What's your twig rate?

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419Eater is my life Joined: 20 Apr 2006 Posts: 293

Let's face it, both for ourselves, and for painting a realistic picture for the benefit of new members. A good number of lads twig on us and decide not to continue playing.

What would you say is your ratio of truly "good" baits to outright twigs?

When I got back into scambaiting after a long absence, I emailed a bunch of lads from my collector account and picked about 11 to start baiting. About 6 of them I gave up voluntarily (I didn't like the location, scripts were weird, modalities ones I don't prefer, or they were just boring). Of the 5 remaining, I gave up 2 more voluntarily for various reasons, and of my 3 left, one just twigged today, and I think one of my two remaining ones is in the danger zone. The one who twigged today I still count as a success, as I wasted quite a lot of his time.

As I recall these ratios are about normal. I probably abandon more baits than I should, but I have a preference for the type of lad I like to work with. I'm just wondering if my ratios are typical with what people are experiencing these days.

Baiting Guru Joined: 10 Oct 2003 Posts: 4747

Just a note to prevent twigging, a lad may seem to twig, but in reality he changes scripts.
He changes because he believes though you’re a real victim he would have better results with a different script.

This comes to a second cause of twigging, basic details change on his second attempt at you. I have a bio for each character I have. It has the basic things they seem to ask for contact information, bank, etc Then I add things most people will talk about, direct family, friends etc.

This will also give you the opportunity to go off a tangent, and ignore what your lad has written. IE you best friend has repeated something that really sets you off.

Bottom line
Hooking is not a one time thing, it has to be reinforced.

Remember it’s more important to REALLY hook the ones you have. A well hooked lad is amazing

On twigging in general, I have had a few twig on me on each go round and your ratio is about normal with everything considered

Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2011 6:26 am

Well, if the lad twigs, you can always make up some bullshit excuse. If the lad is hooked and believes you are geniune victim, they will believe you.
If you write that your son is in hospital, and in next email it's daughter, the lad doesn't care about such things. They money is important for them.

Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2011 6:26 am

Hi C A,
That is not an easy question to answer.
I have had some lads twog. But others just disappear. Email shut down or they stop early in the bait. Trying to bait from another character was also unsuccessful.
There have been some that ride the bait for months and then conclude its too hard and go their own way.

There was one particular lad who quite early into the bait replied " You are not a reverend at all. You are just trying to joke. Do not contact me anymore."

Such an abrupt statement has to smack of him somehow having received info accidentally. It was a group bait. I don't know how but I have my suspicions. ASEM went wrong.

Cheers

Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2011 6:28 am

Entomologist wrote:

Hi C A,
But others just disappear. Email shut down or they stop early in the bait. Trying to bait from another character was also unsuccessful.

Oh yeah, this is certainly a mystery to me. The bait is going on well, no signs of lad smelling a rat, and then... nothing.
Mails don't bounce back, lad doesn't reply to any of my characters...

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

Canadon Alfa wrote:

What would you say is your ratio of truly "good" baits to outright twigs?

I suppose that depends on what kind of modality you are running, and the definition of a "good" bait. Having a lad mail me, or another member, a banner is about 1 in a 1000. Getting an arrest is one in all of the baits that I have done. Playing a straight bait out for several months is about 1 in 50.

There are so many variables to consider as some play the numbers game. They send out 1000 emails, get 300 responses and then narrow it down from there.

I guess personal satisfaction and lad pain would be my measure of success.

Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2011 6:40 am

Mortal wrote:

Entomologist wrote:

Hi C A,
But others just disappear. Email shut down or they stop early in the bait. Trying to bait from another character was also unsuccessful.

Oh yeah, this is certainly a mystery to me. The bait is going on well, no signs of lad smelling a rat, and then... nothing.
Mails don't bounce back, lad doesn't reply to any of my characters...

Good sign i think the Lad has lost it maybe even quit baiting for a stint...maybe needs a rap out of the stupour he got led into at one point LOL

Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2011 7:36 am

Re Lads disappearing.

I have done a little research on the lads and the communities they live in.
Without any real evidence to back it up I think there are some obvious reasons for lads fading away.

Some have found it is not their thing. Considering that its unethical or too hard. The dolla is too far away.
Lads are sometimes not hardened. They become scared. Many believe the worst will happen to them, ie, God fearing lads.
Perhaps the money spent is better on food for the family. They can not see light at the end of the tunnel. Reward / renumeration is simply too distant.

Whatever the reason, that a lad vanishes. It is one less that we contend with.
However there are negatives to the issue.
A lad has a real maga. Drops all other contacts to concentrate on one.

But a smart lad, you'd think, would keep all options going. Backups.

What we have experienced with hitlads, is a prime example.
Theyget mass baited and try to keep all potential magas in contact.

Cheers

Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2011 7:53 am

Lads will take the path of least resistance. If they have a more compliant, promising or genuine contact that is paying up, they'll concentrate their efforts on that. Anyone who has been baiting for a while will have had a lad come back after going quiet if they've drawn a blank elsewhere.

