NBC DATELINE Tuesday March, 20 07

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Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 12:39 am

Are there any greater words than Chris Hansen saying "I've got something to tell you"?

** SUSPENDED ** Joined: 26 Mar 2005 Posts: 1267

Can't arrest them? wtf.. video evidence, fake passports (2!)..

I don't agree with that, but eh..

Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 12:47 am

Rich Greenback? Laughing

Although it doesn't top snakesonagirl from one of the Predator specials.

Baiting Guru Joined: 03 Mar 2006 Posts: 7103 Location: Yes

Mr. Basille was pretty low-key about the whole thing.

The one thing Dateline is being disingenuous about is the fact that they are wiring money to the lads to prove their bona fides and further set the hook. In the one instance Hanson admits to sending $200. Obviously, this is not what true baiting is about, and clearly, if you can send that much cash, then you can get a lad to believe about anything really.

But, this is Dateline, and Hanson's normal job is luring child predators into the homes of supposed teenage girls for ratings, so we can expect as much.

Still, Hanson did seem to be having fun and the looks on these guys' faces is just great. Very Happy

Wannabe Baiter Joined: 21 Oct 2005 Posts: 91

Yeah, I think all the scambaiters here could have still gotten the meet in London without paying the $200.

Oh well, this is still a good service to warn the viewers about scams.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 09 Jan 2006 Posts: 7

lol @ the guy who is sweating profusly in the Pub. I love how after chris hanson reveals himself, the dude orders a drink.

"the answer is not at the bottom of that beer glass."

love it. I also love how the guy ran away at the beginning.

according to the FBI, they can't arrest them because "we don't have enough time or resourses". that's BS. I pay my taxes. what the hell is all of that money going to? to shine Bush's shoes and pay for Dick's bypasses?

-digital Wink

Baiting Guru Joined: 03 Mar 2006 Posts: 7103 Location: Yes

The idiot FBI agent is trying to act so very informed, yet even he is astonished that Hanson was able to get face-to-face meetings.

Then the agent basically admits that you can't stop this by arresting the lads b/c there's only too many others willing to fill the vacuum, and therefore the only way to stop the scammers is for victims to not be victims, and for people to spread the word about the 419ers.

All in all, I give Hanson a B+. It was great to see a few live mugus, and their frozen smiles as the bait was unveiled. It was more entertainment than education over all, but again, it's Dateline.

Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 1:04 am

If need be, I've taped the show. I'll have to transfer it over to DVDR, and then rip it from that.

** SUSPENDED ** Joined: 26 Mar 2005 Posts: 1267

I didn't agree with some of the investigation

1) wiring money - if they did more research, they would of known that this money is not going to the man that is coming to see them, this is just some fool guyman hired by the oga or another scammer to go and collect the large cash sum the victim is paying out.

2) No Arrest - this is crap, the first lad ran because he thought the cops were going to arrest him, the other two did not know what was going to happen. They can arrest these lads and they have the evidence on video tape, why wear a hidden camera when you're just going to let them go? FBI has more things to do, like following a crack dealer in ohio or texas. I'm sure the FBI is doing a very awesome job protecting the USA, but why not protect us from losing money to scammers?

Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 1:14 am

Agreed that it was a cop out (forgive the pun) not arresting the scammers.

"You can walk away" Thumbs down

Now what WOULD have been interesting is a visit to an internet cafe in Nigeria or Ghana or Benin.

And an interview with Shiver of course.

Baiting Guru Joined: 03 Mar 2006 Posts: 7103 Location: Yes

That was the criticism of the first "To Catch a Predator" show they did as well -- that they let the perverts walk out after being exposed. But after that they made sure to have the cops waiting.

My guess is - and it's just that - is there were difficulties coordinating with British authorities -- or NBC didn't want to go to the trouble.

Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 1:20 am

I think the FBI guy was really surprised at how easy it was for dateline to get the meets.
Maybe some of us should give a class at Quantico. call it scambaiting 101.
And give Hanson some credit, he got the scammers to give his money back. Thats something you don't see everyday.
Overall I thought it was pretty good, I'll remember the looks on their faces for a while or any time I need a good chuckle.

Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 1:35 am

I'm missing it, cant pick-up the channel, boo hoo hoo for me

Baiting Guru Joined: 08 Feb 2005 Posts: 2301

Damn, I wish I would have known this sooner. I can't log onto 419eater at my new company, so I can't check the forums anymore during the day. Sad

I would have done a digital recording of this if I had known.

Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 1:55 am

I will buy a copy off one of ya mates that recording it, please Sad

Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 1:55 am

I watched it but I wasn't that impressed. He actually wired 200 bucks which I thought sucked. I think he could/should have spent more time on what we do and posted a few trophy pics etc.

Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 3:43 am

I am recording it but it is over the air so it will be poor quality. Enough for me to watch later anyway. Wink

I have seen that the FBI really is behind the curve on internet scams. They believe a lot of things about the scammers that we know are not true. And don't seem to understand the breath of the problem. But on their side, scams like this, until a victim actually loses money and presses charges, are hard to prosecute and cost a great deal of money for little return. And until it becomes a large amount of money it is only a petty crime. $200 invested to meet a scammer is not going to get the FBI torqued up. One mule a few months in jail will not stop it. And the real bosses cover themselves.

Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 4:09 am

I just watched it (I live in CA). To those who are saying they had to pay money upfront: they got it all back from every lad. I am disappointed that the lads were not arrested. Dateline could have arranged something with the British cops.

Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 4:13 am

I want that hour of my life back..I found it most disappointing..Face to face meetings in the U.K. and no arrests??

I don't call handing a lad cash scam baiting, sorry.. Had NBC checked out this place they could have hired some technical advisors and produced a show with some balls to it..

On the positive side any way the word gets out to the public is good I guess. I'm just used to a better class of baiter after hanging around here for a year.. Cool

Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 4:33 am

AlphonseTheFrog wrote:

To those who are saying they had to pay money upfront: they got it all back from every lad.

Not exactly. You see, the lad probably took the money they sent and spent it at the internet cafe hooking new vics, getting fake cheques/ forms/ passports to use, paying a faker maker to get that fake website they always wanted set up, etc. The money they got back very likely came from a real vic. In the end, they gave the scammer(s) an interest free business loan.

Its very like lending a drug dealer $500. He will take your money, buy some drugs, cut them, resell them on the street at a profit, and then give your money back (only if he has to, of course). Whilst you got the money back, the damage has been done.

[Edit] Dr Who and Les Noise- My theory is that the knowledge gained by Eater experience vs. the knowledge gained by most LEO's "research" is comparable to participating in a language immersion program vs. taking a language class.

Not only does each baiter have firsthand contact with the scammers in his/her own baits, we also read tons of threads started by other members as well. New formats, and new twists on the classics, are posted here within hours of hitting a baiter's catcher account; many members here have posted firsthand info gained from playing guyman or oga; and others have posted the results of an unbelievable variety of mind-screws visited on any number of different scammers.

It doesn't surprise me at all that that we are "ahead of the curve" on understanding 419 scammers and modalities. Laughing

Master Baiter Joined: 11 Nov 2006 Posts: 199

While entertaining, it missed the real goal of getting these assclowns arrested.

But then again, in the UK, where people who defend themselves against attackers are sent to prison for decades and burglars only get tickets, what's the punishment for being a 419 scammer? A stern talking to?

Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 8:02 am

I taped it and am now re-watching to be able to rewind/pause any scene.

Yeah I was a tad taken aback that a mugu got wired $200 smackeroos--and the cheap bastard wasn't happy with that!! But all things considered, it was a small price to enable Dateline to further the bait. Plus they got a mugu mad at getting free cash--just not enough. As if there is 'enough'.

Another thing I thought about--- like alphonse pointed out--the opportunities were there to contact Scotland Yard that one Lad had 2 passports, and that another was claiming to be a Diplomat but left his ID at 'The Airport' [Hmm, Heathrow or Gatwick?] In my way of thinking, this should have been at least 'probable cause' for the cops to have been contacted immediately.

But this was essentially a primer course for the masses on 419. It was quite well done too. My hat is off once more to Chris Hansen [aka Jim E. Dimoni and Rich Greenback]. Just seeing that fat mugu 'Anthony' chugging away from Chris was a tee-vee classic LOL moment.

For fellow baiters who haven't yet seen it I hope it is made available to you. I would if I could but I'm not that tech-savvy. And I also thought that Shiver in the UK should have been the 'avenging-angel scam-baiter' protagonist, but 'Bill' from the USA apparently knows his stuff. No doubt he has checked out this site, might even be a contributor for all one knows.

And btw--amazed me how prevalent mopeds are in what had to be Lagos or Port Harcourt. Amazes me still how the women can carry a basket of laundry/whatever on their hat.

Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 10:00 am

Please send me a pm when it is uploaded somewhere, would like to get a look at that. Ta in advance.

Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 2:04 pm

Its posted in its entirety at msnbc: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032600/

Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 2:23 pm

Thanks much works fine, Click here to watch

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