Craig Johnson from Egypt

[cat2009]

My scammer must have seen this website because he was pretty good, but what always let a scammer down is their greed, but I got to give it to him he was good. I met him on Afro Connection and he told me that he was from the States and he was a selfemployed Network Engineer working in Egypt and will be back in the States in the next couple of weeks. I did my usual checks to and ask him to send me a few more pictures of himself and family. Low and behold he sent me these photos. So he caught my attention but still had my suspicion. Then after about a week he started to tell me how he loved me and that’s when alarm bells started ringing. I then did a trace on his email and it did come from Egypt, I think asked him about his daughter and sent me another picture of a little girl. Then I asked him for a phone number so we could talk and that was the giveaway. He tried his best to put on American accents but you cannot hide an African accent.
I am also into Computers/Network I started asking him question and he did not have a clue about computers. He said he was from Jamaica but the only place he knew was Kingston. I did not tell him that I knew he was a scammer I wanted to see how far he would go. He also told me he was an only child that his dad had died and his mother worked in Jamaica as a Pastor and she was looking after his daughter because the mother had run off when she was 10 months old. He eventually got down to what he really wanted, He told me he had a shipment coming into the country and the customs would not let it out until he paid them $3200 but he didn’t have it and he hoped that I could help him out because once the job was finish he could come and see me. I told him that I would send the money. I think the fool is still waiting at the Western Union....that happened today. So ladies not even getting the men to send you more pictures can help the only give away sign is them falling in love with you in a short space of time. They have realised what questions are asked for them now so they have up their game. So be careful. If you want any other information, please do not hesitate to contact me

[cat2009]

I forgot to mention his email address is engrcraigjohnson@yahoo.com. He also sent me a copy of a Bill of Laden for the shipment coming in. This guy is good. I just feel sorry for the person who's picture he is using. We also have to be careful who we are giving our pictures too and how many picture you post on the Net. I would say stick to one picture until you have met the person because they are now using those picures...




Just in case you want to get hold of him his telephone number is +20188662819 or +20146115757

[IceFM]

Pic 4 you can buy here:

http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-photo- ... attire.php

You should also ask him, when he works in Egypt and want to go back to the States........why must he load his Container in China????

20188662819<<<< mobile phone number from Egypt; Provider is Mobinil.
20146115757<<< Landline

[cat2009]

The website that you sent what is that all about?

After he went to try and pick up the money I was suppose to have sent, he email me back to say that the number I gave him for the money was incorrect and he wanted to know if I was playing him. By that point I was fed up with talking to him so I wrote him back to say that It takes a wise person to catch a fool and that he was being scammed by me. Then I blocked him from sending emails to me. BTW his real name is Kenneth robert thomas and he gave me this address

8 Abdel-Azeez
City: heliopolis
State: Cairo
Country: Egypt

You can always get a scammers name especially when they want you to send the money. The first thing they say is can you send it to my friend and you know they mean themselves but they dont want you to know.

[dotti]

The website sells standard or "stock" photos - they are professional photos can be purchased by companies looking for a specific type of photo for advertising brochures, websites, etc.

Can you post some of actual emails? Sometimes the actual script helps future victims to identify scammers as they tend to reuse them.

Western Union MTCN numbers can actually be checked online, so he may have claimed he wasted a trip, but really he would have just checked it from the safety of his computer (or the computer at the cafe, which is where most work from).

A few other things to give him away even without seeing his scripts:
-he uses Engineer as a title, like Dr. or Mr. Africans tend to so that, but in the US, Engineer is not an honorific title and you wouldn't have Engr. John Doe--it would be Mr. John Doe or Dr. John Doe if he had a Ph.D
-the bill of lading contains several grammatical and format errors
-the bill of lading references a deadline but doesn't actually list a deadline.
-the changing history (first from US, then from Jamaica)
-ex ran off leaving him with child (typical scenario)



Chances are the name he gave you for the money is also not his real name. Many scammers, especially those in countries where prosecution is more likely, will make sure there is never anything in their name. That is not an African name or an Egyptian name, and although it is possible as an American name, you already know from his accent that he is not American. It is also a typical "American" name created by an African--they don't know the difference between given names and surnames, so it is common for them to string together two or three given names, or get the surname and given name mixed up, or use all 3 names in everyday speech. He may have a fake ID in that name or it is possible he has a contact who does.

