Uk based Scam - unleash the flying monkeys?

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Hello I'm New here! Joined: 06 Dec 2010 Posts: 3

Dear 419eaters,

Long time fan, first time writer. I was hoping I could bring a scam to your attention - one that has raked in, at best guess, hundreds of thousands of pounds by now. It starts small, but I kept pulling the string and watched the whole jumper unravel...

In the beginning of last year I was scammed - I was on gumtree, looking for tickets for a gig. I put an advert out, got contacted by a person who said they had some to sell. Wanted a bank transfer. Now, I was wary, so I researched... the email account linked to a facebook page. I also found a myspace page, bebo page... figured this person is definitely who he said he was, so I bit. Did the transfer. No tickets. E-mail account disappeared.

I was pissed off, but as much with myself as anything. Until I traced the name, and realised this same person had been on a computer game forum, scamming little kids out of their pocket money by selling fake codes for some weird online game. Red rag to bull.

I find everything out about this kid. I find his other scams. I find his D.o.b. I find his school. Alternative e-mail addresses. I supply photos of him. I have his bank account and sort code. I take all this to the police. Through my help, they uncover a larger scam. Moral - don't piss off a woman in need of a hobby. I apparently excel at stalking.

Skip forward 20 months. This person is STILL scamming, as is, it appears, his whole family. They have upgraded now, and are taking on average maybe £350 - £500 each scam, putting multiple adverts out on gumtree and various other forums at the same time. For an idea of scale, go to google and search for "L1chfield scammers" replacing the 1 with an i. (Don't want them tracking back to here when the google trawler stumbles through)

The police have known about this since March 2009. It is, apparently, still an active investigation. In the mean time, the scammers are still going strong, and making a feck load of money.

Even if you could just distract them for a while, they time they spend with a single person from here is time they aren't spending ripping people off before christmas. I tried going the mature, police route, and it seems not very productive.

TL:DR?

Google "L1chfield Scammers" replacing the 1 with an i. Marvel at the brazen, prolific scamming. Unleash flying monkeys?

Posted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 12:50 pm

Welcome here LittleMissGuided.

If this family, or group of scammers are under police investigation, you can bait them, but DON'T kill their bank accounts. The LE need them for evidence.

here · Posted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 1:36 pm

I have PM'd the OP and we don't have any email addresses

is this one more for scamwarners?

Posted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 1:40 pm

If the police are actively involved, we don't bait it.

It's not in our remit to take a chance with screwing up an LE investigation.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 06 Dec 2010 Posts: 3

Fair enough Sad

The police have been actively involved since March 2009 though, and every day more people lose money to these scammers. Was just hoping there was some way to run interference while the slow wheels of justice turn. Or idle in a driveway. Whatever they are currently doing.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 06 Dec 2010 Posts: 3

I guess, if nothing else, a few more people know this is happening now. Thanks for your time, and keep up the good work xx

Posted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 2:15 pm

^^ I totally understand what you're saying and I do sympathise. Wink

The thing is, police investigations can easily take a couple of years - especially where cyber crime is concerned as it's such a technical, specialised niche in the criminal activity market. So even though you may not see things happening, there's still the possibility that law enforcement are beavering away behind the scenes. And who knows what LE are doing? If dozens of baiters suddenly turn up on the scene, it might make any ongoing investigation much more complicated and confusing than it needs to be.

Posted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 3:02 pm

I suppose you could go to the press about it.
There are a few T.V programs on the BBC interested and also some of the major newspapers have investigative teams. It might make a good panorama program.
In my opinion, there are not enough laws in place to stop cyber crime, and when the government try to add some everybody yells invasion of privacy.
So it's best to just log as much information as possible, and if you can find out who heads up the investigation, send them your findings regularly. As a good citizen you are doing your bit by warning others, logging instances of crime and reporting it. However catching the criminals and putting them behind bars is the business of the police and the justice system. Trust me, the police do take everything seriously, often too seriously.

Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2010 8:02 pm

Quote:

I suppose you could go to the press about it.
There are a few T.V programs on the BBC interested and also some of the major newspapers have investigative teams. It might make a good panorama program.

From http://www.avforums.com/forums/forum-news-notices/1115659-ainsworth-scammers-stowe-street-lichfield.html

Quote:

[Latest update 11/11/2010: The group of 10 Lichfield (and surrounding area) based people arrested in relation to the large scale scamming of people on Gumtree, AVForums and elsewhere are still out on bail while the CPS builds its case. Despite having been arrested and out on bail, they continue to scam people here and on Gumtree.]

I don't think any TV program would touch this with the alleged offenders already arrested and bailed.

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