark room and didn't resemble the pictures on Cupid. I told him the pictures were too dark for me to really see him and that he looked Egyptian and not American.He became nervous and immedately closed down the camera. He claimed to have a Spanish mother and an American mother and that he was raised in Spain, and that he did not come to the USA until he was 38 years old. He starts pressuring me for a committment and saying he loves me and I became very nervous and he would become angry and say I didn't love or trust him. Oh, BTW, wouldn't you know that only 2 days later he suddenly has to go to London on business and "will be gone for 2 or 3 weeks but don't worry, we will still be talking every day on the IM and EMail".
I insisted we talk on the phone, as he claimed he had only a "temporary phone #" he couldn't get thru to the States but had tried to call me.He was very evasive about why he couldn't call me, but very excited about the possibility of my calling HIM. He did NOT sound Spanish at all to me and I could not place his accent. I explained that I did not have much money and could only talk 2 or 3 minutes. He said he understood that, then wanted me to call him again just to "say goodnight to him".
He asks me to make a commitment again for the rest of our lives and when I said no, and that he didn't know me well enough to love me, he became very angry and said it was over.
Hasn't contacted me in 2 days, said I was hurting him too much emotionally, etc.Please advise and warn!!

Welcome here gizzardlady.

Yes, this is definitely a scammer! The little information you gave is enough for me to recognise the format he's using. Also the +4470 phone numbers which are re-direct numbers that divert your call to any phone in the world is a give-away. I'm pretty sure you were writing to a west African scammer. Can you post some of his e mails here? Preferably with the full headers, so we can see where he's writing from. If you don't know how to get the headers, just ask.

Hi there.
This same person (James Andrews) is actually scamming me right at this very moment. I jointed Match.com and he winked at me and sent me an email giving me his personal email address which I then replied to. He has sent me 2 emails and only after I had replied to the second did I find out. My friend in Australia checked with his email address and forwarded this link to me. He has not responded yet to my last email in which I answered all his random questions and stupidly send him some photo's...of family which he had kindly asked for after giving me his condolences on my Dad's death. Now reading into the emails I can see his use of the English Language is not right. I did not notice at first because he said he is Swedish but has been living in UK for a long time. But is now in Auckland, New Zealand which is where I am. When he emails me back, I so want to really "give it to him" and let him know what an idiot he is...or do I just ignore him and block his emails? I will attach his emails below:

1ST EMAIL:
Good Day,

Hello Tracey , Hope you're doing great?it's a great pleasure to get your email, Am so sorry that am just getting back to you now,I have been busy trying to get some paper work together,im bidding for a contract,so i need to get all my documents together if i want to win the conract,So i bet you see i have been quite busy,lol. I really appreciate your amicable response, It has been long i shared feelings with anyone, Well you might not understand, Being able to come home after work and have a nice conversation with someone special is something that has been missing in my life for a long time.

After reading your profile and email it shows that you are an interesting and a fun woman, Well like I said before now, Am new to this online stuff , Don't really know how it works but i believe I will with time, Well i think the first thing to do is to tell you more about me, I'm James,51, a Professional Engineer but it's forms in two way oil drilling and constructing, I am Originally from Gothenburg Sweden. i come from a family of 3, My Mom, Dad and I, I Lost my father 7years ago and my mum of cancer early last year. (am Over that now and have Moved on) I graduated from Cambridge University. I Live in England but at the moment i am in exeter area,Auckland Area, but won't mind relocating (don't have anywhere in mind and look forward to deciding that with miss right) i have a daughter, Kim,10,She is all i have now, i am 5"10. tall, Brown eyes, Divorced for 5 years now, I had to do it cos my ex cheated on me, being reflective, Its not the best of thoughts to remember all that she did to me, I'm very passionate, stable, and the photo is current. Yes, I really do look some years younger than I am. I'm well read, intelligent and have common sense, English is not my first language,swedish is, but I have a London accent as I have spent more time in London.