[cat2009]

Here are some of his emails

Thank you much for extending your hand in friendship. Likewise I am glad to hear from you! I agree that LOVE is a ALL POWERFUL. LOVE is so POWERFUL because it is GOD's most distinguishing characteristic. i could sensed that we are on the same page, i have been 100% single for the past 3yrs,no dating, i am new in the site cos i joined less than a week ago and you are the very first person that will make sense to me on the site, i am willing to explore the possibility of striking-up a lasting relationship with you.

The Bible says that "GOD IS LOVE" (1John 4:8) which means LOVE is the greatest of the fruits of spirit - even greater than joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, mildness, and self-control. I am a man of strong faith and full of GODLY LOVE - unconditional LOVE!

I am very, very serious about LIFE and the things that are important to me. GOD is the most important one in my life for without life would have no meaning! Secondly, family is important, and I have one piece of that family unit missing - that is a WIFE. I am seeking to make someone very happy - to enthrone her as my very QUEEN!!

I am KING material - are you QUEEN material, if so then I am he that can fulfill your every desire SPIRITUALLY, EMOTIONALLY, and otherwise. Our friendship can grow into something really special if we continue to nurture it with some GODLY LOVE, TRUST, and HONESTY.

My last relationship lasted only for 2yrs,i was suppose travel out of the states one night, unfortunately i missed my Flight, i had to take a cab back home, on getting home i met my Wife-to-be red-handed on my bed with a man, isn't that crazy? well i am completely heal now and ready to move on, so i could say i am single because i havent find the right woman.

Please reply at your earliest convenience - I 'll be waiting...


Let me share a little about myself...I am a genuine down to earth man,GOD fearing with a great BIG HEART in search of real LOVE..I am seeking for an Ideal Woman to be friend while we explore the possibility of having a Home together, with no age or background been a barrier afteral the essence of life is staying happy with a good family
Craig is my name, i was born and raised in RI, i am of mixed race, mom is a Jamaican while dad is from Warwick in RI.

I am single, i have a daughter who turns 12 this year, right now i need Mrs right in my Life that will love me for real and make me feel so loved always like never before.

I need a woman i could trust cos i believe the best prove of Love is trust and without trust we ain't gat nothing, also i like a Loving, passionate reliable and caring woman.

The qualities i desire in my ideal woman is Honesty, i really cherish honesty so much in my woman cos i ain't gat time for games, i need a woman who is 100% drama free. I feel like with out honesty there is nothing. I think as long as there is genuine love, honesty and communication a relationship can survive the test of this thing called life.

Im someone who believes and acts on the belief that the intimacy of a relationship is sacred.Im someone who likes frequent physical and emotional connection, but who helps keeps dependency in check in the relationship so that we do not lose our identities as individuals.Im someone who will join you in taking time to find a complete and genuine resolution to issues as opposed to avoiding conflict by settling for quick, temporary agreements.Im someone who regards intimacy as a meaningful bond between people in love and who appreciates being the center of attention in the bedroom.but also insist that we take time to get to know each other well. I treat my woman as a queen. im attentive, respectful, and VERY affectionate to her. My appettite is strong for my woman. I need her constantly...

I love simplicity and elegance 2 go 2gether at the same time.thats to do with every aspects of my lfe...whether ,food,dress code,wines and company..

I am a network engineer, i am into consultancy and systems integration, currently in the middle east for a telecoms project, although i am gonna be back in the states really soon.
I like to watch movies in my spear time, also i like spending time with loved ones, sports, music and go shopping.

