'Begging' via Skype

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Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006 12:28 pm

Whenever I am logged on to Skype in 'Skype me' mode, I get people sending messages asking me, with or without the usual preamble, and usually from Ghana, if I can 'help' them with their school fees and pretending to be kids - or maybe they are. They usually ask for $50 or $100.

I don't wish to sound naive - I am far from naive - but I do wonder if some of them are genuine rather the scammers we assume them to be. If they are genuine, I wonder how they can spend time and money in internet cafes .... bit of a vicious circle.

I don't have much sympathy. These folk wanted their independence, they got it, they screwed up their countries.

Any thoughts?

I snipped that last bit. TS

Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006 12:32 pm

I bet there are some orphanages internet cafes where a dude called Soludo is whipping his kids and teaching them how to chop a dolla.

Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006 2:06 pm

Not sure about the question of "begging" via Skype, but I work in international development in Africa and think the idea of blaming Africans for screwing everything up is incredibly shallow (and not to mention, a tad bit racist). To begin with, I just don�t get the idea about blaming people for wanting their independence.

Sorry, you asked for any thoughts. Maybe this is just me.

Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006 3:40 pm

This wasn't supposed to be a discussion on the merits or otherwise of 'independence' and I'm sorry if my remark (now snipped) offended anyone as it wasn't meant to, although it was inevitable that it would because we are over-sensitive to such matters. I have lived and worked in Africa (and not just South Africa) most of my life and am involved with charities which work in Africa, so I am more in touch with the reality than most people.

Back to topic ..... any answers?

Annoying Stuck-Up Cow Joined: 10 Aug 2006 Posts: 222

Oh you can get a whole bunch of scammers, spammers and general weirdos on Skype. I think we had an entire topic on the subject of Skype freaks a month ago or so.
EDIT: found it!
http://forum.419eater.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=91540&highlight=skype+freaks

DO NOT NECRO! Pwease!

Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006 3:45 pm

I wonder what the average age of Skype users is? (in work so can't check..)

My suspicion here is that the lads are targetting the younger (teens) users of skype - perhaps those who are old enough to understand the effect of school fees and have a few $$$ from part time jobs etc?

Annoying Stuck-Up Cow Joined: 10 Aug 2006 Posts: 222

Well, I decided to try this Skype me thing, and in 30 minutes, I had 3 people tryin to have sex with me, a couple of people asking for scholarship money, and some guy offering to show me his privates on camera.
I knew I'd regret it. Next time, I won't set my profile to a 21 year old American female.

Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2006 2:21 am

falnsb wrote:

I don't wish to sound naive - I am far from naive - but I do wonder if some of them are genuine rather the scammers we assume them to be. If they are genuine, I wonder how they can spend time and money in internet cafes .... bit of a vicious circle.

Your question very much depends on how you define "genuine". Do you mean are some of them people who are actually in school and might put at least some of the money you send them toward school fees? I would say possibly a few of them are "genuine" in that regard. I doubt it's anywhere near a majority, though.

In any case, to me, "begging" without promising anything in return is a different prospect from out and out scamming. Even if the "beggar" is lying, it still feels a bit different from the usual scam to me. Doesn't mean I condone it, far from it, but at least the person sending the money isn't making any decision based on some pie in the sky promise of bettering their own life. They can choose to believe the "beggar" or not, they have the choice of safely making a donation to a properly registered charity instead, and if they send money, they know they're making a free donation directly to an individual in the blind hope that it actually gets put to good use by the recipient. They know the risks and they're not being lied to about the reward.

When I get "beggars" who may or may not actually be scammers, I tend to give them the same line I would give a stranger soliciting door to door for a donation to a charity I've never heard of. Sorry, but I only donate to properly registered charities that I've thoroughly checked out. I'm sure you understand why I cannot donate directly to you. If I can find proper bona fides for your organization, I may make a donation through other channels. If the "beggar" then comes back with a badly forged "certificate of registration" or something similar, or is insanely aggressive about trying to talk me into a donation, then I have no problem making life difficult for them. But I am unfailingly polite until they put a foot wrong and prove they're a scammer. Personally, I've yet to run into a suspect beggar that didn't turn out to be a scammer. Some other baiters have, however, so that's something to keep in mind.

