Scammers abusing stolen photos of Michael Pace

[firefly]

Split from viewtopic.php?f=17&t=82393 where the fake courier used in fraud is reported.

Email address used in scam: davidbrandonraj@gmail.com

Fake profile used on Instagram:

[firefly]

Posted on behalf of the victim.

I have not sent any money at all as I was very suspicious about the whole thing, hence why I contacted you.
The bank details are for a person, not the company, so red lights starting flashing here.
We met on Instagram - username david_brandon_rajj.

He is 53 years old, his birthday was the 3rd March and he was working as a
Mechanical Engineer on a rig in Syria and he was a widower, whose wife had
died at childbirth and his baby son died 3 days later. He also said he had
adopted a child named Richard and he was in the States (Mississippi) with
his nanny. However he couldn't provide me with any photos of Richard and
him (I asked numerous times), which was weird as why would a father not
have a photo of his child? He even sent me photos of the baby son who had
died, and I just didn't get a good feeling so I used Google images to check
if there was similar photos out there.
Low and behold there were - how sick is this that he used another person's dying baby to get
money!?.

So I checked his other photos and found other matches too,
including another Instagram account (Jeremy Worthington). I confronted him
on this and he said they were stolen and that is why he wasn't heavy on
social media as in the past his Facebook had been hacked and images used.
So he sent me more photos and he even organised a short video chat via
Hangouts, but only for 5 seconds as it wasn't allowed as all communication
from the rig was monitored by the Pentagon (?) to prove it was him I was
writing to. He stole a video monitor and called me and to my surprise it
was him from the photos on the video but I didn't hear him talk. That
surprised me as I didn't think it was him, so I don't know how he has done
that. He also told me a secret as he trusted me and loved me, that when
working off the rig he and some other colleagues were bombarded by pirates
and the police escort shot them except one, so the pirates gave them gold
and jewels in exchange for freedom.

However, he said he got caught by the rig owners and is now under house
arrest as he put the safety of others in jeopardy by using the video
monitor and breaking protocol and that is when the story got even more
elaborate. He was on house arrest, the owners of the rig were going to sue
him, he had to leave the rig with no protection this week and he has to go
back to Syria in April for the investigation in April. He said he wanted
go to NZ to see me first as by now he had professed his love for me and
actually proposed! He wanted us to be a family. By then I was so
suspicious and started going along with the story to see what else he would
tell me. I probably should have just blocked him there. He sent some
photos of a ring he had hidden in the package he had sent to me, however I
Google'd the image and found the identical photos on an Etsy site.
When confronted he again said the images were stolen and he was telling the
truth.

I was very clear from the start that I had no money and couldn't help him
pay for anything. He told me all about how rich he was and that he didn't
need any money and what cars he drove and houses he owned and he would look
after me. Oh he was smooth, made me feel so good about myself and promised
the world. He also sent me information on what he was working on at the
rig . Stupidly I said I would accept a package from him (not
sure where the heck my head was at!) and I gave him my address. Then
I get this email from Diamond Express Couriers and there is an outstanding
amount to pay. I told him I couldn't pay and why was it so
expensive and he told me that he had stashed the gold and jewels too, plus
all his personal documents, as the owners were searching his room each
day. He said he needed the gold and jewels to pay for a top lawyer to
represent him to the company as they were suing him. I was gobsmacked,
there would be no way I would be the recipient of gold and jewels, even if
it was truth, so was very angry and upset. He said he couldn't pay for the
rest of the courier and insurance as he needed money to survive off the rig
and a ticket to NZ. I said to him he shouldn't have sent the gold and
jewels as his safety was more important. From there we have been arguing a
lot.

He keeps saying that he won't leave until the package is received by me and
it should only be a few days as he had sent it priority mail so I decided
to make a story myself. I said I could only pay $2000US
and he begged me to pay more and he would pay me back. I told him
I couldn't pay the remaining $7000US and I
don't have that money. I suggested he redirect the package to the States
so he can pay for it when he gets back and he said "it is registered in
your name now so it's up to you to authorize and they won't do it until it
has arrived at the registration destination." I told him I would apply
for a loan but then went back and said no bank would say yes but I could
pay the $2000US at the max. This morning after reading your email I told
him that I was going to the bank today to organise the wire transfer. The
first thing he asked was "do you have receipt of the payment?" I told him
that my bank had to check if the bank account was legit against the courier
company and then there were all sorts of comments like "why did you do
that, you are going to get in trouble if they find the gold and jewels" and
"you should have said it was for a friend".

I am absolutely furious at what has happened to me, partly furious at
myself for falling for it. I would
absolutely love to catch this man and lock him up. If I can't do that at
least report him to Instagram.