Feel free to write me back at your earliest convenience time and tell me more about you.

Regards
Craig Johnson

my daughter's name is LOla, she has been staying with my mom eversince when she was only 10month old becuase that was when her mom left us. i have full custody of her now and i am okay with that. Lola is a very friendly,loving and caring girl just like her dad....[smile] infact i told her about us already. like i said i wanna come see u in the UK when i am through with my work here, i dont know the precise date yet but i will keep u update.

sweetie, how are u doing today? Happy 4th of july to you,[sorry u re not in the states] sweetie i know u will be worried and wondering why i haven't write you all day, something happened to me this morning, i missed a step while i was coming down the stairs and i fell, infact i thought i was gonna lose my life in the first place, but i was rushed to the hospital, i just got discharged now and i am very much okay aside the little pain in my left leg, i just thank the lord for my life. it is almost 3am here now, i just need to lay down and get some rest bcos i just have to meet up for my meeting with the custom's boss tommorow morning. i will take some medications now to make me feel stronger by the time i get up in the morning.

Good morning sweetie.

How are you doing?i slept perfectly okay after taking some medications before going to bed, i am fine now aside the little pain i am feeling in my leg, i have to jump in the shower now to head for the Meeting with the custom's boss because it is scheduled to hold for the next 1hour and i have to be there before then. thank you so much for showing me holw much you care honey, i really appreciate you a lot and for that i will always cherish and adore you, you are my angel,my honey,my wife and my life and nothing can change this, i want this happines you have brought to my life to remain forever.

I fall over and over in love with you again ... as the time goes on and a new day shows, your presence in my life enlarges and my love grows. I just wanted to thank you for sharing and making me laugh. Thanks for being the most awesome woman a man would ask for. Thanks for the caring times, and loving experiences and I'm so lucky to have you.

Thanks for all the happiness you bestow upon me. Thanks for making me see what I don't see. Thanks for making me overexcited with ur Love and making me feel so loved. I love you all the way down to my toes and up to my brains and a lot more in the middle!!

Honey i will keep you update when i am back from the meeting,dont stop praying for me.
I love u so much.

With the warmest of hugs and wettest of kisses,

YOUR MAN

CRAIG

Hope you day has been great so far? as for me it's been a rough day for me, it's almost 9pm here now, i just stopped by at a nearby cafetaria to use the internet to write u, i finally meet with the Custom's boss today as scheduled, after series of check aswell as confirmations on all my papers and hours of dialogue he finally come to a conclusion that my ship will be release to me, i was happy with a broad smile on my face immediately not until when he stated that the release of my shipment is gonna be on one condition, that is i am gonna need to pay a certain charges which is known as the CONSIGNMENT CLEARANCE BILL,i had to wait another hour for the bill to be handed over to me. the bill was finally handed over to me and on the bill it was stated that i am gonna to be a charges of $3200, i was OMG, i am so naive of the whole porcess here and one crazy thing is that i was not even given any room for further explanation,only few of them can even understand a little bit of my english.

Right about now i just dont know what i am gonna do because i dont have access to that kind of money here now,this is just new to me because this is my very first time here and there are three major worries that is killing me now, the first is the deadline for the completion of my project and there is absolutely no way i could afford to lose what i have been working for, if i didnt meet up with the deadline the contract will automatically be terminated ,the second worries and fear i am having now is the items worth of $1.2m that i have in the shipment laying down at the port now,i have spent all i have to finance this and i just cant afford to lose all this bcos of a mere charges of $3,200, and thirdly is the ultimatum given to me by the custom authorities to pay the charges and have my shiment release else the charges will start increasing every day as the shipment sleeps at the port and besides it is not safe out there.