If I support the cause they claim to be supporting, I seek out a real charity that works for that cause and offer to make a donation. To the charity, not the beggar. Try that and see how that goes over. I totally infuriated one scammer by giving $20 (seriously, I did give the money to a real charity) "in his name" to an organization that distributes Bibles in the country where he claimed to be. Funny, he didn't like that I wouldn't send the money and merchandise he could sell for a profit directly to him one bit... And one "AIDS doctor" would not give up sending me badly photochopped charity certificates and sending me tear-jerker stories about all the children who were dying, even though I made it plain that I would not donate directly to him. He kept contradicting himself in his eagerness to tug at my heartstrings.

Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2007 4:28 pm

I love the bit I've put in bold ! The guy is from Ghana by the way

[16:35:12] Fisherveil375 says: hello how are u?
[16:35:18] Xxxxx says: ok thank you. Please read my profile before asking questions. In my Skype profile it says :
No salespeople, lottery/419 scams, on line gambling, religious nuts or bullshit merchants, please.
[16:36:13] Fisherveil375 says: please what do u mean by 419/scams?
[16:36:29] Xxxxx says: thieves
[16:37:06] Xxxxx says: get a dictionary if you dont understand
[16:37:07] Fisherveil375 says: is that how you call them thieves?
[16:37:28] Xxxxx says: I call them fucking thieves yes
[16:37:58] Fisherveil375 says: ok why did they scam u?
[16:38:08] Xxxxx says: they didn't scam me I am not stupid
[16:38:31] Fisherveil375 says: oh i see but then how did u know that please?
[16:38:54] Xxxxx says: lets move on I'm not interested in discussing it
[16:38:56] Fisherveil375 says: we are friends
[16:39:31] Fisherveil375 says: by the way am called Eric am a boy of 18yrs from Ghana please
[16:39:45] Fisherveil375 says: nice to meet u Xxxxx (handshake)
[16:40:13] Xxxxx says: ok now listen if you are going to ask me for money for school fees the answer is NO
[16:40:38] Fisherveil375 says: and why NO?
[16:40:50] Xxxxx says: why should I give you money?
[16:40:58] Fisherveil375 says: and why did u know that am coming to ask for fees?
[16:41:11] Xxxxx says: because you people from West Africa always do
[16:41:18] Fisherveil375 says: wow thats really strange to me how did u know
[16:41:26] Fisherveil375 says: ooohh what a shame
[16:41:37] Xxxxx says: why should I give you money?
[16:42:26] Fisherveil375 says: bcos i need help and for me is not my school fees but is my registration fees
[16:42:42] Xxxxx says: oh right just a variation on the same old theme
[16:42:58] Fisherveil375 says: registration fees for the final examination
[16:43:00] Fisherveil375 says: ok
[16:43:01] Fisherveil375 says: what
[16:43:51] Fisherveil375 says: yes we have no other option and is kind for u people to offer ur help
[16:44:02] Xxxxx says: I'm not offering my help.
[16:45:03] Fisherveil375 says: but why do u hate us so much
[16:45:22] Xxxxx says: I don't hate you, I think you're a waste of time
[16:46:15] Fisherveil375 says: ok thanks that u dont hate me
[16:46:26] Fisherveil375 says: i am a waste ?
[16:46:31] Xxxxx says: I don't know but I'm not going to give you money
[16:46:56] Fisherveil375 says: oh why
[16:47:04] Fisherveil375 says: please come on Xxxxx
[16:47:08] Fisherveil375 says: help me ok
[16:47:12] Xxxxx says: stop wasting my time, which is valuable, and yours, which obviously isn't.