Talking to the scammer

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Hello I'm New here! Joined: 14 Dec 2012 Posts: 9

I know it goes against every rule of scambaiting, but I really want to get inside the head of a scammer and find out more about what he does.

I want to tell him I'm aware that he is trying to scam me, but I have no intent of reporting him to any authority.

I would like to ask him some questions, anonymously, about scamming.

Is this particularly stupid for any reason? Are there any precautions I should take? What is the best way to approach it?

Thanks for your help.

Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2012 12:45 am

Most lads would drop you as soon as you tell them you know they're a scammer. I don't think there is anything to be gained by doing that. Lads lie all the time, I don't think you'll get an accurate description of anything he does, or even the real reasons why he scams. All it does is burn the lad, and that's not a positive thing.

Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2012 12:47 am

Quote:

I know it goes against every rule of scambaiting, but I really want to get inside the head of a scammer and find out more about what he does.

Not at all. It's at the heart of what we do. Know your enemy, and all that Wink

Some of our members have interviewed scammers. Usual safe baiting precautions apply I guess, they should work. But never forget who you are dealing with, don't let them get in your head. I'd be interested to see what you can dig up.

Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2012 1:43 am

Getting inside the head of a scammer is what I/we do.

Hang around here, read the stickies, try EaterU, sign up for a Mentor, Bait safe and I think you will have no problem achieving what you are looking for.

PS - Welcome to Eater

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 14 Dec 2012 Posts: 9

Just on a side note, I've been having problems signing up for a mentor.
EDIT: Seems to be working fine, now.

Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2012 2:15 pm

You need to have at least one post to sign up, which you have now.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 14 Dec 2012 Posts: 9

I have three scambaits on the go at the minute, and in one of them I have just asked the question.
Here is how I posed it:

Quote:

Hi there,

I am aware that this is a complete scam.

I know that your aim here is to try and get money out of me.

I have no intention of reporting you to the authorities, or trying to get you to stop, I am actually interested in how you execute and perform you scams - and when people fall for them.

I will keep your identity completely anonymous, and delete all your messages once I have read them, as I have said, I am legitimately interested and hope to receive your hospitality.

Is this the only scam you are running?

We'll see how he responds.

I imagine he'll be reluctant to tell me it is a scam at first. Hopefully I'll get some info out of him but only time can really tell.

Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2012 3:57 pm

Quote:

Hopefully I'll get some info out of him but only time can really tell.

Welcome to Eater.... Laughing

Good luck with that I have the feeling you will not even get a reply, regarding a Mentor I have sent you a PM.... Wink

Baiting Guru Joined: 27 Mar 2011 Posts: 21158

Welcome to the forum! It seems you are about to be under the tutelage of VM. I do recall seeing something like this a year or so back. Try some searches and you may find the script that was used then.

419Eater is my life Joined: 07 Apr 2006 Posts: 441

He'll most likely deny it's a scam at all. And if you keep calling him out he will deny again.

I think sometimes scammers believe their lame stories themselves somehow. At least every dirty internet cafe scamming idiot would like to be president of a bank or whatever, so they really get sucked into their scam stories and won't believe you when you tell them they're not true.

Elite Baiter Joined: 19 Jan 2009 Posts: 1440

Sometimes they'll answer and admit they're scamming, but only to set you up for another scam. "I'm so poor..have no food...need help...I promise if you send me___$ I won't do it anymore".

If you keep in mind that most of them no longer know what the truth is, that lying is an automatic response and take what they say with a grain of salt there's no harm in asking them.

Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 3:02 am

My suggestion would be to run an interview/bait at the same time. Tell him, perhaps, that you work for a news organization or that you are a freelance journalist, and offer/promise him money for his 'confidential' interview and hint that if your 'expose' gets picked up by one of the networks, there might be plenty of filthy lucre in it for him, ESPECIALLY if he were to 'drop a dime' on some fellow scammers.

The baiter and law-enforcement communities could then possibly use what you get (assuming it isn't a pack of utter lies, which is absolutely possible, even likely) to make life even harder for these lads. Of course, he wouldn't receive the 'reward' until and unless his information were verified and substantiated....you could keep this one busy for awhile, I should think.

Good luck!

EDIT: If you DO try a combination interview/bait, it should go without saying, but PLEASE PLEASE make sure you're doing it from behind a smokescreen. Don't EVER reveal real, verifiable info to one of these guys.

FURTHER EDIT: This could also be a great attempt and opportunity to 'educate' the lads; asking leading questions like 'And how do you get around the U.S.'s new anti-terrorist legislation dealing with wire-transfers' or 'How much does it cut into your profits to have to deal out the legally required WU/MG forms' can give those modalities a suggestion of even greater legitimacy, thus paving the way for future baiters.

Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2012 6:55 pm

I never, ever tell them that I know that they're a scammer. This only makes them question how you realised the scam. Therefore, he will learn from his mistake.

A simple "straight bait" will tell you all you need to know.
If you ever feel uncomfortable, just drop him.

Master of Master Baiters Joined: 30 Mar 2012 Posts: 949

You'll quickly learn that these scammers have no morals or scruples whatsoever. There is no excuse, no circumstance, no obstacle that the lad will accept for a victim not to be able to send the money. For instance, try telling one of your lads that the only way to get the money is to prostitute your 10 year old daughter, and see how much sympathy you get.

Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2012 3:00 pm

There are many ways in to a scammer's brain - other than with an axe Twisted Evil

- which is always the preferred option.

One method is to pretend to be a scammer yourself, which has been done and, isn't that difficult. When you start out you can over complicate and try to be too detailed in what you do. It doesn't necessarily mean you have to be fluent in Ladspeak and even an expert probably wouldn't be faultless. In fact if you have good English as a scammer it would impress another scammer.

Once you have a scammer working with you (in a fake situation) you can't get any closer.

You don't aways have to be pretending to be their ally either. Perhaps you can set yourself up as a competitor and adversary.

Baiting IS mind games, so if you are a good baiter, you're good at mind games.

Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2012 9:06 am

The Monsignor has tortured a lad for a few months to point where the idiot offered to work for him. It's such a great call and one of a few calls where you exactly will have a glimpse of how a scammer's mind functions.

https://soundcloud.com/mbayowambayo/dr-perry-patrick-to-pricky-29/s-Ai4Uz

Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2012 8:37 pm

When he says that he's suspicious that he thinks he's African - what a plonker ? Laughing