Sweetie i am really gonna need u to come to my aid, i really dont know how you gonna feel about this but i believe u are a very understanding kind of woman and u will be understanding enough to reason with me,i an really gonna need u to assist me because i dont have access to any funds here now,every pre-planned funds i brought here have been spent on unexpected expenses and on casual workers i employed to work for me at the work site, now i am left with nothing until i get paid and there is absolutely no way i will be paid when the work is not fully completed and this is the very last stage now which is the supply of the items to them.


Sweetie, i want u to try ur possible for me and i promise i am gonna pay back the funds as soon as i return to the states infact if it requires that i am pay back with interest i really dont mind, i am willing to pay back at any level of interest rate. pls do all ur possible best to get me out of thids mess, i just u ain't gonna give up on me bcos i am in this deep shit, i know u do love me and i love u too and i believe My happines is ur happines.

Pls email me as soon as you get this message, i am kinda perplexed and worried to death here now with fears on my mind,fear of losing all i have invested in this so-called project.
i will be sitting here waiting for ur email, dont wanna go to the hotel yet cos i might get sick if i am all alone in the room. u can aswell check the attach file honey for better understanding of what i am saying okay

I love u so much honey

Hey baby, i have been sitting here waiting to hearing from you,i really appreciate the fact that you are willing to assist me, in that case you will have to have the funds wire to me via the western union or moneygram so that i can get it fast and go pay the cash at the counter, pls do email me asap and let me know which of this two service u have close to you. i will be waiting for your message.

love u

craig
Hey sweetie, how was your night? u cant believe i didnt know when i sleep off on the chair while i was eating, it was so funny to me when i got up this morning and find myself on the chair with part of the food in front of me, damn i was worn out yesterday, it is not good to be too stressed, i just wanna write u to let u know how much i do think about u,Words cant express the meaning of the smiles that you put upon my face! Day after day you light my world with your brightness! Thank you so much for being such a wonderful part of my life! I'll never be able to repay you for the happiness you have given me by making be feel loved when i thought no good woman out there.

thank you for coming into my life and showing me that there are still good women in the world. Thank you for being so caring and sweet. Thank you for being so just so wonderful in every way. Thank you for letting me love you like I do. Thank you for always being sincere. Thank you for being you, i love u so much baby and u will always be the one and only love of my Life,wish i could u have u here now to hold me so close and tight in ur arms,play with my hear and comfort me with ur loving words.

sweetie i am definitely happy that u are willing to assist me,there is absolutely no way u can pay it from there that was why i asked u to wire the funds down to me here and besides u cant even communicate bcos u dont speak arabic,infact i am even gonna get someone who speak arabic to pick up the funds for me bcos the western union store was own by an arabic man

Below is the info you will need:

Reciever's name: Kenneth robert thomas
address; 8 Abdel-Azeez
City: heliopolis
State: Cairo
Country: Egypt
I will be waiting for ur email soonest

love always sweetie

ur man

CRAIG
Baby all i need is 3200 dollars i really dont know it's equivellent in pounds sterling, i am not gonna need more because as soon as i get my shipment cleared i will supply the items and get paid, so i am not gonna have any problem coming to london. Kenneth is the project cordinator here , he has been here for years and he speak and write arabic so well. the address i gave to u is where i stay here,it's like a guest house. thanks so much for been there for me baby,,,,,I love u so much

i am sorry, i just feel embarrassed when the western union told me the number is invalid. i will be waiting for u to get the paper from ur cousine

[dotti]

Now we have several other pointers that say "scammer" and some links to other profiles:

-doesn't capitalize i in the middle of the sentence
-uses romantic nicknames instead of your name (sweetie etc.) This is so he can send the script to multiple women without having to edit it.
-caught wife in bed with another man (it is very rare in real life, but in scammer land it is an everyday occurrence
-God fearing - term not used often in the US, frequently in Africa
-he gets his verb tenses mixed up - common African mistake
-claims to be new to online dating--this is to make him look more innocent
-random capitalization that doesn't make sense (example: Ideal Woman) They don't know what should/should not be capitalized
-"with no age or background been a barrier" - standard scammer element here
-cos for "because" - not standard abbreviation for US, scammers use it all the time. Most Americans I know would use "cuz"
-doesn't know how to use an apostrophe (Im)
-"consignment clearance bill" brings no matches on google--if this were a real document, I would expect to find matches.

