Aussie Kidnapped in Africa after love scam

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Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 9:29 pm

http://tinyurl.com/2dz93p

This really does show how low these guys can go.

Baiting Guru Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 11857 Location: UK

That's one lucky bloke, bastard lads Evil or Very Mad

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

Another to add to the "Do Not Feel Sorry for Lads" pile!

Fortunately this victim lived to learn from this.

Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2007 1:26 am

Saw the story on the news last night, poor guy.

I'm baiting about 6 different vlads at the moment. Low life scums.

Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2007 12:50 pm

There was another article aired tonight in Australia, it appears the same man went to russia a few years back to meet up with his Vlad and he came back empty handed on that occasion as well, at least he ws not kidnapped and beaten with a machete while in Russia. Confused

I hate to say it but one would think that to fall for this the first time is a little foolish, falling for much the same thing a second time would explain why he did not want to be named and also why he would not look into the camera. Cool

I am trying hard not to sound insulting but this is not an example of how bright Aussies can be. Embarassed

The good news story in this is the publicity it has given the whole scam scene but in particular the romance scams that are going on.

The Lad in question here uses pics of a black girl and uses the name Natacha, I dont suppose anybody here has baited her as the quick shot of the picture looked very familiar.

Also included in tonights article was a piece on a man who lost heaps of money (over 1 million if I heard correctly) on a lottery scam

And finally, a question to our mods,
It would seem that plenty of us have found out about this story, checked the romance forum, found no story on it then posted it up there without first checking the general chat forum (myself included).

Just an idea but, perhaps if this thread was moved to the romance forum it may save you having to lock and move a few more threads. Wink

Baiting Guru Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 11857 Location: UK

^^^^^ It's easier for people to do a quick search before posting, either search part of the url on which the story is reported, or search for the word, "Australia" and this topic is the first result.

Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2007 1:00 pm

Murry Guru wrote:

Just an idea but, perhaps if this thread was moved to the romance forum it may save you having to lock and move a few more threads. Wink

Please don't create extra work for us. It there is one thing we hate doing, it's clicking buttons.

This is a general chat, or even a main scam baiting issue. Sometimes, on the rare occasions it happens, some people do a quick search before posting. Wink

edit - HA! Double mod whammy at exactly the same time. Laughing

Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2007 1:43 pm

Lucky man ! Very lucky.

Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2007 1:55 pm

Where did you see the picture of the Natacha. I had about three refugees going at one point last month.

Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2007 2:08 pm

Mods,
No offence intended, Just an idea with those too lazy to do a search prior to posting in mind. Myself included.

@Tasman
On an article on A curent affair tonight (shown only in Australia I would presume) they showed some footage of the emails as well as a picture of Natacha, it was only a few seconds that the picture was up.

I have not tried myself (1159 pm and I am just about to turn into a pumpkin) but sometimes that program also shows details of their story on their website, try a Google search [email protected], I took a guess but good chance it is right, you should get a hit on google even if it is wrong

Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2007 4:08 pm

Here's BBC1's news coverage of the story

http://media.putfile.com/Romance-scan-kidnapping

Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2007 6:03 pm

Does anyone here have a copy of the original email sent to the Australian?

Given how much publicity these scams have been given, it seems amazing that someone would still fall for one.

Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2007 7:03 pm

^^^Unfortunately many people can and do fall for them.

Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2007 7:33 pm

Yes it would be nice to get a handle on this affair. Set this lot up for another kidnapping event. Don't need a mass bait just a very good script and a coordinated effort and baiters who aren't after individual efforts , but just wish to produce a group effort. That bunch will murder next and we have a life to save .

Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2007 7:43 pm

Even knowing the IP address the scammers were using, there's no guarantee you'd be dealing with the same people. They move from internet cafe to internet cafe, and the scammer on the PC from 8-2 won't be the same one on there from 2-4 or 5-8 or 9-2. You get the idea. Much as we'd love to bait the gang, there's no way to be sure we are. More's the pity.

Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 3:06 am

Yes I guess so. Hope it was a one off. Hope the bunch are quivering with fear waiting for the law to arrive. Huh! Some chance?

Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 7:22 am

Quote:

I am trying hard not to sound insulting but this is not an example of how bright Aussies can be.

Grrrr, Grrrr. Evil or Very Mad

All different nationalities fall for this, are you implying that the average Australian is dumb? Most Australians have a good education though our Government have not been so great to the Aboriginals.

