What sort of person do you suppose

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Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 3:22 am

falls for these scams? I'm just curious what you'all think the major personality traits of such a person are. The first time I got one of these e-mails was in 2004, right after I (innocently) signed someone's guestbook. I'm not the brightest person out there and I could see it was BS from the word go. That's why I am curious as to what sort of person would become a victim of these scams......Squireparty

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 3:31 am

Probably novice internet users. More trusting people. Probably older rather than younger people, not necessarily those with the money to spare, and probably more likely to be those with no money to spare.

And of course more gullible people, the kind who think they can earn hundreds of dollars a day working from home doing nothing, or those who get involved in pyramid schemes or with Amway.

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 3:35 am

Well, according to many (some even reliable) sources, the victims of on-line scams are just as diverse as any other group. Keeping in mind that there are hundreds of little variations of the same scam, I would imagine that the list includes (but is not limited to)...

- Those who are new to this whole computer thing.
- Those who tend to believe whatever they read.
- Those who are just too darn trusting.
- Those who are greedy enough.
- Those same people who forward every e-mail that says "please forward this e-mail".

...and the like. The fact is there are so many scams out there, it's impossible to tell how many have been scammed and for how much. I highly doubt that the really badly-worded intro letters get much response, but keep in mind that some of these bulls**t artists are good enough to sell condoms in a convent.

I woulda never fallen for the classic 419 or lottery thing myself, but I'm glad I never got a cheque-mule letter back when I was young and stupid.

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 3:41 am

^^^^ Also, people who've not yet had their email accounts bombed by legions of scammers. Wink

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 3:45 am

Yeah once you've won the lottery 56 times already you become a little suspicious they might not quite be real.

419Eater is my life Joined: 26 Jan 2007 Posts: 356

In addition to the above, some might be in bad financial conditions and so desperate for a way out they'll try anything without asking too many questions.

Some just want to help fellow human beings, like in the case of orphan and refugee sorts of scams.

Some victims may have mental disabilities that makes them particularly vulnerable.

Scammers sometimes hide behind the names of real charities that check out as legitimate if you look them up, so it may be difficult for someone with little experience in scams to identify someone who is lying about working with the organization.

The list goes on.

Not quite a Newb Joined: 15 Jul 2007 Posts: 72

Increasingly, it seems that the victims are people who ought to know better. Read these stories:

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070118/NEWS06/701180305
http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/05/15/060515fa_fact

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 4:04 am

If you have ever had the mis-fortune of speaking with these criminals on the phone, you would know of the near hypnotic effect they can have on a person...
"Do it now..."
"Just go do that one thing..."

The sense of urgency is amazing. They really do seem to believe the story they are telling. There is no objection they can't overcome.

I'm a professional sales guy, I've learned a bunch from baiting.

I grew up learning from Brian Tracy
Brian Tracy Quote
"Confidence on the outside begins by living with integrity on the inside."
He talked about "Sales Judo", I really didn't know what he meant...now I do.
These guys are true Dearth Lords.

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 4:24 am

You really can't classify scam victims as a "type" of person. Victims are individuals, and the "why" they got sucked into a scam is as individual as they are. Add in the number of formats out there, and there is really no list of personality traits that would peg someone as a potential scam victim. Inexperience with the internet IS a common factor, but that is not a "personality trait", it is merely inexperience.

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 6:23 am

squireparty^

The Lads also try and go for the sympathy scam---dying of cancer/stroke, some disease that is acne, no food in the refugee camp (but money to spend on renting computers) and so on.

It's not always a case of greed by the intended vics, there are good people who sincerely want to help out what they perceive to be persons in need.. This is what makes the lads even more vile in their scams.

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 6:31 am

I knew a lady who almost fell for a Don Juan gone to a check scammer. She would believe anything and anyone until it came back to bite her. I'm actually surprised she caught onto this scammer before he got to her. Either way he had all her personal information... which is to much to begin with. The lads prey on the gullible and the people who trust everyone... and the gullible do exist in a fairly large number (although they are not the majority thank God!)

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 7:01 am

Hi full auto-JJ McQ^

Amen on that. Thankfully your friend got hip before any damage done. I cringe at knowing that wealthy widowed 'Aunt Ethel in Nebraska' out there might actually send these goons some cash upon feeling sorry for them.

Which is precisely why it's an alias/personae to use in baiting, or something similar in various presentations.

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 7:03 am

In addition to the reasons mentioned above, I believe it's also got to do with the internet as the medium of the message. Take your average chain letter about a donation drive for a sick child or Bill Gates paying you $$$, f'r instance (not to mention the annoying "forward this to everybody or your account will be closed"-type of ICQ message). People would at lest express doubt and maybe even laugh at you if you told them this kind of stuff in real life, yet an amazing number of them will happily forward the most incredible piece of bullshit without hesitation, if only it comes in electronic form.
The intarnets are large and mysterious, which means everything is possible in them.

(And of course wishful thinking goes a long way.)

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 7:09 am

Bankster^--welcome aboard--

And sign up for a mentor. Bait safely.

