Question on what lads would do if they DID meet with you

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Master Baiter Joined: 14 Feb 2009 Posts: 209

So I've been reading a few of the very long safari threads - the one on NPR, the one lotto.lad one, and a few others.

So, it seems to me that most often there are two people going, even if the lads try to keep that part hidden. From what I gather, its basically so they can intimidate and rob you when they find you.

I've also read a few stories of real victims who were kidnapped when the nigerans met them.

In the safari threads, almost every time the baiters tell them to travel to a far off place saying that they will pay the driver when they meet them. No one shows, the lads are stranded with no way to pay the cab driver, the cab driver is angry and wants his money, and we all have a great laught at their expense.

So here's my question - How do you think the cab drivers (if they are real) feel about kidnapping tourists? I mean, if the cab driver is legit, I'm sure he doesn't feel too happy about all of the sudden having his clients kidnap someone and put the hostage in his car. On the other hand, if the cab driver is in with the bad crew, well, then he's probably going to be paid before he leaves or will not work with the gang again.

I suppose the simple explanation is that the cab driver is legit, and they're not going to kidnap, only take the money and run. And yet still, I wonder.

What does everyone else think?

Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 9:37 pm

If I was a taxi driver, would I drive a couple of strangers to the ends of the Earth, and not demand my money up front? Would you??

Master Baiter Joined: 14 Feb 2009 Posts: 209

^^^ Well, they sort of do, I mean, regular cabs do, but in these cases (2k+ miles), no I wouldn't think so.

Also, I wouldn't be happy about my clients kidnapping people either. Which leads me to believe this whole taxi thing is a farce, and that they either took the bus (which is fine, they pay for the ticket and have no way back), or the driver is part of the gang.

I just thought that the ultimate goal was to always kidnap the victim, therefore a bus wouldn't work, nor would a 3rd party taxi work either, and therefore this whole angry cab driver thing is a farce.

But if the goal is just to steal the cash and split, then I could see it.

Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 9:45 pm

I expect they get someone they know to do the driving.

From my experience most cabbies aren't too bothered where their passengers end up in any part of the world. They're more concerned about the size of the tip.

Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 9:49 pm

I've always assumed there was no taxi driver, to be honest. Smile

As for what a lad would do if he DID meet me, I'd say it wouldn't end well! Laughing

Baiting Guru Joined: 17 Sep 2006 Posts: 5905

hoorah wrote:

I just thought that the ultimate goal was to always kidnap the victim

Nope, there are many reported cases of people meeting 419 scammers and only a few seem to end in some kind of violent kidnap where a victim is physically abused or even killed. Of course the meets which end in kidnap/death get sensationalised and such events are treated as the norm rather than the exception (please note this does not mean I'm saying it is ok to meet a scammer I wish to make that clear we are dealing with dangerous criminals here no doubt). If a victim has got to the stage where they have so much trust that they are prepared to travel around the world to meet these scammers then chances are they are just going to hand over the loot anyway without the need for any rough stuff. At the end of the day although there are some scam rings who rely on violence most would rather extract money without having to get their hands dirty.

Baiting Guru Joined: 19 Apr 2007 Posts: 3123

It's a funny one - a few months back, I wanted to get a scammer to go to Glasgow, so I could laugh and take his picture. After taking onboard serious warnings from the forums, I decided to go ahead. Then wifey steps in. No way am I intentionally walking into the hands of a criminal.

I'd still like to do it though Smile

I don't believe all scammers are killers, however as stated above: A criminal is a criminal. Be careful. I respect those who have photographed/safari'd a scammer to a location close to them, but it is not to be attempted by the inexperienced (including me).

Baiting Guru Joined: 17 Sep 2006 Posts: 5905

^^^^

Yeah it always seems like a really exciting thing to do especially with the wealth of TV/radio programmes available on the net showing journalists performing sting operations on 419 scammers. However, we have to remember if we did something like that there would be no cameras recording our every move or LEO's to back us up if things went wrong.

Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 11:06 pm

Hmmm when these people get lifts, Over long distances, i dont think it's actually a taxi as such, i think they probably hitch a lift on the back of a pickup for example, but equally i don't know thats only a guess.

Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 11:14 pm

Of course we err on the side of caution, there's no restrictions on who reads this forum, and it would be unfortunate if an ambitious or naive baiter has an unpleasant encounter with a scammer of any kind. As for taxis, I'm sure some taxis are genuine, agreeing a premium price for the job if they're paid on arrival. If I were a taxi without a fare, I might consider it after all.

But as the taxi charges we hear about are complete fiction from whiney begging lads "I paid the driver $800 to take us to..." - you could buy a car and enough fuel for that *in the UK*, so they're either lying outrageously or extremely stupid and terrible negotiators.

Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 4:08 am

Off course sometimes...just sometimes...things do work out our way when you come face to face with a lad Laughing

http://forum.419eater.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=569431#569431

Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 4:13 am

thanks for posting that link back up cherrie, i remember looking at it a while ago but had forgotten just how good it was Laughing

Master Baiter Joined: 14 Feb 2009 Posts: 209

Well, I didn't really mean it as "what would happen if they met you" I meant is more as a question of "what do THEY THINK they are going to do when they meet you?"

I guess 4X1X9 answered my post best that the majority don't need the violence.

I also read the thread posted about the scammer arrested in Thailand. I didn't read the whole thing, but it seemed like he came alone at first, then I saw the taxi driver/bodyguard, so maybe he did bring an acomplice.

Anyway, I realize they completely lie about the cost of the taxi, but I just didn't see how they could hire a taxi and tell him "BTW, we're going to kidnap an american, you cool with that?" It doesn't appear that to be the case, I see.

Actually, I did a quick calculation on the lottolad safari. If he went on a 2500 mile trip in a car that gets 25mpg and gas costs $2.50/gal (I have no idea what it really costs there), that's $250 in gas alone! Add a car and driver, and I wouldn't be surprised if his trip was $1000, but he had much further to go.

Anyway, funny stuff. It would be great if we could somehow split the two of them up if we do find they came as a pair.

Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 4:42 am

Some lads just want to get money out of you, others will get the money, even if it means killing you. Each lad is different although I'm sure the smartest ones know that brute force doesn't always get the results they need. I'm guessing that off their home turf, they're not as comfortable with doing anything out of the ordinary scam modality.

Baiting Guru Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Posts: 3193

^^^ Damnit SSA, I was about to say that.

I think there is a fleet of cars that do regular runs Lagos to Accra for example, or at least are set up for that kind of journey. Calling them Taxis may be misleading.

I think a safariing lad is only intending to take the money and get back home as soon as possible. He is probably not expecting there to be any rough stuff involved. On his own turf then he may take things as they come. If at any time the most certain way to get more money is to kidnap and ransom the victim then he will do it. My feeling is that the most dangerous thing about a victim meeting a lad is that he might realise he's being scammed and the lad might realise that he's realised.

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