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Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 5:03 pm

It was funny that I came across your site yesterday. For a number of years I guess I have been scam baiting myself not even realizing there was a name for it. This was several years ago when they would send you a cheque and you were requested to send them back only a partial payment in return you got to keep a portion.

I would waste their money and time by having them send me these cheques which would cost them usually a few dollars I think the top one sent has postage of $6 on it. I did manage to get a couple death threats as I had no intention of sending them their cut! lol

After reading this site as well as another, you have renewed my interest in scam baiting. It because of all the scammer emails again that I started to google what is going on with these scammer and are any actually being caught and hauled off to jail.

Well today I have baited two scammer and will have to see if either responds.

I will keep you all informed if I do.

Sincerely,

Parrot

Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 5:21 pm

Welcome Parrot. The check scams are alive and well, probably with some new variations.

There should be lots of good information in your welcome PM to get you started. If you were receiving checks to your real address, pay particular attention to the part about baiting safely.

Nice to have you with us. Very Happy

Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 5:34 pm

It was at my old address. We have since moved. I didn't think it would be a problem as I knew they were coming from Nigeria and didn't think much of the death threats as I doubted they would come to canada looking for little ole me!

Baiting Guru Joined: 03 May 2007 Posts: 18313

Hi Parrot and welcome here! Very Happy

You should be aware that there are many check scammers in Canada and those that aren't in Canada probably know some that are. Baiting safe is always a good idea, just in case. Wink

Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 5:40 pm

I will keep that in mind. I appreciate it. I read the FAQ and have already installed firefox and have a virus scanner. I will be following those rules much more closely now that I know! Thanks though I do appreciate it.

Parrot

Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 5:42 pm

Is it safe to talk on hear about the baits you are using? Do the scammers read these sites?

Do you guys ever bait together I have read a few of the success stories where several characters participated.

Parrot

Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 5:42 pm

Hello Hello and welcome,
You found us and if.... we have mentors and all help you might want to need one day. But as Luckey said, Safety first.
Get a IP# free email account like Gmail -- Fastmail -- Hushmail and use all fake info to set them up.
IP# free ? That's your computers email address, try this http://www.ip-adress.com/ipaddresstolocation/ and see if it's close to your computer. Then bookmark it, you will need it again Wink

Once SAFE, take a tour through our wide variety of new customer offers in the Surplus forum, pick one you like and give the poor guy a short note that you have received his letter. Play dumb and a tad greedy, no more than 5 sentences as he is not going to read it anyway.
Then while waiting for his answer, read all the stickies in all the forums until you know them by heart Laughing

Naah, only the subjects about safety and the ones you would like to try.

Have fun, bait SAFE

Baiting Guru Joined: 07 Jan 2007 Posts: 2922

Why would they come from Nigeria when their buddies live down the road...

http://mysteryshoponline.com/blog/scammers-arrested/

http://forum.419eater.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1085307

http://www.phonebusters.com/english/legal_2007_sep13.html

http://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/epic/site/cb-bc.nsf/en/02669e.html

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/09/13/canadians_detain_alleged_419_scammer/

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article2589039.ece

Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 5:58 pm

Crap I just clicked the link and it went straight to where I am. I did set up a gmail account. I will only use it.

I am not sure what i am doing with that IP thing. Can you please explain a little more to me?

I absolutely want to remain safe.

Thanks a bunch, I hope I am not going to be a pain in the ......

Parrot

Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 6:00 pm

Welcome Parrot!

Be aware that there are also lads in the Houston area, as well as Atlanta, L.A., and D.C..

BTW, feel free to ask questions. Also don't forget the search tool.

We'll help you! Very Happy

Baiting Guru Joined: 03 May 2007 Posts: 18313

Most scammers don't know anything about an IP address, and we like to keep it that way. The risk is very minimal, but it's safest to use an email provider that strips your IP address out of the header, which gmail does. If you'd like to learn more about this read the sticky topic in the scambaiting help hints and tips forum titled FAQ's. There's a whole section about IP's and headers. I also recommend the sticky by Nurse Nasty titled "new to scambaiting and waiting for a mentor" in that same forum.

Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 6:03 pm

^^I just posted that in your other message http://forum.419eater.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=150538&highlight= Laughing

Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 6:04 pm

WOW thanks for the links. I had no idea! Do these Canadian ones claim they are in nigeria also?

I have had a few associates lose money to dealing with idiots on kijiji offering to sell things or buy things. I have warned them if it mentions nigeria or cameroon to run!

Due to the business I am in I get people emailing me all the time to tell me about these stupid great deals they find on line. I keep warning them but it seems they can't see past the deal to know that is a scam.

Like selling animals for a WAY lower price than market value. There are a number of people who have been taken by those ads.

Parrot

Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 6:07 pm

^^Many of the West African scammers have connections in Canada and vice versa.

