An accidental scambaiter.

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: Fri Jul 17, 2009 9:31 am

Hello all, A1an here, A1an B'5tard.

I'm an accidental scambaiter.

I have a car advertised for sale on the net. Cue a tidal wave of scammers wanting to buy the car, sight useen, for over the asking price. They pay by cheque, which they assure me will clear in 3 days (yeah, right!) and I pay their 'shipper' by WU.

All very standard, all very boring. After about the 10th such email I got fed up and started wasting their time. Just asking for extra info, sounding thick, etc, even having cheques sent off to made-up addresses.

After a while every single scammer got fed up and left me alone. Except one, a Mr Nels0n W00d. Nels0n entered into quite a prolonged email exchange with me. I adopted the persona of a Mr John Prescott, head of a charity. I did all this before even becoming aware of 419-baiting, btw.

I intended just wasting 'Nelso0's' time, and I intend telling him the car has been sold. I don't want to get too involved in baiting him because I used a genuine email address (albeit a GMail address, it does include my real name).

But then Nels0n has sent me this message (I had demanded he provide me with details of the bank and the account on the cheque to prevent my seceretary assuming the cheque was a charitable donation).

Quote:

Hi mr john,
Pls abeg you once again in the name of the lord, do not sell the car to him cos you have my money with you ok? for that reason i am going to add sum of 200pounds for you ok. because i have so much intrest in that car pls bear with me ok? the name on the cheque is john prescott and the amount on the cheque is sum of 9.500pounds. which you are to deduct yours 3.200pounds then send the rest founds to my shipping agent. before coming for the pick up of the car.

And for the information you are asking for. for christ sake it is not necessary for me to know all the info on the cheque cause i am not the one issueing the cheque to you. and it sounds not polightly me asking my client for his account number since i am not transfering money into his account. so i dont think i need to know all that, because this is not the first time me sending cheques to my bussiness partners no one has ever ask me for the details that you asking for ok. when the cheque get to you then you will know the name of the bank or the account number ok.

And my advice to you to avoid any argument in between you and your charity organization, tell your secretary the name and the amount on the cheque then he/her will get know how to seprate it apart from the charity account ok.thx for your understanding then at time gose on i will like to join you in your charity organization ok. because in my church i am the top leader in the wearfear apartment. i like helping the poor widows and the mother less baby.keep it on god will showly reward you do in this ife ok.thx..you
wish you best of luck ok.
Best regards
nelson

He's just lining himself up for being baited, and I am so tempted.

Now I'm just a bit bothered that he has one of my 'true' email addresses. Should he choose to do a google search for that name he will find me, my business and my phone number. I told him I was hiding under a pseudonym 'to avoid those bloody newspapers' and he thinks he is really dealing with John Prescott (with an unhealthy interest in sausages....). But I'm not sure what to do now. Do I tell him I've sold the car and let the matter drop (lots more scammers out there!), or do I contact him using another persona, or what? Or would one of you fine folk like to take him one?

He's admitted to being in Nigeria, and he runs a 'networking business' (just like I run a charity Wink

)

Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2009 9:41 am

If there's a trail leading back to you, drop it. You could set up a fake identity and an anonymous email account, and bait him from there, if you can think of some way to contact him on an unrelated matter.

NEVER bait them if they can get your real-life info. Read the stickies.

Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2009 9:49 am

Hi, and welcome Alan B

I advise you to drop him. Tell him you sold the car. You can always re-bait him from a fresh Gmail account asking him if he is still interested in some fictious other car and have some fun with him.

Edit: What PS said. Very Happy

Not quite a Newb Joined: 16 Jul 2009 Posts: 30

Yeah. Whatever you do don't let them know who you are Razz

They'll find you. And touch you.

Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2009 10:13 am

They might not find you, but they threaten to find you and kill you.

It might lead to sleepless nights and frights when a stranger turns to look at you.

It is to avoid those mental agonies that you are warned never to expose your personal details. Why suffer unnecessarily?

Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2009 10:40 am

Thanks folks, I realise I can't take this forward using my original email, and I intend telling 'Nels0n' that the car is sold.

I'll let this one drop, though I may pick him up again at some point in the future - he seems so eager to please Laughing

Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2009 10:44 am

It's severely unlikely he would do anything to you, even if he could Alan B'Stard, but why give a scumbag a chance to wind you up. They aren't worth it.

Here's a classic car you can put up for sale

One previous owner - worked in a circus. Very Happy

I sometimes bait as Bertram W00ster. He's a bit of a dummy

Your Lad sounds like a 'keeper' and you should never let a Lad down who is so keen and shows potential. If you get one like my pal 'Shorty' he'll provide endless pleasure and laughs. He claimed one of his pals got shot at Cotonou airport (not confirmed), he had to sell his car and laptop, he got arrested (confirmed) and his chicken farm burned down. Oh and he attempted to mobilise the Nigerian army - at which stage I was starting to panic myself. Laughing

Good luck and have fun. Very Happy

Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2009 1:42 pm

^^The car best suited for safari's! Every lad should have one. Nice open top to get acquainted with any wild animals charging them, lightening speed clutch & able to go from zero to seventy in 20 minutes to outrun whatever army is chasing them at the monemt, and environmentally safe as well, as it uses reconstituted goat manure for fuel Very Happy

Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2009 10:15 pm

Okeydoke, poor Nels0n is in for a disappointing email on Monday. The car will have been sold to a cash buyer. But hey, I'm a sympathetic guy, I can understand this lad wanting the car so desperately, so I'll take pity on him: I'll tell him I'm passing his email address onto an owner's club. I'm sure someone from the owner's club will contact him, eager to sell him a car....

In the interim - I just wish a real buyer would show some interest, it's a really nice car Sad

An accidental scambaiter.	View next topic View previous topic