My passions include reading inspirational books and clever mysteries, the most touching book that i have ever read is the one by John Manson, really inspirational, would push you from where you are to where you should be. On Music, Am into Sentimental Rock as i guess you already Know, I Love singers like Evanescence, Linking park, Dido and Enya too. Favorite composer would be John Fredrick Handle, Although am really not into operas. Am an Art Lover to, I don't like to be the center of Attraction, I love to lay low, I Am a movie Lover, I Love the cinemas, Am the comedy type, I also watch some actions packed thriller, Adventures and some decent Erotica. My Favorite actor is Brad Pitt(Boy Sexy). I Love to cook and love Mexican dishes because they are quite spicy. As we all know, Love making is an essential part of a relationship as it's keeps the Fire burning. I Love to Travel for fun but haven't really had the time to travel so much, i have been to Germany and India. If am to go on a Vacation I'll Love to go to Paris. I Love the Museums and art Galleries. Concerning pets,Am a Dog Lover, Well all i seek here is true love and happiness, I really want to settle down and be happy, All that I want in a relationship is honesty and care, meaning- to be up front with each other and open our hearts out to each other without the lies. Loving ... meaning - loving yourself, children and each other and never letting the music in your heart stop. being kind to others, these two things are more important to me than all of the rest.

I will want my woman to be passionate, Loving, Romantic, Kind, Honest, Reliable, Unselfish, has sense of Humor, understanding and considerate, I hope am not asking for to much, Am a one woman man, I just want someone that will hold on to what little we find cos that's the way to move forward and as well make it big, I know that Rome was not built in a day and I am ready to start and stand all, And i want that from my woman, I will want us to keep in touch and see what happens and i predict all will go well,I will love to meet you in person, communication matters to me so much, Please take good care of yourself okay,I will be looking forward to reading from you.

James Andrews



2ND EMAIL:

HIS EMAIL ADDRESS IS : [email protected]

Hi Tracey, I'm glad we are starting off on this communication in a great way, it motivates me to write you the more.I'm so sorry to hear about your Dad please accept my sincere condolence. do you have any pictures that you want to share.

I'm really glad we can communicate like this until we meet each other in person. its so amazing we can learn about each other without even meeting in person yet.i have seen the best of all places and apart from the fact that i love traveling so much my job also involves a lot of traveling but i haven't seen a woman to capture my heart yet.i want a loving,caring sweet and intelligent woman in my life right now who will love and care for me like i will love and care for her also.i want someone who will always make out time to listen to me like i will listen to her.i love to hold hands and cuddle.i really miss walking on the beach with that special someone and making sweet and passionate love all through the night.

I'm a one woman man and i hate cheats.i have been cheated on before so i know how painful it can be,so i don't do it to people.dearest after reading your profile i know the kind of woman you are and the kind of man you want in your life,and trust me you are not asking for to much.


I have some few question for you,I hope you don't mind

1.How stable is your life over the past relationship?
2.Have you learned something about yourself from every past relationship?
3.Have you narrowed down your specific desires as to what type of person you want to meet?
4.Are you really over your past?
5.How ready are you to love and beloved ?
6.do you talk about your feelings with someone else?
7.How ready are u to share your families with the right man ?
8.How would you treat a man like me if you been given a chance??
9.What's your greatest fear?What's the craziest thing that you have ever done?
10.What's your Fav Color?
11.What's your Fav Food?
12.Would the girl you were be happy about the woman that you have become?
13.What do you consider your greatest achievement?
14.Where's your Fav vacation spot?
15.If your were to come to life as an animal,which would it be?,


hope to read from you soon.

James .

3RD EMAIL:

Hey dearest Tracey,Before i say anything i must say you are really a good writer,And i most say you are a lucky child.i enjoyed your email and i learned much about you from it.I hope you enjoyed my email also.Am really happy to receive your answers to my question's,Nice answer's,Your email has really given me an insight of your personality,Am happy to know that you have learned from your past relationship,On our path through life we encounter many different obstacles, people and experiences. This is what makes us unique. Everyone has a different life experience. The people who create happy lives take each experience and make it work for them, especially if it is a negative one. If you haven't learned something about the way you interact with another person from your past relationships, you're living in cycle that won't get broken until you take the time to find out. You can't possibly expect to break negative habits if you're not aware of them,So am really so happy that you have learned something.

