saved someone from getting scammed

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Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 2:09 am

Have been posting an "email scam primer" on several canadian freestuff boards I belong to in response to people panicking or wanting to know if scam emails they get are real.

Someone read what I had written about scams, and called the bank to change her banking info after giving info to a scammer, and thankfully before she sent any money. The LEO are involved as well, but am not going to hold my breath.

I have been trying to get the word out about these scams, and finally feel like someone is listening.

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 2:58 am

Wow, that's great! It's not that often we get to see actual evidence of people being saved. But I was thinking the other day, I'm sure that there have been many victims who were saved, not just because we tie up scammers' time, but because of some of the things we've done to twist them all up. Look at the rediculous names we use -- many of them have borrowed names of baiters, thinking they're real. So hopefully when John Q. Public out on his farm gets an email from Buster Himan or Master Bates, he might just be clued in that there's something a little fishy.

I like to tell myself this, anyway! Very Happy

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 3:50 am

Quote:

hopefully when John Q. Public out on his farm gets an email from Buster Himan or Master Bates,

funny you should mention that.

I have a one 0w3n B4t3s that i'm baiting right now.

He seems quite perplexed by my incessant desire to call him "M4st3r B4t3s".. he claims he is a Mister, not a Master, he is not a small boi... i beg to differ Wink

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 4:27 am

@ pwbear

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 4:31 am

Well done, pwwbear! Thumbs up

Getting the word out cuts the scammers off at the knees. Very Happy

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 5:09 am

Thats the kind of trophy we should be going for.

Good Job

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 12:54 pm

I've only had that happen once with a published bait, but isn't it an awesome feeling? Makes me wonder how many people get "saved" who don't mention it.

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 7:41 pm

This wasn't really a bait.

I just explained all the different types of scams and explained a bit about how to read headers and giving them a whois site.

The boards have lots of regular vists, (hey who doesn't like free stuff?) and a couple of them have between 500- and 750 regular members.

And I just got tired of people asking if "this is real?".

Master Baiter Joined: 09 Feb 2006 Posts: 136

Congrats pwwbear! I was just able to warn someone last night about a scam as well. The stupid lad gave me her number and wanted me to help scam her. I gave her a call and emailed a couple links to learn more about the scam:

Quote:

OIC! LMAO! Ok, I visited the 419eater site. Great! I would love to play the game! Shall I assume that Eric is your real name and Phil is your "scambaiter" name?(NO BOTH BAITER NAMES) I will look over the site some more tomorrow, but I think that I would really like to get a little harmless revenge.

I think 419eater might have a new member now too.

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 8:34 pm

Well done pwwbear Very Happy

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 9:06 pm

Nice work pwbear.

I wrote an article for the local newsletter about dead relative scams, and now that I have a bit of time again I might do one on cheque mules. I have no idea whether or not I have actually helped anyone, but it all educates people.

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 10:14 pm

Glad to hear that pwwbear Thumbs up

I wish we could do it more.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 25 Apr 2007 Posts: 11

Great job! Its got to be a good feeling to stop someone from being scammed. Its painful when you can't save someone.

Last night at work(Wal-Mart) a customer came in wanting to send a Money Gram. I did not have the numbers and such to do so, so I contacted my supervisor who came to handle it. When she came I went back to work but my scammer sense was tingling but I shrugged it off because Wal-Mart is supposed to ask questions about any money sent overseas and let people know about scams. Well after maybe twenty minutes with the guy my supervisor comes up to me and says "wow that guy had a story."

It appeared that a woman friend of his who was a nurse helping people in Nigeria was suddenly in an accident on her way to the airport and is now hanging on to her life by a string. This is months after her best friend who went with here was raped and killed. An individual who contacted him on her behalf said that they needed $900 to pay the first installment of hospital bills.

So he came up with the money and was at Wal-Mart to send it. Well my supervisor told him about Nigerian scams but the guy insisted the money be sent because it is no scam because he has been talking to this girl for a while and knows she is real and not a scam. Thus we could not deny sending the money only warn them that it may not be on the level. So this poor guy is most likely out $900 and is sure he will be back to send more if she needs it.

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 2:18 am

I hate love scammers Evil or Very Mad

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 2:57 am

Yay pwwbear! clapping

That's an excellent idea! Good work! I'd do the same on all the forums I spend time on, but that would be this one, and I think everyone here is already familiar with 419 scams.

Baiting Guru Joined: 03 May 2007 Posts: 18313

Excellent Pwwbear!!!
Very Happy

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 3:20 am

well done pwwbear! happy crowd

Cachuma wrote:

So hopefully when John Q. Public out on his farm gets an email from Buster Himan or Master Bates, he might just be clued in that there's something a little fishy.

That reminds me, has anyone tried baiting as "Mr. John Q. Public" yet?

** ACCOUNT CLOSED ** Joined: 15 Apr 2007 Posts: 766

Unfortunately, people do not want to admit they are gullible enough to be scammed. They feel "stupid," and no one wants to be stupid . . . unless they are are MFY fan.

This is how "psychics" can fool scientists. They are SCIENTISTS, who do . . . SCIENCE! Electrons and bacteria do not lie to them! They are objective.

A few years after Jim 'n Tammy Baker [Televangelists in the US.--Ed.] fell apart, "Rev. Jim" came back and claimed that "the Devil saw what good work Jim and Tammy were doing and said, 'I'd better go down and put a stop to that!'"

And people swallowed it up! Because to admit they had been fleeced--for some for years--was much harder than shelling out more money to a fraud.

Those in the US will find "Peter Pophoff" slumming on BET and other cable channels. Almost twenty years ago he was publicly exposed as a fraud--on The Tonight Show.

Yet there he is, scamming more sheep.

So with the poor man at WallMart. Admit he had been a fool? Almost worth the $900 to maintain the delusion.

--J.D.

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 8:06 pm

pwwbear wrote:

This wasn't really a bait.

I understood that. My first experience with being contacted out of the blue by someone who avoided a scam thanks to something I posted out there in the internet ether with no particular audience in mind involved a bait of mine. It was a pleasant surprise.

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