They're in a least effort=most reward driven business.

Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2011 9:19 am

In regards to lads disappearing and not replying even to an ASEM from a new character, it's possible that he had his email account suspended. If it was suspended instead of deleted the mail wouldn't bounce, but the lad would be unable to access the box without completing some sort of verification (in the case of gmail it's a phone call, I'm not sure about other providers). Since the lad would likely be unwilling to do that, he wouldn't be able to access new mail, and unless he wrote down your info he wouldn't be able to email you from a new address.

Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2011 11:41 am

I'm baiting for only a couple of years (seems longer!) but I get the impression lads are slightly more aware. I'd say about half of those picked from the surplus don't reply or twig after the second mail, but I'm sure it's because they have been baited already. I take it to mean we've been doing a good job.

When you get a stupid lad it's great. I've just finished off with four characters who took the lad to MG six times, perhaps seven. I'm sorry his money was stolen so I've told him that I've instructed the manager of his refugee camp to give him a special payment from my monthly contributions.

The camp manager is a Mr. Gomer. Wink

Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2011 1:40 pm

Hmmm no easy answer. When I straight-bait check lads, I have probably a 90% success rate. Anything else, is probably more like 50/50. Lads are lazy, and good baits make them work... so twigging is expected. Someone mentioned having a 'bio' for each character that you have. I do that also, not so much to prevent twigging because I really think lads are too lazy to go back and compare notes from one to the next or even REALIZE that they are going after the same person twice in most cases. But I do it to make it easier on *me,* I have a little profile lined out in an email to myself in the account for each character, that I can use to cut & paste basic details in early stages of baits.

Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2011 1:47 pm

My twig rate is 100%, the trick is to make it last as long as possible but in the end you loose them anyway. That's why I don't care if they twig and try to type as less as I can to get a reaction. Some are really nice and you decide to tow them along for a couple of month, but I think it's better when the lad has no clue why he never got the money from me, they usually sent me their next script to try again. If they claim to be in the same place my character might try to involve the scammers previous character to help him dealing with the new one who happens to live in the same town, that's usually more that they can handle and you get nice answers back. Meantime use a second character with the second scam to keep him busy and try to get him completely mixed up in the wrong story. I don't know if they like it, but I have a few laughs Evil or Very Mad

Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2011 2:24 pm

It varies a lot - depending on how outrageous my bait is.

If I straight bait, I have a fairly low twig rate for the first couple of months.

If I come up with something totally out there, 99 % will twig - but the 1% that doesn't makes it worth it all. Wink

...and then there's all the 'in-between' baits.

It's very hard to say something consistent about. One thing I have learned in this game, though, is never to cry over a twigged lad. There are plenty more where they came from, so just get back in the saddle. And in many cases, the lad will be back within weeks - either from the same account, or trying a new angle (somethimes they doesn't even bother to change accounts, but only changes the account name Laughing

).

Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2011 4:11 pm

Sometimes I think a lad has twigged and then 3 or 4 months later, he pops back up wanting to continue on the the scam. I have had this happen about 5 times in my almost one year of baiting.

Then other times I "twig" on them and not respond for a month or so, and when I "re-appear" I just tell them of some emergency, long vacation I had forgot to mention, and we continue on with the bait/scam.

Elite Baiter Joined: 19 Jun 2011 Posts: 1066

Lads twigging seems to be an inexact science. I've had lads drop me when I wouldn't give them a phone number.

On the other hand, I've had lads that I was sure were going to twig that stuck with me. Earlier this week, I was making up a fake boarding pass for one of my characters and I accidentally put the wrong year on it. My very astute lad pointed out the error. I blamed it on British Airways and told my lad that they would be sending me a new boarding pass and upgrading me to first class to apologize for the inconvenience. He actually bought it. And he's one of the smart ones!

In other words, I have no clue as to what makes some lads twig and some lads stay.

Baiting Guru Joined: 10 Oct 2003 Posts: 4747

Actually for a well hooked mugu this might not be as stupid as it sounds. Good job!

I may be incorrect if the ticket is cancelled he gets his money back, if the ticket is changed he is notified.

He might not get as big of a refund if you cancel in 12 hours though. Twisted Evil

I am not sure, someone here might know British Airways official policy.

A well hooked mugu is amazing!

419Eater is my life Joined: 20 Apr 2006 Posts: 293

Quote:

Lads twigging seems to be an inexact science. I've had lads drop me when I wouldn't give them a phone number.

Phone chicanery is also the proximate cause of most of my obvious twigs. I'm an old school baiter who learned in the days when phone contact was difficult and expensive, so I tend to avoid it--I know it's different now, but it takes a while to get used to new conditions.

Nonetheless, whoever said, never cry over a twigged lad is 100% correct. This is a numbers game for them, and for me too. The lads must work hard for the honor of being baited by me. Laughing

Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2011 7:56 am

So far five. One of them found the thread in Eater.

The rest are too lazy to follow simple instructions to get their dollars Mr. Green