Im happy to hear the way you will treat your man,I love that fact that you know much about what true love is all about,standing with each other in Good time and Bad time,It's always good running home every day after work knowing that he will be getting a great treatment.Am so happy to know that you are over your past cos sometimes is always hard to do that,I really appreciate the fact that you took out your time to tell me so much about yourself and am so happy that we can learn about each other this way,Honesty and trust is something that we most put first,cos we trust in order to love.

You are so open minded and this is something i really appreciate so much in a relationship,I keep going through your email and you really sound wonderful to me,All i have always wanted in a relationship is true love and happiness,I guess the best way to describe myself is that I'm a nice guy who is considerate and respectful of other people's feelings. I am compassionate,a great listener, and not afraid to show my emotions i believed not only in what a woman looks like but her heart plays the most important role to me because i want a real and a serious relationship with the right woman.Bet am old for Games. I'm a family man, who thinks it's more important to come home and spend quality time with the family instead of hanging out at the bar or out there doing some others stuffs.i enjoy traveling..... its nice seeing new places and meeting new people from the world. Bedroom aerobics are great, and I consider that an important part of a relationship.Believe it or not, the most sensitive part of my body is my fingertips. I love to touch!!! Holding hands and showing affection is very important to me. i believed in friendship so much cos to me it is the key role to a long lasting relationship.

I think i should answer my questions also.

Am over my past relationship,and i have learned so much from it,Am a better person now,And i have learned that honesty is the key to every long lasting relationship,My greatest fear is actually failure. the boy i was would be happy about the man i am now because i am still on my feet after the whole tragedy i went through,I want someone who knows when to laugh and when to cry. Someone who truly listens when i have something to say.Someone that's there for me during the good and bad times.Someone who is caring . and honest and romantic,and royal Someone who loves me with all their heart and soul.Someone who is interested in reality and not as a fashion display.Someone who is honest. Someone i can trust..My greatest achievement would be getting on with life even after the Blow(the death of the closest people in my life)My Greatest weapon,would be my Mind too,as i think about thinks and try to work a away through.I have always fought to get almost everything in my life,well i guess there's nothing free on earth.Am more then ready to love and beloved,This is all i have always dream and think of.Life without Love is like a harp without strings.If i was to come as an animal,I would come as an Eagle(beautiful and strong).Craziest thing ever done would be making Love in a park,I was young then,my favorite color is blue,Fav vacation spot would be the Carribeans,i would love to also go to Mexico.Fav Food would be Mexican(very spicy).


Please take good care of yourself and i want you to know that someone is thinking of you.

Hugs and Kisses

James

I HAVE NOT REPLIED TO THIS NEW EMAIL ABOVE RECEIVED TODAY!!!

Doesn't sound like the same one, but then again it could be one of his "buddies" as I hear they work in teams. Although on his profile his nickname was TACO and he told you he liked Mexican food. The one I was contacted by didn't want to send me any long emails about himself and was evasive about answering any of my questions. He must not have realized (or forgotten) that he had already sent me photos, as he was dumb enough to show me what he looked like on his webcam lol and it wasn't the same person. When I confronted him about that he said, "Oh no!" ROFL

He might not be the same person, but he definitely is a scammer.

Our general advice is to block and ignore him from now on. I know you want to mess with him and maybe get some revenge, but it's a bad idea. As you said, he has you details and photographs, whilst there is only a tiny chance that he could do anything with this info, it's better not to chance it.

Take what you've learned and count it as a win. Remember if anyone you only know online asks you for money, be very suspicious. Scammers can come up with very good stories and reasons for needing the money. Don't be fooled, they are liars and thieves.