If you want help educating people about check scams, there is good info at www.fakechecks.org and our sister site www.ScamWarners.com

We often check headers on scammer emails to get a location. That can be particularly helpful if you are trying to get your lad to pointlessly travel somewhere (safari) and you want to confirm he's done it.

As Ima mentioned, Gmail strips out your IP, so no one can get a location on you. You needn't worry too much about your IP if it does not pinpoint you. Few lads know what it is, or how to check it. That said, it's easy to bait safely, so there's no harm in it.

To answer your other questions:

Quote:

Is it safe to talk on hear about the baits you are using? Do the scammers read these sites?

We do occasionally get lads visiting here. Lots of us post baits in progress. You can obscure bits of googleable names if you like. For example if you are baiting James Oneka, you can write it like Jam3s On3ka. Or you can change his name altogether. If you are really worried about your lad finding you out, you can avoid posting until you have finished the bait.

Quote:

Do you guys ever bait together I have read a few of the success stories where several characters participated.

That happens quite often. It can be great fun, and very effective.

Edit to add first two points.

Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 6:19 pm

Well it is gonna take me days to get through most of this stuff. Usually evenings is better for my reading pleasure. Well I did bait three different scammers today. I will have to see if any of them take the bait. I don't need to be on any lists as they seem to have readily found me. I transfered the emails to my gmail account and responded to them there.

I was up till 3am reading stories on the scamorama.com site and couldn't take my eyes off it!

I think I have an angle a little different than what others are using here.

It is my goal to send these guys on a few expeditions for me in search of some exotic animals. Which would involve a bit of travelling, picture taking and total time wasting! lol If I can cost them a few bucks in the process then even better!

Parrot

Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 6:20 pm

welcome.
there are several mass baits going on at the moment including one for a conference in canada, why not have a look at the thread and maybe join in.
http://forum.419eater.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=150339
by the time you recieve your reply from the scammer you will have read a lot more here and know how to respond.
also feel free to ask questions as well as reading the answers to those others have posted

Baiting Guru Joined: 07 Jan 2007 Posts: 2922

@parrot re the IP thing...

You can also check where they say they are against where their email is sent from and this can be done by...

Quote:

If you want to find out where his email comes from then have a read here how to find headers, then copy and paste the header into this http://headertool.apelord.com/

After that take the last (bottom) number and put it in here http://www.ip-adress.com/ipaddresstolocation/

Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 6:55 pm

OK heres a question. You are calling them lads. That must be for a reason. I can think of many names I would call them lads wouldn't be one of them. Is it the initials of something else?

Parrot

Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 7:06 pm

Nope - it's just a convenient way of referring to the scheming, scamming scumbags. We also call them mugus, which is one of their own terms - it means "fool" - and they refer to their victims as either "mugu" or "maga."

The Eastern European lads are referred to as vlads - I think you can guess why. Wink

And a female lad (a rarity, but they do exist) is a ladette.

Um - I dan't think of any others right now. Embarassed

Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 7:07 pm

The only thing I can come up with is LAD is short for L%$%$ A87%& D&^$, but I don't want to upset the Moderators Laughing

I'm sure someone with the right answer will step in in a few minutes.

Baiting Guru Joined: 03 May 2007 Posts: 18313

Lads is originally from "Lads from Lagos", from Scamorama.

Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 7:49 pm

Ah OK. I was hoping there was more to it but what they hey! lol

How long does it normally take for them to respond to you? Can you see impatience setting in!.lol

Oops almost posted my real name! Is that a problem if it does happen?

Parrot

Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 8:04 pm

Yep, some scammers do Google( <0.1%) and finding Real Life info might be a bit too easy on them. Log out and see what you can see of the site then, so you know forever where you can post sensitive info. Best to stick with your eater name here and don't use it in your baits unless it's explained to the lad, trophy hunting signs do have (Hidden) baiters names on them, so find a good excuse.
Tip: see the edit function on every post, you don't have to make a new one if nobody else posted under it yet Wink

Quote:

How long does it normally take for them to respond to you?

It can take hours or a few days, depending how busy they are at that moment, never get impatient, just get another one to pass the time, when lad 1 picks up speed, lad 2 will have to wait a bit, so sad Laughing

If you bait one lad several times with fresh addy's you can plan things better as character 1 goes as fast as and the rest can stall and try different things as by then you already know his questions. I love to start talking about the fight I had at the Western Union that has banned me from there for life Twisted Evil

Before he even mentions the WU to me

Have fun Laughing

EDIT: if you make a mistake with RL info, edit it or inform a Moderator

Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 8:13 pm

Thanks, again. I joined the mass conference. It seems easy enough.

Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 8:17 pm

also every post here has a bit at the bottom saying 'report this post to a mod' in case you ever need it, it is quicker than copying a link to a post and then finding a mod to report too if there is something in a post a mod needs to know about

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