Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Scam Email: Joseph Caldwell

Hi Kathleen,

Below is the email I received regarding one of my paintings.

Regards,
Aleksandra
----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Joseph Caldwell [iluv2luvuu@gmail.com]
Subject: maui sky

Hello,

  Good day to you over there, My name is Joseph Caldwell I'm from Seattle  and i hope this message finds you well.I was going through your works and my eyes caught...., i will like to have it for my new apartment this month. please let me know if the piece is available, if yes let me have the detailed price and more information about it. i will be waiting to read from you.

Note: Aleksandra was also kind enough to send the full headers of this email, to see what the IP number might be of the originating server - often this will at least tell you the country the scammer is sending their emails out of, but unfortunately in this case the IP number just reflected it was being sent from the google servers, because the scammer was using gmail. Also notice in the scam email - which I've seen before, how the scammer forgot to personalize the part of the email "...and my eyes caught.....". And although this email is vague and makes no mention of a third party shipper or that they are moving from one country to another, it does have the classic signs of poor formatting and grammatical errors.
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18 comments:

  1. AnonymousAugust 17, 2010 at 5:43 PM

    Thank you, I just got one and found your post. Much appreciated.
    Mike

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousAugust 19, 2010 at 9:48 AM

    I just got the same email and was wondering .. so glad I know. As I answered, he replied the following:

    Thanks for the message, I am very happy to know that the Pieces is

    still available for sale. i must tell you i am very much interested in

    the immediate purchase.I will like to let you know that your payment

    will be in form of a Certified Check.You dont have to worry about

    packing, insurance and tax because my shipper will be in the best

    position to do that as soon as you get the payment.This is because i

    will be traveling out of the country any moment from now for a

    business proposal.So get back to me with the information needed to

    send you the payment I:E :
    Full Name
    Standard Address
    Phone number
    Asking price reconfirmation

    so that i can proceed in the payment arrangement, consider it sold get

    back to me asap with needed
    information.

    ReplyDelete
  3. KatieMoeAugust 25, 2010 at 9:51 AM

    Well, the Joseph Caldwell scam email is still being sent. An artist forwarded me an email and it is the *exact* same templated email as above but where he left the personalization blank in the above example, in today's email he had filled in a url - so the scammer was just scouring websites. Here's the content:

    From: Joseph Caldwell [iluv2luvuu@gmail.com]
    Subject: artwork

    Hello,

    Good day to you over there, My name is Joseph Caldwell I'm from Seattle and i hope this message finds you well.I was going through your works and my eyes caught..[he inserted a full url here].., i will like to have it for my new apartment this month. please let me know if the piece is available, if yes let me have the detailed price and more information about it. i will be waiting to read from you.

    ReplyDelete
  4. PamAugust 31, 2010 at 5:05 PM

    Yeah...me too. thanks for the listing! Better safe than sorry right?

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousOctober 22, 2010 at 2:59 PM

    Me too - anything we can do to stop these folks or catch them? I feel like sending him a very large set of files - ugh

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousOctober 22, 2010 at 3:00 PM

    Here is another scam artist going under a different name - to go after Artists

    Entire thread
    Print Previous Next
    Subject:
    Awaiting your message
    From:
    Dennis Moore (Add as Preferred Sender)
    Date: Fri, Oct 22, 2010 8:11 am
    To: kathleenxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
    From Subject (Thread Messages) Date Size
    Thanks for the message, I am very happy to know that the piece is till

    available for sale. i must tell you i am very much interested in the

    immediate purchase.I will like to let you know that your payment will

    be in form of a Certified Check.You dont have to worry about

    packing, insurance and tax because my shipper will be in the best

    position to do that as soon as you get the payment.This is because i

    will be traveling out of the country any moment from now for a

    business proposal.So get back to me with the information needed to

    send you the payment I:E :
    Full Name
    Standard Address
    Phone number
    Asking price reconfirmation

    so that i can proceed in the payment arrangement, consider it sold get

    back to me asap with needed information.

    ReplyDelete
  7. KatieMoeOctober 22, 2010 at 3:06 PM

    Not much can be done, except to keep educating people how to recognize these early on as scams.

    Scammers use disposable email addresses and hack into servers to send their emails out, so you really can't get back at them because they are masters of making themselves untraceable.

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousDecember 1, 2011 at 12:47 PM

    He's now working under the alias Gabriel Wolfgang from Adelaide.
    Here's the mail I got from gbrgang@hotmail.co.uk:

    "Hello,
    Good day to you over there, My name is Gabriel Wolfgang I'm from Adelaide and
    i hope this message finds you well.I was going through your works and my
    eyes caught THISTLE & UPWARDS , I am moving soon and i will like to have it for my
    new apartment.

    please let me know if the piece is available, if yes let me have the
    detailed price and more information about it. i will be waiting to read from
    you asap.

    Gabriel."

    I sent him the price and then I received this mail:

    "Thanks for the message, I am very happy to know that the piece(Thistle) is still available for sale. i must tell you i am very much interested in the purchase because my wife really love it and she want me to get it home before she deliver our upcoming baby boy lol...I will like to let you know that your payment will be in a Cheque.

    You don't have to worry about packing, insurance and tax because my shipper will be in the best position to do that as soon as you get the payment.This is because i will be traveling out of the country any moment from now for a business proposal.So get back to me with the information needed to send you the payment I:E :

    Full Name
    Standard Address
    Phone number
    Asking price reconfirmation

    so that i can proceed in the payment arrangement, consider it sold get back to me asap with needed information.
    Thanks.