So to make this post not completely offtopic, it doesn't really matter what nationality the victim is. Happens to everyone and unless I'm mistaken not really to any particular nation.

Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 8:43 am

@Reaper,

You are correct in most of what you write,

Just to clarify

This is not a good example of how bright Aussies can be.
Meaning almost all Aussies are smarter than this.

Yes you are correct, people from all over the world fall for this type of scam, however few fall for it twice.

Way off topic but,
Our (yes our) Government certainly has not been great to all Aboriginals however generally speaking most Aboriginals in my generation at least, have had the same oportunities as others but a minority choose not to make the most of the oportunities available to them.

My assessment is based on the fact that I am an Australian (born and bred and proud of it), and I do have a fair percentage of Aboriginal blood myself.

In fact I have never been outside Australia, never had a passport, never needed one.

Now you must agree that most, if not all Aussies you know, and I am sure you know plenty, would not fall for this twice.

Are we friends again Wink

Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 8:56 am

Sure, come here... Wink

In my history class, we just finished our Aboriginal history...stuff. Very interesting history.

Sorry I didn't realise you were Aussie Laughing

Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 9:23 am

All joking aside, there are plenty of lonely, isolated, single farmers here who crave 'a good woman' in their lives and so would fall easy prey to the scammers. I agree that for it to happen not once, but twice to this guy doesn't say much for his judgment or smarts but I can see how a clever scammer would have spotted his vulnerability and lured him in. I think love scammers are the lowest of them all because not only do they rob their victims blind, they also break their hearts in the process and leave them financially and emotionally broken. He had a very lucky escape and although I'm glad his story has been widely publicised for other potential victims to learn from, I do feel sorry for the poor guy who has been publicly humiliated in this blaze of publicity.

Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 9:25 am

I'm taking on another vlad every day! I'm doing 8-9 different ones...thank god for gmails labels

Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 9:36 am

Gnash did you see any reports where the clearly outlined the scams ?
Most of the reporting I saw on this seemed to glean over the cause. I think there is a lot more education required.

I for one and looking for

Quote:

'a good woman'

just don't tell my GF Confused

Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 10:00 am

I was having a look today on the ACA website for details on last nights story and stumbled on this by doing a search on 'scam'

http://aca.ninemsn.com.au/search.aspx?collection=aca2&query=scam

Very vague information and I only found it because I was looking for it.

One part of particular note was;

Quote:

Dealing with the criminal syndicate is a deadly business, the Australian Government warns that fourteen people have been murdered trying to get their money back.

The FBI and the Australian Federal Police are at the forefront of the campaign to stop this internet fraud, which targets 200 million people around the world every year.

Now I know I am as biased as the next scambaiter, but I would think that groups like ours probably plays a bigger part in protecting people than the police when dealing with internet fraud.

BTW, I could not find anything on the Aussie we are discussing here.

@Reaper,
Glad we are friends again.

@Gnasher,
Yes I agree, and I do feel sorry for the bloke and understand that he would be vulnerable. I would also like to think that his friends and family would be looking out for him a little better.

I do however believe that it is for the overall good to 'publicly humiliate' him in order to educate others. Always easier to learn from others mistakes than your own.

@Harrya,
I dont know how much value it would be, but do you think if one of us (by that I mean one of our more experienced Aussie baiters such as you Gnasher or U&U) was to contact ACA, explain what we do and get information from them on the emails, then use the information to bait the crap out of this particular group. ACAs reward could be access to the emails for a follow up story.

The generated publicity cant do our cause any harm, it would also be good to see them place some pressure on WU by naming and shaming them as the best means for scammers to empty out pockets.

Just thinking aloud Question

Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 12:54 pm

harrya wrote:

Gnash did you see any reports where the clearly outlined the scams ?

No, these scam stories are sometimes aired on the 6.30 'current affairs' (HA!) shows but they always focus on the Aussie battlerpensioner who's been scammed and/or they set up a sting so a reporter can shove a microphone under a fleeing lads nose telling him he should be ashamed of himself. I have never seen any reports on TV/radio/newspaper where they clearly outline HOW the victim was scammed. I guess it doesn't have the 'wow' factor for an audience with the attention span of a deckchair.

Master Baiter Joined: 18 Dec 2004 Posts: 106

better link here:

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/afp/20070813/tod-australia-mali-internet-37b0eca_1.html

What is most suprisingis that he fell for the Russian bride scam as well; despite several warnings from his peers. He was lucky to get out of there alive. I hope he has learn't from this.

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