A question of scambaiting ethics(money baiting)

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Hello I'm New here! Joined: 07 Nov 2010 Posts: 19

As someone who is new to this hobby(I'm currently working on my 1st bait), I have had a question regarding some of the ethical rules I've learned about. Specificaly I'm not sure I understand the ethical restriction on money baiting. I am very well off financially and wouldn't consider it worth my effort to try to money bait for my own benefit. However, if the object of baiting is to waste a scammer's time and resources, then I think money baiting would be a logical extension of this objective. Of course the money would need to go to a good charity to make sure that we stay on the right side of the ethical spectrum.

While reading the letters archieve portion of this site, I came across the bait entitled "The road to Chad/Darfur." In this bait, the baiter convinced the scammer to send two people into a warzone where they thought they could rip off a priest who they believed had a large sum of cash meant to aid the refugees fleeing a war. The two individuals were never heard from again. Were they possibly killed? This one I think went too far. I, of course, am not defending someone who would steal from the weakest and most vulnerable people in the world. But at the same time I think that sending criminals into a warzone to engage in criminal activity is likely to cost someone their life. And as much as I am disgusted by the acts of scammers, I don't believe they deserve to die for their crimes.

I'm sure that others on this forum will also agree that the above mentioned bait went too far. Whereas others will have no qualms at all about what occured. For this reason, I am perplexed by the unwritten rule that states money baiting to be unethical. As I stated above, if the money goes to a good charity, why is it unethical to money bait?

Any thoughts and opinions on this subject are greatly appreciated.

Posted: Sat Nov 13, 2010 4:29 am

The ethics side of money baiting (cash baiting) has gone around enough times that I won't even address it here.
Suffice to say that cash baiting is illegal, regardless of what you would do with the money, and therefore it is not condoned here.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 07 Nov 2010 Posts: 19

Well that answers my question! If it's illegal, we aren't going to do it.

End of thread.

Posted: Sat Nov 13, 2010 4:57 am

^^^Yes!

Posted: Sat Nov 13, 2010 5:34 am

Thank you! Thank you!
I'm here all week. Try the veal, and don't forget to tip your waitress.

Posted: Sat Nov 13, 2010 5:42 am

Hi JJJeff!
Welcome to Eater!
I would just like to compliment you on how quickly you understood and accepted the answer to your question. Laughing

Posted: Sat Nov 13, 2010 6:06 am

crashhoot could easily become most valuable mod!

Well done JJJeff. Read the stickies (the rule against cash baiting is clearly marked), get a mentor (sometimes it's good to have someone you can PM a question to), and take the lad's minds (their fragile, smooth minds), not their money. Twisted Evil

Crashhoot was not around so I deleted your double post- Connie

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

Cash baiting? So you are saying that you can actually make money at this? Tell me more.
Lets not stir up this up, eh. - Connie

Posted: Sat Nov 13, 2010 8:21 am

While it's illegal to receive any money. There's nothing to stop you asking for money from a lad. It's a very good way of ending a bait or starting a fight once you get tired of a bait. I end up asking them to pay the fees because I can't raise the cash, or have exhausted every other possibility, and offer to pay them back with high levels of interest. Which they always refuse however much that is. Laughing

Or I beat them down so low, that the cost of sending the fee, is more than the sum itself so need the transfer cost which is always extortionate. Ask, but ye shall not receive. Wink

Posted: Sat Nov 13, 2010 12:08 pm

I like to think we here at eater maintain the moral high ground, or we can be accused of being no better than the scammers we aim to inhibit. Anyway you will find we try to make sure baiting has some borders, and encourage baiters to only do what they feel comfortable with. Some members specialise in killing fake sites, others like a safari, etc., but no scammer ever gets into trouble they don't bring upon themselves by following the exact same kinds of promises of false riches they make to their victims. And we are very strict about innocent third party involvement too!

Posted: Sat Nov 13, 2010 5:57 pm

Just to play devils advocate here......

What do we say to cash baiting if you DON'T collect the cash when the lad sends it. I think I'm correct in saying when they do eventually cancel the transfer (as you don't collect) then WU still keeps the fees.

Posted: Sat Nov 13, 2010 6:16 pm

^^^
We don't even discuss or argue cash baiting, it is illegal, we don't do it, see my post above about moral high ground. I suggest not asking more about it, it is not discussed and likely to get the topic locked.

Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 1:41 am

Badgerbait wrote:

crashhoot could easily become most valuable mod!

Badgerbait is hereby appointed president of the official crashhoot fanclub! Wink

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

Lets not stir up this up, eh. - Connie

Eh? That sounds Canadian, and you know how I feel about Canadians.

Cash baiting = bad. If caught doing it you will have your testicles removed with the rusty lid of a #10 soup can, without the benefit of anaesthesia.

Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 6:35 am

^^^
You mean Canadians that aren't me??? Laughing

Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 9:37 am

Pastor Frank wrote:

Cash baiting = bad. If caught doing it you will have your testicles removed with the rusty lid of a #10 soup can, without the benefit of anaesthesia.

ah, so cash-baiting = marriage then.

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

@fart, You are the exception to the rule.

@jay, The similarities are disturbing. Mine were removed and placed in her purse many years ago.

Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 6:19 pm

I think everyone here understands Eater's stance on cash-baiting.

Any more info needed, refer to Eater's TOS.

Locked.

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