Why the handoffs?

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Hello I'm New here! Joined: 27 Jul 2007 Posts: 1

I�m a part time baiter and I noticed something that maybe the more knowledgeable guys could answer for me. There always seems to come a time that the original mugu wants to hand you off to someone else (their �barrister�, �bank�, etc..) via a different email. I usually mess with them and refuse to work with anyone except them. I�ve gotten dropped many times because I refused to correspond to �someone� else. They are just so adamant that I personally contact the �bank� or �barrister� via a new email address. Anyone have a theory as to why they do that? Do they actually work in teams � one guy specializes in hooking the potential victim and the other guy specializes in closing the deal? Or is it that they want to stay organized and keep separate email addresses for scams in progress and initial contacts?

Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 3:49 pm

Sometimes they are working as a team and you are getting passed of from the 'catcher' to someone further up the chain. Sometimes it's just a lad trying to seem more legitimate by pretending to be a bank/lawyer etc. It can be fun to sometimes play along for a bit then demand the lad sack his lawyer. You can often get this done a few times.

welcome to the eater btw.

Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 3:49 pm

Most of the time they're passing you on a lad higher up the foodchain, perhaps with better english skills or who's more experienced squeezing victims for money.

However, sometimes it'll be the same lad, but their script will require you to contact the barrister. Lads would much rather drop a hassley victim and move on to the next rather than break script, especially if it's quite early on.

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

Adding players to the mix also is a method to keep up the pressure on the victims as they are bombarded from two or three sources about paying the money.

Baiting Guru Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Posts: 3193

It is for both reasons.

1. Some lads work in teams, where the original lad (called a catcher) only handles the initial contact. He may be incapable, through inexperience or fluency in English, to handle more than that.

2. The more people that are added to the scam, the more real victims believe in it. Like a stage magic trick where you start thinking "he can't have that many stooges". Yes he can. It works for us too, when we add characters to our bait it gets the scammer to believe in us more.

3. If the original scammer's character is female, he wont be able to talk to you on the telephone. In fact many formats give excuses (such as throat cancer) why he cannot. Scammers like to talk to their victims on the phone. Maybe they have learned that a lot of jokers (as they call us) are not set up to do so. By introducing a male character, he is then able to use the phone.

Edit: the problem with writing an epic is that dozens of other people hit Submit before you do Smile

I'm the first with point 3 Razz

And yes, welcome to eater, read the stickies and bait safe.

Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 6:30 pm

Of course you can always add a few extra characters yourself. Don't do it too soon or go too wild, but by using the same trick, if you can make it appear like a deal clincher, it will add to their headaches trying to keep track of what's happening.

Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 6:46 pm

Welcome to the Eater.

Here are my thoughts for what they are worth.

Lads want to get you to the Western Union as quickly as possible, that is their sole aim. They introduce their barrister/banker/security officer/courier to add legitimacy to their cause and see how committed you are. Often it is the same lad following his script playing both parts. Check out the headers on emails from the original lad and his 'barrister' and see if they are different.

If you are going to get anywhere in baiting you need to engage the 'professional' that the lad directs you to.

There are hours of endless fun to be had by slagging off the professional adviser to the original lad and vice versa , often knowing they are one in the same lad. Twisted Evil

Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 6:51 pm

Tommo Shanter wrote:

There are hours of endless fun to be had by slagging off the professional adviser to the original lad and vice versa , often knowing they are one in the same lad.

My favourite bit!

Be nice as pie and as helpful to your original lad, but be sure (when you invariably have to "update him") to call the Barrister an unprofessional asshole.

See if your lad can hold it together and agree with you, or whether he'll get indignant and tell you to "stop mess around and just co-oprate with Barriters ok!"
I'll bet it's the latter. Wink

Master Baiter Joined: 04 May 2007 Posts: 139

When a conversation passes between characters, it's often between the catcher account and the scam artist's main account, or between catcher "guymen" and "ogas" who run the scam after the initial response.

Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 11:49 pm

It's great when they add a character because it seems like this is where you can start having fun....as mentioned, you can add someone too.

This is occurring with one of my baits. He added a character earlier in the bait, then I responded with a new character. Then I added one more character with a new role in the bait that caused a delay in sending the money. Now, I have added a whole new bait to parallel the first one... so he is still chasing the money on the first bait and now he has created a new character to go down this new path. I will respond with another new character.