I hope all of this information will
assist others in not falling for this horrible person (I'm being careful
not to swear as I would rather call him something else!).

[firefly]

Stolen pictures used:












The fraudster abuses stolen pictures of Michael Pace, founder of EMA Multimedia. The real owner of the stolen pictures used has nothing in common with the fraudsters abusing his image.

[firefly]

Emails received:

From: <info@diamondcourierexpress.co>
Date: Sat, 7 Mar 2020 at 21:40
Subject: DIAMOND COURIER EXPRESS
To:

Good day madam.

We were informed to email this address for the delivery of Mr David
Brandon's package to xxx,New Zealand. Below is the payment breakdown
of your package.

Tax duties: 2,921$
Insurance: 3029$
Customs duty: 2,217$
Shipping fee: 2,601.61$
TOTAL=10,768.61

Note that you've made a half payment of 3200.13$. You still owe
7,568.48$.Please make a complete payment to carry out immediate
delivery.

Please Log on to www. diamondcourierexpress.co with your tracking number
AWBxxx

we await your immediate response, so as to send you our payment options.

Always email us or chat with us live on our website on suggestions and
remarks on how we can serve you better.

THE DIAMOND TEAM(Damascus,Syria)

[firefly]

From: <info@diamondcourierexpress.co>
Date: Sun, 8 Mar 2020 at 04:45
Subject: Re: DIAMOND COURIER EXPRESS
To:

Hello Madam,

We wish to inform you that you can make your payment in
installments.This will allow us to put your package in transit to
xxx,New zealand. We await your immediate response so as to send you
our payment options and get your package in transit as soon as possible.
Thank you for choosing diamond courier express.

From: <info@diamondcourierexpress.co>
Date: Sun, 8 Mar 2020 at 19:30
Subject: Re: DIAMOND COURIER EXPRESS
To:

Thank you for contacting diamond courier express. Below are our payment
options;

-BANK TRANSFERS
-WESTERN UNION TRANSFER
-BITCOIN TRANSFER.

Please let us know the payment option you’ve chosen,so as to send you
the necessary details for your payment.Thank you for choosing diamond
courier express.

From: <info@diamondcourierexpress.co>
Date: Sun, 8 Mar 2020 at 20:38
Subject: Re: DIAMOND COURIER EXPRESS
To:

Good day madam,

we wish to inform you that you presently owe 7,568.48$ on your package.
However,if you choose to pay in installments to allow us ship your
package into xxx as soon as possible, you’ll need to make a
55percent initial payment which is 4162.664$. This will allow us get
your package into Auckland as soon as possible. Thank you for choosing
diamond courier express,we always wish to serve you better.

We await your immediate response so as to send you our payment
information.
THE DIAMOND TEAM.

From: <info@diamondcourierexpress.co>
Date: Sun, 8 Mar 2020 at 21:34
Subject: Re: DIAMOND COURIER EXPRESS
To:

Hello Madam,

Please we wish to inform you that our western union transfer option
isn’t available at the moment.You can rather choose to make an
international wire transfer to our company agent and don’t forget to
send your payment receipt to us,so as to update your tracking number and
get your package im transit to New Zealand. Thank you for choosing
diamond courier express.

[firefly]

From: <info@diamondcourierexpress.co>
Date: Mon, 9 Mar 2020 at 02:51
Subject: Re: DIAMOND COURIER EXPRESS
To:

Hello madam,

Below is our payment information for an international wire .

ACCOUNT NAME- A. A. M.
BANK-BANK OF AMERICA
ACCOUNT NUMBER- 23704191xxxx.
ACH ROUTING NUMBER- 05300xxxx.
Swift code- BOFAUS3N
ADDRESS-xxx ST EDEN,NC 27288-5949.
ACCOUNT TYPE- Checking Account.Advantage plus.

From: <info@diamondcourierexpress.co>
Date: Mon, 9 Mar 2020 at 19:44
Subject: Re: DIAMOND COURIER EXPRESS
To:

Good day madam,

The payment information we sent you previously is an agent with diamond
courier express. It will be received by diamond courier express if you
pay into our verified agents account which we have sent previously.
Thank you for choosing diamond courier express, we also wish to serve
you better.

THE DIAMOND TEAM.

[firefly]

From: <info@diamondcourierexpress.co>
Date: Tue, 10 Mar 2020 at 21:33
Subject: Re: DIAMOND COURIER EXPRESS
To:

Good day Madam,

This is to inform you that you still have a pending delivery with
diamond courier express.Please endeavor to make a payment to carry out
immediate delivery. Thank you for choosing diamond courier express.