Looking at his script and picking out some parts that are unique or are inconsistent with his writing, so are probably in other places on the internet:

The king/queen lines in the first email lead me to another suspicious profile here: http://www.blackplanet.com/region0/

someone who believes and acts on the belief that the intimacy of a relationship is sacred

This quote above is too well written so it is copied from somewhere. Google shows me a lot, including some other profiles that may or may not be real:
http://www.google.com/search?q=%22someone+who+believes+and+acts+on+the+belief+that+the+intimacy+of+a+relationship+is+sacred%22&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

as the time goes on and a new day shows, your presence in my life enlarges and my love grows.

The quote above leads me to already reported scammers.
http://419.bittenus.com/7/9/combelsmith.htm
http://www.romancescam.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=18981
http://419.bittenus.com/9/2/mariajohnson.html

I could pull some more and more links to other profiles, but I'm stopping here.

[cat2009]

Thanks for the information appreciated.

[dotti]

No problem--the best way to keep your heart from being broken is to spot the scammers before they get too far--and being able to identify the little red flags helps with that.

[alegna12]

Good Evening! I met this same man on BlackPeopleMeet.com approximately 10 months ago. I have some of the same pictures as well. He told me just about the same things as Cat2009, except he said that he had a son named Lamont who was 9 years old. He states Lamont goes to a boarding school in Kingston, Jamaica, where his mother is raising him. He too told me his mother was a pastor. He also has a brother Lamont, that is in Iraq fighting the war. Craig also stated that he lived in Warwick, RI, but was working in Lagos, Nigeria, as a engineer. Mr. Johnson as he calls himself has had a few trials and tribulations while in Lagos. He was suppose to come to me and was admitted to the hospital in Lagos after he was in a taxi accident, in which the taxi driver was killed. He was in the hospital for three weeks. Then was able to travel to London, but again was hospitalized from reoccurances from the accident and the doctors did not treat him right, and they had to rebreak his leg and fix it correctly. I have much communication with him even today, but when I saw the pictures and was so mad I wanted to talk with you.

[cat2009]

Nice to know he is using the same name and pictures. However, not good for you. So you said you are still communicating with him? Have you talk to him on the phone? Has he asked you for money yet? Well as you can see from the correspondance I have had from him he is a scammer. I am sure user "dotti" will step in and talk to you about this man as they did with him, but please post all correspondance if you can. After 10 months of communicating with him what have made you feel suspcious about him and do you have any new pics that he is using that I have not posted yet, if so, please post them.

[dotti]

Hello Alegna,

I am very sorry that you too were caught up in this scammer's web of lies. I don't know if you lost money to him-I hope you didn't-but either way, I'm sure even if you didn't, this must be painful for you after 10 months of correspondence.

I'm glad you were able to identify him when you did by the information that is posted here--this is why we don't report profiles to the sites, and we don't tell scammers they are listed here--if their profiles closed or they know they are listed, they will start scamming using a new profile in minutes, but it will have new names and/or photos, and the next victim has less chance of being warned.

As Cat said, in addition to any other photos (this is important because a victim may search on any of the photos he is using, and the more that are on scamdigger, the more likely they will find the truth), I will ask you to post up emails and/or chat logs, with all personal information related to you removed. This can help us to identify additional fake profiles, and may help a victim in the future when parts of the script are re-used. If you look through the notes I made above about the letters Cat posted, I'm guessing you will see many of those elements in what he sent to you.