Its a lot of fun playing the characters off each other and trying to keep the lad busy and on his toes. As you talk with the barrister and the bank, you can get mad at the banker, then tell the barrister you dont trust the banker and you are not going to send the money. Then he will probably add another character in. You can do the same.....add someone who will throw a wrench into the whole deal. As the bait slowly grows, you get more and more ideas and soon it becomes a soap opera.... "Baits of our Lives"

Good luck, have fun, and go with the flow!

Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 1:01 am

Being passed up the chain is nice.
But I never forget the first lad. He was the one kind enough to contact me, so I always believe that he should be the one to help me complete the transaction and receive the majority of any money I send.
I tend to go back to him time and time again.

Of course, now and again, the lad doesn't quite understand my generous intentions and I have to keep reminding him that he is the only person I trust and therefore it is he alone who must deal with my frustration, bad temper, cursing and general nasty behaviour. Twisted Evil

Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 11:48 am

Slightlyoutofit wrote:

I never forget the first lad. He was the one kind enough to contact me, so I always believe that he should be the one to help me complete the transaction and receive the majority of any money I send.
I tend to go back to him time and time again.

I love this approach. Whenever I have any doubts about the transaction (such as suspecting there is something amiss with a barrister, or bank official, or consignment company), I take them to the first lad who becomes my friend and confidante. I don't trust anyone else to answer my important questions, it's me and him against the world!! The less we have to pay to corrupt officials and dodgy businesses, the more of the millions we have for ourselves!!

Not quite a Newb Joined: 09 Aug 2007 Posts: 28

Wow this thread in particular has given me great ideas for moving forward with several of my baits!

Now I just need to come up with some official sounding e-mail addresses

Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 2:20 pm

I've been using gmail, fastmail, and hushmail to add variety to the addresses. Once you come up with some basic characters, you can use and re-use them in other baits.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 13 May 2005 Posts: 5

I haven't baited much lately, but I'm having fun with one now. Introducing new characters is a great way to complicate and stall the situation.

I had one character who stalled with the "UN representative" as much as possible (at one point, my mugu took the odd tactic of saying that my consignment had been shipped by diplomat to Jakarta, and I needed to go there. I pretended to go there, and got very angry when the diplomat refused to follow my instructions of asking for me at the front desk and then I would come down and meet in my hotel lobby.)

Finally, after "getting back", we got down to business, and I needed 10 grand to pay the fees for my millions. Because I'd wasted so much dough going to Indonesia, my mugu needed to front me a loan.

Right about the time I was about to wuxfer it to him, my character got very ill and slipped into a coma. Now his boyfriend is e-mailing with the mugu, which allows me to play dumb all over again. I (as my 2nd character) inquired about having the money transferred to the 2nd character so my first character's ex-wife wouldn't find out about it. My mugu introduced a barrister, and now I think my original character's ex-wife is due for an appearance.

Another tact I've taken with introducing your own new characters (that I haven't used on this one yet) is creating e-mail addresses similar to the mugu's or a character they've implied, and then letting them know this person has contacted you. If you're lucky, they'll think another mugu's trying to weasel his way into their business, and you can both add confusion to your scenario (I'm not sure that I trust you -- how do I know you're the real "so and so" -- this is especially great if they've had to change e-mail addresses) and gives you a chance to use your fake mugu e-mail pretend to be one of them (guyman keeep ooooooooooooffffffffffffffffffff!)

That's just been my experience -- but take the advice of the more experienced folks here.

Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 4:48 am

Check out bigstring for fun. You can mask and create addresses. You can RECALL e-mails, you can QUICK DESTRUCT e-mails, both of which give the impression of a virus. You can specify hard to print and NON-FORWARD ABLE.
I've used that for control numbers and bank info with great success.
I've got my address, my diplomat, my wife, my girlfriend, my crooked cop, and my sissy stockbroker all working my poor James at the same time.
I still haven't found all the uses for bigstring yet.

Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 10:28 pm

It is often times the same guy. I believe this because when I get a message from the "barrister" I get a "what is going on now" message from the catcher within minutes of each other.
When they send you a list of attorneys to choose from to have help you out then interview them all and have them all list their qualifications. This can be a lot of work if its just one guy. Then find something wrong with all of them and ask him to find someone else. This can sometimes end the bait.