    Gabriel."


    I was just about to write to him to tell him I only accept Paypal payments when I started to get more suspicious and googled his name. That didn't come up with any results I could use so I googled a whole sentence from the mail. That got me a link to your site!
    I've put a warning out on facebook linking to your very informative blogspot.
    Now you can add Gabriel Wolfgang to your list of scammers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousFebruary 11, 2013 at 6:02 PM

      I also received the same email from Gabriel Wolfgang. I sent him my info. and then realized it was too good to be true. Then I received an email from my artists' association and many other have received the same email. How do we stop this?

      Delete
  9. AnonymousDecember 14, 2011 at 11:09 AM

    Hello, I also received letters from Gabriel Wolfgang recently and a few years ago under a different name. I have taken the time to answer and notify that I either sell my work only through galley representatives or directly, but in that only case paid in advance/cash.
    Usually this puts an end to any further "conversation", alas...it´s waste of time...

    ReplyDelete
  10. AnonymousFebruary 12, 2012 at 10:24 PM

    Hi thanks for warning!!! :) ,

    I've just got this email from gbrgang@hotmail.co.uk :

    Good day to you over there, My name is Wolfgang I'm from Adelaide and my eyes caught this particular work [....titles...], i will like to have it for my new apartment this month.please let me know if the piece is available, if yes let me have the detailed price and more information about it. i will be waiting to read from you.
    Greetings.

    ReplyDelete
  11. AnonymousFebruary 13, 2012 at 5:57 PM

    Thank you- I received an identical email from Gabriel Woolfgang in Adelaide with the same UK hotmail address, requesting a painting.
    Now deleted!

    ReplyDelete
  12. AnonymousApril 20, 2013 at 7:29 AM

    i got request from Engr.cadwell.joseph. on skype.. he appears out of nowhere, so i google the name and found u..

    hm... this might be the same person... removed him already.. thanks all..

    ReplyDelete
  13. AnonymousAugust 13, 2013 at 5:45 PM

    From: joe caldwell [mailto:mr.joecaldwell12@gmail.com]
    Sent: Saturday, August 10, 2013 5:35 AM
    To: joe caldwell
    Subject: Goggles
    My name is Joe Caldwell . I would like to know if you have Goggles Available and i'm looking for less expensive ones you have. Could you please let me know the prices that are Goggles
    I would be happy to make my payment by credit card if you accept them.
    I await your reply,
    Sincerely,
    Joe Caldwell.

    This is one I got !

    ReplyDelete
  14. AnonymousSeptember 3, 2013 at 12:37 PM

    Thank you for this information. We received a similar email from "Joseph Crawford" a few days ago, and now this one from "Kent Davis" (very similar language/request).

    kent davis
    Aug 31 (3 days ago)

    to bcc: info
    My name is Kent Davis . I would like to know if you have bell .Available and i'm looking for less expensive ones you have. Could you please let me know the prices that are
    bell


    I would be happy to make my payment by credit card if you accept them.

    I await your reply,
    Sincerely,
    Kent Davis.

    ReplyDelete
  15. AnonymousSeptember 3, 2013 at 12:49 PM

    My name is joe caldwell . I would like to know if you have Sealers .Available and i'm looking for less expensive ones you have. Could you please let me know the prices that are
    Sealers

    Here is one I got today....


    I would be happy to make my payment by credit card if you accept them.

    I await your reply,
    Sincerely,
    joe caldwell.

    ReplyDelete
  16. AnonymousSeptember 21, 2013 at 8:23 AM

    ---------- Forwarded message ----------
    > From: joe caldwell
    > Date: Thu, Sep 19, 2013 at 2:39 PM
    > Subject: range hoods
    > To: joe caldwell
    >
    >
    >
    >
    > My name is JOE CALDWEL . I would like to know if you have range hoods
    > .Available and i'm looking for less expensive ones you have. Could you
    > please let me know the prices that are
    >
    > range hoods
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    > I would be happy to make my payment by credit card if you accept them.
    >
    >
    >
    >
    > I await your reply,
    >
    > Sincerely,
    >
    > JOE CALDWEL.

    Scammer-THANK YOU FOR THIS POST, SAVED TIME

    WE RESPONDED BELOW;
    Hi Joe,

    Okay,

    33.95 x 120 Custom units Total is 4074.00 . I am in the office today until 3 PM EDT if you would like to call and then M-F 9-5 EDT

    Please have the exact size you need in inches when you call in for this order transaction must be on a recorded IP line and tracked by United States Homeland Security (IP Sent via secure Google Analytics)

    Thank you much.

    BCC:
    John Wilson United States Homeland Security ; Frank Carpinni

    Thank you for trusting us with YOUR business & Supporting American Industry,

    ReplyDelete
  17. AnonymousNovember 1, 2013 at 2:05 AM

    I got this one and at the same time another from kent davis (see above) with the same text.


    My name is JOE CALDWEL . I would like to know if you have Bagpipes Available and i'm looking for less expensive ones you have. Could you please let me know the prices that are
    Bagpipes


    I would be happy to make my payment by credit card if you accept them.

    I await your reply,
    Sincerely,
    JOE CALDWEL.

    ReplyDelete