[alegna12]

I have spoken with him on the phone many times and it was the same man I talked too. Initially he gave me his home and cell number in Warwick, RI, as (h) 401-921-0790 and his cell was 401-961-1790. He also gave me the address on Massachusetts Ave, in Warwick, RI. The number escapes me at the moment. When he advised he was working in Lagos, Nigeria as an engineer, he used the cell number of 011-234-7068054978. He was staying in a hotel there in Lagos, and he stated he was mugged when he first got there so he did not have his credit cards. When it came time for him to pay the bill he was around $150 short and I did give him that money. Yes, I sent money by Western Union, and initially I sent the money to him. He was leaving in November to come to me, and he was stopped by customs and thrown in jail for the amount of money in his check from his work in Lagos. He advised me he had to get an attorney and pay a fee before he could receive his check and travel to the states. I paid the fee in the amount of $1500, and also the fee that he needed to update his airplane ticket. In December he was suppose to come home to me, I went to the airport and he did not get off the plane. I came back home and received an email from a Dr. Scott in Lagos stating that on his way to the airport he was in a taxi accident, and spent several weeks in the hospital, and I was sent a picture by a Dr. Scott in Lagos. I deleted it long ago because I trusted him. The doctor stated to me that Craig was brought to them unconscious, and they had my contact information in his briefcase, and they needed money to treat him. I again sent more money. He was released by the hospital and needed an ambulance service to take by wheelchair transport in all airports along the way for his travel. When he got to London he again was rushed to the hospital because he collapsed. THe doctors in London stated that he was not treated correctly and they treated him in London for approximately two weeks. I again sent money to the doctor for his care, and to update his plane ticket. He stated to me that while he was in the hospital, he received a call from Cairo, Egypt, that the government was going to take his electrical business that he received as an inheritance from his father. So he changed his ticket and went to Cairo immediately. I was never told about anything or any business he had in Cairo. He sold his business for 4.1 million USD. At least that is what he stated to me. He then needed $1800 for a new plane ticket. I did not give him money for the ticket. And I did not hear from him for 2 weeks. Two weeks later I get an email from him stating that he was arrested by immigration and sent back to Lagos, Nigeria due to problems with his working Visa. He advised me that he was staying with a relative of one of doctors that treated him in London, that lived in Lagos. He was in Lagos, until three weeks ago, when he advised me he was traveling with a friend he met in Lagos named Kenneth Robert Thomas to Cairo, Egypt. He says he has no phone in Cairo.

His yahoo IM and yahoo email is: Mrcraig1967@yahoo.com. He does have a Jamaican accent, but there is another accent also, because it was not strickly Jamaican.

I pulled back on sending him money over a three month ago because he started acting strangely, and I was done being a bank. He has advised me over and over again that when he got back to the states that he would pay me back for everything, and pay off all my bills, but I know that will never happen. And maybe that is why I held on so long with him. Recoup my losses. Then the other night I did a search on Google for Egypt's Craig Johnson, and this site came up with the same exact pictures of him on this site. And I was very angry. I am just sick of being taken advantage of.

[cat2009]

I am so sorry about the way he has treated you, but your story I have heard so many times before. As long as you keep on giving them money they will keep telling you stories about the problem they are having and if you just give them a little bit more money all will be ok. Just remember if you meet a guy online and he telsl you he is falling in love with you and you have never met do not believe him. Men don't work like that especially black men, unless they have met you there is no way they love you unless they want something from you. Sorry you had to find out the hard way. So how has it been left. Have you told him that you know his scamming you?

[alegna12]

I used your little trick and gave him the wrong MTCN #. He asked me to send it to Kenneth Robert Thomas initially and then he stated he was out of town and to send it to the follow person, he is the gate man and watches over Mr. Thomas' home. His name is as follows:

Dahood Abdoul Razaq
9 el-shakir street
heliopolis, Cairo Egypt

I talked to him today. But I have not told him that I know his ways. I am doing alittle digging first. I did ask him some questions today. His mother's name is Faye. His deceased father's name is Henock Joddy Johnson. I am not sure if that is the truth, but I want to find out all I can. He also stated that he is a Christian and attends the 7th day adventist church.

I will forward my emails from today tomorrow.