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 7:19 am

You know, many times I have asked myself the question posed in this thread. Mainly because there are reports of millions - nay BILLIONS of dollars lost in e-mail scams, yet I can't find one person (count 'em: zero) who will fall for the old "trust me I'm a doctor" routine!

If there's one born every minute, where do I find them?

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 7:27 am

One of the biggest changes I have seen since I joined is the huge shift to cheque/check scams. Lads are bringing them into just about every type of scam they can, because they work well for lads. And the reason they work is people's lack of familiarity with their own banking system. Most people think they can safely spend money once it is showing in their account. They think it's cleared and they have little idea of the processes that will still be going on to clear the cheque for real. Hardly anyone reads the small print so they also have no idea that it could bounce weeks or months later and they'll still be liable. And they think the bank will bear the loss if it goes bad; that it'll be the bank who is liable for not spotting the fake at the outset and showing the funds in their account. So they pay the cheque in, see it has 'cleared' 3 days later and send the money. Evil or Very Mad

It's not greed or gullibility, it's just being ill-informed.

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 9:00 am

I speak from experience on those check scams, If I had 10 drop boxes at my disposal, I could come up with 100 Million dollars in hot checks in 2 months. We are talking Millions of dollars a DAY !!

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 9:19 am

herb^

Indeed, those fake money-orders seem so tempting to cash. The Lads offered to send me one for shipping them 7 acres of land I had for sale in a newspaper a few years ago. And that was my epiphany.

BTW, Tasca is about the only California prison that Charlie hasn't served time in.

Master Baiter Joined: 03 Jul 2007 Posts: 158

The Cheque Mule/Job scam will get people. Hell, I am looking for a job (probably why I am getting a dozen of them a week) so if I wasnt instantly sceptical about anything that promised $1000+ a week for doing diddly squat, then who knows.

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 10:14 am

There are any number of reasons why people fall for these scams, but I'd suggest that most of them have one, some or all of the following:

Inexperience with the internet
A naturally trusting/sympathetic nature
A certain naivete about 'the ways of the world'
Greed
Desperate personal/financial circumstances
Lack of understanding about banking proceedures
A willingness to 'bend the rules' for their own personal gain

Plus, you'd be amazed how many victims have never heard of internet scams, even though they've been around since God was a lad. This is why it's so important to spread the word about these scams to family and friends. If they know what to look for, hopefully they won't be tempted (and some of the offers are VERY tempting).

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 10:46 am

The people who fall for scams...hmmm...lets see....

My mum. With the lad who had cancer and she had a few pennies spare and wanted to help.

My friend. Who was so desperate for love, he really believed he'd found the 'real thing' "This woman just 'knows me'.

My brother. Always on the hunt for that elusive fortune that is out there.

My Aunty. She put shares in that company because a couple of years ago a friend of a friend put shares in a company and now they're millionaires!

My cousin. How could she just sit back and watch what was happening? She watched live Aid. She knows the suffering that happens and just had to help.

In all, the people who fall for these scams are your family and friends.
Just people.

(Ps. Apart from the friend, none have fallen for scams, but you get the point?)

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 10:53 am

Quote:

Bankster^--welcome aboard--

And sign up for a mentor. Bait safely.

Thanks for the warm welcome, it is muchly appreciated. Smile

As for a mentor, although I'm still pretty much a n00b I've already grabbed me one (get them while supplies last!) who has provided me with tons of invaluable advice and encouragement. I hope I'll be able to give back to the community someday, even though this may take a while as I'm presently still training my first lad with tiny baby steps.

(End of thread hijack)

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 8:04 pm

"Advance-fee fraud is an especially durable con. In an early variation, the Spanish Prisoner Letter, which dates to the sixteenth century, scammers wrote to English gentry and pleaded for help in freeing a fictitious wealthy countryman who was imprisoned in Spain"

Well whadya know! LOL. What do you want to bet that Caveman Zog sent carved rocks to his neighbour in another cave 'requesting' a haunch of meat in return for a metal tipped spear. I guess this shows that human nature endures and never changes. I wonder what 419's will look like in the future?

Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 9:00 am

Hi it-wasn't me^^

Wow, what can I say on all that? Crying or Very sad

Sad indeed. You too a victim, in retrospect that your loved ones fell prey.

Probably 99% of posters here on the forum--myself included--fight the mugus for duty and humanity-[that's an old 3-Stooges line] in a humorous vein and not as real vics, but you obviously are in that other 1%. The ones with the knife still stuck in the heart years later.

When people you trust betray you, you never forget it. And from personal experience--back in 1972 I believed in a friend and got screwed-over for $200--lotz-more back then than now. I've gone through untold cash since then, but it still eats at me, the loss of trust on that. And how I had to make my own just-spaghetti-in-a boiling-pot- dinners for every day for weeks to overcome the financial loss. No Ramen Noodles @ a dozen for a dollar back then.

My hat off to you. cheerz--jervis tetch / mad hatter

Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 10:10 am

Hey Jervis,

I was just making a point! If you read my post again, at the bottom it says none my actual family (but the friend who did lose thousands to a love scammer) were scammed. I was trying to make the point that your average Jo, from Lawyer to doctor to housewife to single parent gets scammed.

Sorry if you feel I misled you Embarassed

But thanks for the concern Wink

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