Regards
Dan

Yes gizzardlady, it is a scammer that's in contact with you. Any one quoting a 4470 phone number is fraudulent. Please see an earlier post of mine here ( dated 25 Nov 2010) for an explanation.

viewtopic.php?f=26&t=13567

The same James Andrew contacted me in the beginning of this year on interpals. He told me he was an American living in Ohio but at the moment on a business trip in UK. He gave me the same number +4470..... I was never able to contact him on this number. He showed himself on cam, hardly to be seen as the picture was very dark.
The next day he phoned me with a Nigerian number saying he did not have the time to inform me that he left for Nigeria. Somebody had told him that there are wonderful antiques and of course he could not leave out this opportunity to get them. He is antique dealer he told me. It did not take long and he showed himself in Nigeria on cam too but funnily it seemed to be the same room as in UK. I asked him and he said it was just the type of hotel and therefore the same furnishing of the room. After a few days he had bought all his antiques and was going to get the customs clearance. He sent me a certificate of the Nigeria customs. I told him it was a fake document as the logo of the Nigerian customs was not correct, second it had a spelling mistake. Of course he said it was not true and all the customs had given him asking for 20,000 Dollars tax. He said he has 15,000 with him and another 2000 some customer will help him and I should help with the rest.
He mentioned that he needs an account in Nigeria for receiving money through Western Union and therefore the kind cab driver who takes him everywhere is so nice and lets him use his account. He has given the name of the cab driver as Kolen Ashely,8 Unity Street,Ikeja, Lagos Nigeria.
Now this man is always trying to talk to me and hoping to get some money but I wont send a penny.

holy hell, this guy just scammed me!just doing a casual bit of cutting and pasting from his letter, I googled it and hit scam warners!!!
First contacted him on Match.com, a dating site in Australia.
aww he sounded so nice - but now Im ready for him!!
what a jerk.
Thanks to whoever set this website up
rabbitoh

I'm glad you learned he was a scammer before you got in too deep.

If he already has your real information (name, location, email, etc), the best thing to do is completely drop him.

We generally don't recommend stringing scammers along if they have your real information. Stringing scammers along is called scambaiting, and it can be very effective, but should be done safely, protecting your own identity. You can learn about baiting safely at our sister site, 419eater.com . As tempting as it sometimes is, we also strongly discourage pointing out scammers' mistakes, as doing so only helps them to scam better.

I have received nearly the identical email - though now he calls himself Thomas Jones and his email is: [email protected]

Now he claims to live in Seattle and be in the oil drilling & construction business - a professional engineer who once again claims to be from Sweden.

Thank you for this site.

Evelyn

Welcome to ScamWarners treehouse2 and thank you for the updated information. I am glad that you realized you were dealing with a scammer. Obviously, drop communications with them.

Thomas Jones SCAMMER MUGSHOT [email protected]


[email protected] SCAMMER AND MUGSHOT
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id= ... 50&sk=info

RE : Thomas Jones

Thank you for this great site, the above "person" and I have been in touch via email for few days, I noticed rather rapidly that he was using copy+paste , as he mentioned he did not have much time to write, but wanted to email before he went to work, and he is in Denver Co. "at the moment" HA!
The funny part was, he mentioned where he lived in Canada, "Tottenham Ontario" which is 100miles away from where I live, but he has no clue the name of my town!
To keep it brief ladies, this scammer has emailed the same mail to me as of October the 1st, 2011.
PS: he must be pretty good at Copy and Paste- we are not losers.

Once again, thank you for your help~

Hi there....
As you can understand, I am horrified to find that I have recieved almost exactly the same emails from a Marc Andrews!!!! I have been writing to him and have called him on a Turkey number!! Also approached me on match.com
He has not asked for anything, but should I be concerned??

Ginny

Welcome to Scamwarners, ginw!
There's really no reason to be concerned, but now that you are aware that you're dealing with a scammer, it would be wise of you to stop contact. Please don't tell him that you saw his emails on this site or that you know he's a scammer, just drop him.
Would you please post the email address that he's using and the Turkish phone number that you called him on. This will be a great help to other potential victims using google. Thanks!