New Zealand newspaper article

By joining our community you will have the ability to post topics and access other forums reserved for members. Registration is quick, simple and absolutely free. Join our community today by clicking here.

Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 6:11 am

This article appeared in a national New Zealand newspaper today - 12 March. The reporter included an appropriate mention of 419eater.com.

(Some detail has been changed to protect the innocent)

Quote:

TAKING SCAMMERS FOR A RIDE
12 March 2008

A former scam baiter has spoken out about "scum" who fleece innocent people out of their hard-earned cash.

He wants to warn others about online conmen and tell of the humorous side of baiting them by playing an intricate game of cat and mouse.

The scam baiter despises scam artists who claim to help an orphan in a refugee camp or represent a fake charity asking for financial help to rebuild a non- existent church.

An example of how low they will go was the 2005 Boxing Day tsunami, after which scammers posed as victims and websites asked for money for aid and relief efforts.

"They'll scam people with terminal diseases," he said. "They're absolute scum."

Scam baiting involves wasting the time of fraudsters by making them believe you have fallen for their scheme.

Although he does not partake as much these days, he once spent two hours a day giving them the run- around.

He fondly remembers his first attempt, involving advance fee fraud about five years ago. An employee of a Nigerian bank claimed he was trying to access $27 million in the bank account of a European man who had been killed in a car crash.

The scammer promised to share 10 per cent of the riches with him � all he had to do was send money for bank clearance fees.

After finding the "bank employee" was listed on the scam baiting website 419eater.com, then learning how to bait safely, he replied, offering to help.

He got the scammer to visit the Western Union bank five times � eventually raising the suspicions of a bank teller who called security.

The fraudster even e-mailed him back to complain he had been made a fool of.

"He still believed I was desperately trying to send him the money he needed to proceed with the scam. I had a little chuckle to myself, it was quite satisfying."

In another case he baited a scammer in Benin, West Africa. As the game progressed, he offered to deliver the cash in person, claiming he was travelling in the area. "He got on his motor bike and rode 800 kilometres to Lagos to meet me."

He said people need to know the golden rule: "If it's a deal that sounds too good to be true, it probably is."

SCAMS � WHAT'S OUT THERE?

* Phishing: E-mails or phone calls that try to trick people into disclosing personal details.
* Advance-free fraud: Persuade people to send money in return for riches.
* Psychic and astrology: 'Maria Duvel' is one of more than 40 supposed psychics sending promotional material around New Zealand, asking for money in return for supernatural help.
* Customs fees: E-mail scam asking people who have bought goods over the Internet to pay "customs fees" or duties before their goods will be released.
* Spanish and Dutch lotteries: You've won � though you did not enter.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

* Never reply to abusive or unsolicited messages � you'll only get more.
* Use the latest operating system, and set computer to automatically update firewall, anti-virus and anti- spyware software.
* Use a strong password (at least eight characters with letters, numbers and symbols). Keep it private.
* Free downloads may include in them hidden viruses.
* Never give out logon information by e-mail. n Never use public computers, for example in Internet cafes, for banking or other financial purposes.

Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 6:24 am

Nice one Nelson, well done.

Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 5:51 pm

Yeah.. there was a posting last week from an Aucklander who is on this board and mentioned that this will be showing up on stuff.co.nz or the Dominion Post.

This could be the similar story to one that he intercepted about a craigslist or apartment scam. My memories a little foggy this morning..

Anyway - good article.

419Eater is my life Joined: 18 May 2007 Posts: 428

The Dominion?

Ack! Laughing

Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 5:45 am

Don't knock the Dominion, there's over 300,000 people or more in its circulation area - including the half dozen politicians who are not out of the country on a taxpayer paid trip. Very Happy

Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 11:57 am

good article. we need more of them out there like that

Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 3:43 pm

Rather than to start a new thread, I'll just hijack Nelsonsbattle's to add this article which appeared on the front page of the San Francisco Chronicle this morning:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/12/MNTTVEAI9.DTL

It's great to see this subject publicized so prominently, but those were incredibly lame baits... And evidently not safe, despite his "throwaway" email addresses -- the check was delivered to his address and he freaked out.

The New Zealand story is much better!