how aware are lads of scambaiting?

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Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 9:32 pm

This is something I haven't seen discussed too much in reading through old posts. The sticky's, FAQ's, and Eater U do a pretty good job of telling new people not to give away our secrets as baiters.

As a hunch, I would assume not many lads know about scam baiting. If they did, they would drop us like flies after the first "zip bomb" or smeared MTCN we sent them.

But then again, how don't they know about it? I mean as we are here as a community fighting against scamming, don't they get together and discuss new scams, new scam bait warning signs, etc?

I have baited a few different lads now (none of them finished yet, and one that is pretty intricate and lengthy) and none of them have confronted me about being a "gmail joker" even though I have said and done some pretty outrageous things.

Just curious.

Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 9:43 pm

Well, the romance chatters want your phone number to know you are real but they have always demanded that. Lads in general want your voice to hear how deeply you are hooked and to alert you "am online now ok".
Baiting is still possible, IMHO better than ever. I don´t think lads help each other in this competitive business, they have no forum such as Eater to improve their approach.

Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 9:43 pm

That would require doing some *work*!! As most scammers pay by the hour to use internet cafes, time spend browsing huge sites like Eater is probably not considered time well spent? Just guessing...

Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 9:59 pm

I think they've all heard of it, or heard of the concept of "time wasters" etc. But that doesn't give them any real practical advantage over baiters, and here's why:

At least half of my baits have involved the lad accusing me at some point of just being a "jocker" or "cooking up stories". In every case, I ask the lad if he's lost his mind. Why the hell would I joke with him? I am very serious about this business, and I have only tried to help. Why would I try to make jokes when there is so much money involved?

The lad can't ever directly accuse you of scam baiting, because that would mean admitting it's a scam. If the lad's story is presumed real by both parties, then there would be no sane reason on Earth for a victim to start "joking". Knowing that you might be baiting, and even accusing you of it, gets the lad nowhere.

I assume that almost all my numerous baits that were dropped by the lad were dropped because they concluded I was a "jocker". But I always straight bait, and I never burn, so they are always left wondering if perhaps they are just very bad at scamming.

Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 10:01 pm

I've never asked any of my baits if they know anything about scambaiting, as that just might be the end the bait. Shocked

Posted: Thu Dec 17, 2009 1:12 am

The ones who've been run ragged a few times are pretty edgy, and that's great. If they get a real victim who shows any sign of eccentricity, or seems to be wasting time, hopefully the mugu will drop them like a hot potato.

The mugus who are aware of us refer to us as 'joke men'. They're pretty chauvenistic, and probably wouldn't believe a female would be able to outsmart them. That refusal to accept he could be reverse conned by a stupid westerner applies to both sexes though, the 'guy man' can't believe anyone could outsmart him, and has no conception of why we would do what we do. And he certainly won't be in a hurry to tell his mates he's been done over.

Posted: Thu Dec 17, 2009 3:25 am

FrumpyBB wrote:

I don´t think lads help each other in this competitive business, they have no forum such as Eater to improve their approach.

You're damn right they don't! More than once I've accidentally sent an email to the WRONG scammer. If there was ANY honour amonst theives they'd at least send a heads up email, but it's never happened as far as I'm aware of.

But they DO have a facebook page last time I checked to swap/sell scripts and tips. I'd post the link if I wasn't at work and could access facebook

Posted: Thu Dec 17, 2009 3:56 am

PsycheDelia_Smith wrote:

The ones who've been run ragged a few times are pretty edgy,

Ain't it the truth. I attempted a bait with a lad who HAD been burned. The most most paranoid little guy you ever saw. Asked me about area codes not matching with US Zip codes (!).

He was the one moving slowly. He refused to give many details and everything was tit for tat, I give a little he gives a little. Didn't ask for money after 16 or 18 emails and a call from him.

"Let's get to know each other better" was his constant refrain. I never did learn the complete details of his scheme. Something to do w/ looking for investors in the USA. He was a cagey little guy but his paranoia sucked the life outta me at the time, since I had two others going. Now I sorta wish I had Mr. Scaredy-Cat back.

Posted: Thu Dec 17, 2009 7:27 am

Nosmo King wrote:

PsycheDelia_Smith wrote:

The ones who've been run ragged a few times are pretty edgy,

Ain't it the truth. I attempted a bait with a lad who HAD been burned. The most most paranoid little guy you ever saw.

Likewise! I had a fake bank manager scammer who completely blew up at me about 8 emails into the bait, calling me a joker and a time waster and swearing at me like a very cranky sailor.

The great thing was, it was a completely straight bait. I looked over all my emails to him and absolutely everything was straight victim. I thought thought 1) this guy must have once been burned very bad, and 2) this guy is obviously now very terrible at scamming real victims as a result. (BTW, I countered his accusations with shocked innocence, and now 2 months and 2 fake banks later, the lad is still on my hook. Twisted Evil

)

However, this experience made me think there might be a lot of value in a "Short Straight Bait and Serious Burn" baiting modality. Bait a lad for a while exactly like a real victim (no trophy requests, no WU shenanigans, no weird churches, etc). Then burn him very, very hard out of the blue. Tell him he must have been a complete idiot not to recognize you as a joker right from the start. This might just ruin him for scamming real victims.

Just a thought.

Posted: Thu Dec 17, 2009 8:56 am

^^ That's right, and a whole lot of baits fail because the baiter gets outrageous straight off, even if a lad's never encountered a baiter (unlikely these days) Smile

. If it's a fun bait, for me, it's about finding out how high the lad's silly-ometer is set little by little and walking as close to twiggage point as you can.

