Fees ad infinitum?

By joining our community you will have the ability to post topics and access other forums reserved for members. Registration is quick, simple and absolutely free. Join our community today by clicking here.

Master Baiter Joined: 03 May 2011 Posts: 237

Something I've pondered a few times. The whole point of the fraud is fees to be paid prior to receiving a non-existant large sum of money. What if, and this is purely academic, there was a situation whereas a person could theoretically send all fees the scammer asked for. This would of course not be baiting, but just how far can the lies and excuses go? Surely after so long, after the release documents and the other fake red tape, the lad would be just as desperate to find a credible (relative term, of course) excuse as the victim would be to get the non-existant money.

It is well known that the lad will take a victim for every single penny they have, and then some. In a hypothetical situation, however, where money was no object - as infinite as the number of fees - would the lad after a while simply decide enough is enough and move on (say they'd accrued over a million dollars by this point), or would they keep pushing it with increasingly ridiculous excuses for why just one more fee is required.

It is of course completely hypothetical, and would never suggest that it should ever be put into practice. It would be interesting to find out, but completely out of the question at the same time.

What are people's thoughts on the concept?

Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2011 8:11 pm

i assume they would continue until the sender stopped. No way to test it really, unless mark zuckerberg becomes really nihilistic with his fortune Laughing

Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2011 8:49 pm

There are apparently individuals who become very emotionally and psychologically invested in the scam (not to mention financially invested) and who will continue to send funds to the scammer no matter how transparent the scammer's repeated demands for "clearance fees" become. As for the lads - - their thirst for money seems unquenchable.

You may have noted admonitions on this board that, if you ever receive information about a REAL victim in a bait, to pass it on to the mods and not to try contacting the victim yourself. The reason is that many victims are so "sold" on the scam that they will not take a warning well. The mods have access to the right people, who can approach these victims in a manner that is most likely to convince him or her that the transaction is a fraud.

Bruin

Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2011 8:51 pm

I imagine that as the lads wealth increased the amount of time he spent in the cafe would decrease. Would it ever reach a point that he would have so much money that he wouldn't scam anymore? Doubtful - but I do think he'd be spending more time playing with his loot than earning more. Lads are lazy creatures after all.

Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2011 9:12 pm

I think that at some point it would come to a meeting between the lad and the victim. And when this happened the victim would simply be kidnapped Somalian pirate style and squeezed for as money they can wring out of him or her.
When a victim is held there is a decent chance that the scammers would be able to pinpoint how much money the victim has and work on a release fee from there.

One thing they would never do is to get rid of the goldmine. Ask yourself this, would you toss a winning $20 million lottery ticket in the trash just because you already had some money in your account. Same goes for lads.

Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 1:42 am

How many excuses can there be to send money vs. how long will the victim say enough is enough. Gamblers sometimes spend everything with the hopes of breaking even. I assume with some victims it reaches a point where they figure there has to be a payoff. Much like the gambler though it will not come and they lose everything.

Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 2:06 am

Today I talked to a policeman a couple cities over from us. He told me of a senior citizen who finally stopped sending the scammer money after she depleted her savings of about $250,000 USD.

The original script was she won a $10 million dollar lottery, but had to send $10,000 USD to get the $10 million. He said she told them later that it seemed reasonable to her to spend $10K to get $10M. But she kept sending money because the $10 million always seemed to be in her reach soon.

After expending her life savings she finally decided that she had been scammed. Eventually she talked to the local PD, but there was nothing they could do for her. The money had been send overseas. Such a sad story about a senior citizen who worked hard all her life for that money.

Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 3:50 am

boxman wrote:

How many excuses can there be to send money vs. how long will the victim say enough is enough. Gamblers sometimes spend everything with the hopes of breaking even. I assume with some victims it reaches a point where they figure there has to be a payoff. Much like the gambler though it will not come and they lose everything.

This is basically the logic behind it. It is the investment theory. The lad keeps asking and the victim keeps sending money thinking just one more fee I've already got so much invested. It's easier to believe they will pay just one more fee and get the money than accept the fact the whole thing has been a sham. It's what the lads count on. Hopefully the victim catches on before loosing all their money. Sometimes they don't Sad

Incidentally it's the exact same thing with all the long term baits on eater. It's easier for the lad to think just one more safari, trophy pic or trip to WU and I'll get paid. It becomes almost impossible for them to give up after investing so much time.