Scambaiter gone public

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Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 2:52 pm

I have this new creative project in school right now. Basically it just some time wasting thing so that i don't have to write an essay, i hate those things. Well we had this brainstorming homework for our class today. The thing is i missed the first class so i hadn't done my homework. But that of course did not stop the teacher from forcing me to present what i had (not) come up with. So in a split second i decided that i wanted to push for the importance of imagination when doing our work. So i took a letter from surplus and started reading. And then i went on explaining what scambaiting is and how it works. And i did this to people that i didn't know and in most cases hadn't even meet before.

And then i said that using your imagination is important in most aspects of your life and especially if you are doing some creative project. And i used my hobby as an example, explaining that there are very few rules in scambaiting and you can really push your imagination to the limit. The wilder the more fun it can be. Just look at The Danes "Jor-El bait, totally of the chart. And that is what makes it so fun to read.

The reaction to my hobby was mixed to say the least. Some where indifferent whereas some thought it fun and asked how it works and such. And one person asked "do you sleep well at night?"
She was of course referring to the moral aspect of baiting, and lets be fair, for a person that doesn't know the first thing about scambaiting it is a fair question. However she definitely could have phrased it better.

Sadly the question came to me as a surprise. I should have answered something like:

"I have seen scammers pimping out nine year olds to their uncles for a few bucks (Sunshine's bait). I have read accounts of people committing suicide following the loss of everything they had and being scammed into debt. I have seen scammers urge fathers to take money for life supporting medicine for their kids and giving it to them instead, and by that condemning the kid to certain death(my own bait among others).
Had you asked how i morally defend my actions i would have given you that answer. But now i can only say, yes i sleep good at night"

Sadly the only thing i said was the last part, yes i sleep very well at night. Even though that is a adequate answer to such a poorly phrased question it really doesn't explain a lot. But there was the other end of the spectrum as well. Another one of my new classmates was very interested and positive to what i did and she said that she had a friend that got scammed out of over $2000 for an Iphone she was going to buy on the web. So she had seen what scammers do to people and didn't only fret over the morality of what we do.
So in all it was a interesting experience on coming out as a baiter in public.

insults and more · Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 3:24 pm

Next thing you know, you'll be the go-to guy about scams.

"Is this a scam?!"
"No, that is a ham sandwich."

I bet with appropriate offers of Mariam Abacha's funds, you can get the professor to do a baiting project.

Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 3:30 pm

^^^
As annoying as it may sound it is a good thing as it makes people more aware of possible scam Wink

My friends know I'm scambaiter as well, but just few of them. Ocasionaly I forward them some of the crap I recieve from my pets for fun. Smile

Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 4:55 pm

I think it's good to introduce people. My friends know I scambait and enjoy reading my completed baits. I try to get them to at least spread knowledge of 419 scams to family (esp. elderly relatives who've recently discovered the internet).

In my mind there's something sickening about the prospect of someone close to me being scammed and I try to do my best to stop that.

Keep spreading the word Smile

Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 5:06 pm

Most of my close friends know i scambait, but now i outed it to almost complete strangers, which felt unusual. And the reaction i got was a bit mixed. My girlfriend knows, she isn't that supportive, especially when it comes to the more controversial bits like safari, humiliations and threatening lads.

Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 7:00 pm

Great story Dr Mike!

Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 7:47 pm

Great story.

Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 8:25 pm

Good work! There's some nice outreach for you! Thumbs up

419Eater is my life Joined: 29 Sep 2010 Posts: 407

Nice one Dr. Mike. My g/f knows also and like you, is somewhat unsupportive. She believes (like many) that who on earth would fall for such ridiculous formats. Unfortunately, she (like many) live in there own little safe world and think that the entire world population views these scam letters as ridiculous anyway, and isn't looking at the big picture.

I also sleep well at night, although some nights I toss and turn for a bit trying to think of the next way to cause maximum lad pain Wink

Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 9:53 pm

Yeah talking to friends about baiting I hear the same thing "who falls for that" I wish no one but we are all hear for a reason.

Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 10:51 pm

Fantastic story, my friend. And hats off to the improvisation - genius thinking.

Most of my friends, family and some of my closest colleagues knows I bait. One of my good LARP friends, who's also a journalist, has asked me if I'd like to do an interview to a cuture magazine he works freelance for, and I accepted under the condition that I can be anonymous. Unfortunately, I don't see many other Danish baiters here, allthough I know there are a few lurkers - and the few I have met here have disappeared again. The interview will take place sometime during the spring, and I really think it's a good way of spreading the word - just as I think it's very cool of Dr Mike to stand forward, unanonymous unlike myself, and tell about what we do. If he can get 10 people to come to this forum, then maybe 5 will try for themselves, and mabye one of them will stick around for a longer time. And that alone probably results in at least hundred of hours of lad pain. Twisted Evil

PS: Thanks for the honorable mentioning. But you're still a Swedish bitch. Razz

Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 11:16 pm

Well lets not exaggerate to much. There where only 15 people in the room. But nonetheless, thank you for your kind words, except Denmark

who is an a**hole. Very Happy

Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 11:19 pm

^^^ And exactly how does that make my numbers improbable? Cool

Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 11:35 pm

Well it doesn't, even though i highly doubt the skeptic girl will join. But he evidence that most point towards your figure is wrong is that i didn't say which forum i post at. In retrospective i probably should have mentioned that. Embarassed

Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 11:43 pm

Well done, Dr Mike! Thumbs up

The more people we can educate, the less lads we'll have to de-educate later! My friends and family know what I do, and most importantly so does my boss. As a lawyer he gets the occasional email from a desperate divorcee who needs help collecting her "settlement." He's a very smart man, and always wants to help the underdog. I sat him down and showed him how to look at the email headers and explained why it came from Nigeria. Now he just deletes anything suspicious. Very Happy

Posted: Sat Feb 26, 2011 8:43 am

Excellent work Dr Mike.

I have been contemplating contacting a couple of our local Seniornet classes (computer skills for senior people) to see if they would be interested in having me talk to the groups about scammers and how to spot them - and it would all be based on what I've learned here.

Posted: Sat Feb 26, 2011 10:48 pm

^^^^^^^^^
Yes, please do that. Even in the days before e-mail, there were lottery scams around (Publisher's Clearinghouse anyone?) and a lot of senior citizens lost money that way.