Posted: Thu Dec 17, 2009 11:50 am

internationalchrysis wrote:

But they DO have a facebook page

Yeah, right Smile

like normal users, with friends and all.
What I meant is, to my knowledge there is no 419guyman forum, with Main Scamming Forum, General Chat, Scamming Hints And Tips, 419 University ... Laughing

Well, I know some baiters have tried to set one up (a fake guyman job forum) called "Nairaj0bs oooooo" but I think that was for 1 or 2 lads especially. Same with all the other attempts back in Scambaiting History ("Milli0naires" and "Invest0rf0rum"). One scammer can be tricked in that he believes he has struck gold...but other scammers do not like to register and discuss "jobs" there. Too bad, it would offer so many great possibilites.

Posted: Thu Dec 17, 2009 12:48 pm

FrumpyBB wrote:

but other scammers do not like to register and discuss "jobs" there. Too bad, it would offer so many great possibilites.

Maybe baiters can take the blame for that to some extent, with our fake lads chopping the other guy's jobs. Smile

Posted: Thu Dec 17, 2009 3:00 pm

Trampstamp wrote:

Quote:

But then again, how don't they know about it?

I'd say all of the experienced ones know about scambaiting. However, unadulterated greed is an integral part of their makeup, and is the driving force that overrides most of their doubts in any given scam they are working on.

Proof of that is in some of the great long baits here, where the lad has been physically chasing the money for months on end, all the while expressing his dismay and anger about being tricked. Very Happy

Some might even be 100 percent sure they've been baited, but in the back of their one track minds, the greed factor overcomes 'better judgement' and puts them in denial.

They so want to believe it is real, and that the money is just around the corner or at the end of the next trip, that they're blinded to the reality of the situation.

It's so funny though....even some of the ones who actually realize they've been 'had', have a hard time dropping the baiter. They'll write a page long rant full of threats and insults, and then sign it, Sincerely Yours Shocked

Hope springs eternal for scammers...

Posted: Thu Dec 17, 2009 3:35 pm

^^^ Well put, Catcher in the Lie.

I'm reminded of the tale of how to catch a monkey-
Put some dates in a narrow-necked gourd and leave it about.
The greedy monkey will clutch as many dates as possible and won't be able to withdraw his paw from the narrow-necked gourd unless he relinquishes some of the dates.
The monkey doesn't make that connection, though, and will go crazy trying to figure out why the gourd doesn't release him.
But he won't let go of the dates.
And the distracted monkey is caught, for bushmeat and fetish ingredients.

Posted: Thu Dec 17, 2009 3:59 pm

@Catcher In The Lie: That is so exactly right on the noney! Check the last quote from a lad in my sig who knows that I am a baiter. Wink

hehehe

Posted: Thu Dec 17, 2009 4:25 pm

@ Knotty - That quote is hilarious. Very Happy

It's even more spectacular when a lad/ladette has become so paranoid they find their emails on eater, copy and paste the entire thread to you, and then still remain firmly hooked for several weeks.

The concept of baiting is so foreign to their online existence. Why would we do it?

Despite the completely ridiculous trophies I love collecting, the bait itself is played very straight. Occasionally I lash out to amuse myself with something absurd.

Posted: Thu Dec 17, 2009 4:26 pm

Ha! Konttypine,
That line is great Laughing

Elite Baiter Joined: 19 Jan 2009 Posts: 1440

Quote:

The concept of baiting is so foreign to their online existence. Why would we do it?

I think that sums it up as well as anything. In their nasty little world, why on earth would anyone do anything if they aren't being paid?

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2009 12:20 am

I've had lads who eventually figured out that I'm screwing with them. They'll go off on me in Pidgin/Igbo, believing that I'm another one of them. I never burn a lad but I will let him think that I'm a fellow scammer that is messing with them.

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2009 3:09 am

sir scam alot wrote:

I never burn a lad but I will let him think that I'm a fellow scammer that is messing with them.

This could also be the reason why they never seem to make any serious attempt to pool their resources and share info on baits.
They don't trust each other. Why trust a thief if you know full well he's a thief? Wink

Tricks like messing with them with fake scammers could be helping to hike that paranoia level up even further.

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2009 10:01 am

I can say that baiting French speaking lads give me the impression that this is an untapped market.

They are much more persistent and do not know things like dollar chop and bad .jpg files.

G0m3r and the B0y$ are going to get famous in French west Africa Smile

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2009 11:10 am

Technomancer wrote:

sir scam alot wrote:

I never burn a lad but I will let him think that I'm a fellow scammer that is messing with them.

This could also be the reason why they never seem to make any serious attempt to pool their resources and share info on baits.
They don't trust each other. Why trust a thief if you know full well he's a thief? Wink

Tricks like messing with them with fake scammers could be helping to hike that paranoia level up even further.

That's why I believe dolla chopping is such a powerful tool. It ratchets up lad on lad paranoia. Very Happy

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2009 9:35 pm

^^^ Agreed. They get really upset when I mention that I got a letter from another lad with the same/almost same format, and I ask them why it happened.

That sets the stage for a dolla chop that I can use later on.

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2009 10:53 pm

Letting the lads believe it's normal/healthy to chop one another is good for us - the more they distrust one another the less they can share tips. Divide and conquer.

You can even have ASEM fun from one lad tipping off another not to trust the guys that sit next to them in the cafe - dress it up right and you get paranoia Smile

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2009 10:59 pm

Reading this thread I just had a thought: How aware are WU and MG clerks with baiting? They must be a bit of a hot spot for lads with deuzer generated receipts..

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