Visit in The Gambia.

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Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 5:31 pm

Hello.

I got a refugee-lad in Ghana, and his lawyer who wants me to help them move money from Ghana to my country.

In this case I am playing a woman living in Finland, and I got a friend of my calling from Skype to them - so they actually believe I am a woman.

However, in three weeks time I am actually going on vacation The Gambia with some friends for two weeks, and I have been concidering maybe I can take this guy on a safari from Ghana to Gambia, and make him meet up at the airport - holding a sign with this womans name. Then I can see who this scumbag is, and he won't know it's me - because he thinks I am a woman.

Is this safe, or should I just drop it?

I really like to just see him going from Ghana to Gambia for no reason Very Happy

Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 5:40 pm

You have to remember these guys are criminals and gang members. IF they have any idea it is you, you will be in extreme danger.

On the other hand it has been done by others, but they have been very experienced and careful.

Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 5:53 pm

Keep the lads at a safe distance at all times. Preferably 5000 miles or more.

However, while you're there, scope out a meeting place, and take note of the landmarks. Then when you get back home, you can ask him to come to Gambia to meet you there. You can pick out a place and describe it to a tee.....you could pick a restaurant or a park or an intersection.

As for actually meeting him in person, I think it would be extremely unsafe. Some foreigners have been murdered in pursuit of 419 schemes when they went to go meet the lads.

** ACCOUNT CLOSED ** Joined: 19 Sep 2007 Posts: 262

Tke some pics to send to the lad to convince him further that yuo are there, but i would not meet him Africa is a different planet.

5000km seems like very good advise Wink

Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 8:10 pm

So even if the lads does not have clue it's me - I should not do this? They think that I am a woman, because they spoke to my friend on the phone.

It's not like I am going to communicate with this lad in anyway - I just want to see this lad with my own eyes, just to get the feeling that he has travelled a long way for nothing.

Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 8:51 pm

I like the idea of taking a lot of pictures of the airport and surrounding areas. Later you could use the pictures and information you gathered to make the lad run around the airport and the city (Banjul, I presume) for several days. The details would make you very convincing and you should be able to get more out of the lad. The frustration in their messages is priceless. For me this would be more satisfying than seeing the lad for a few minutes.

BTW, I'm baiting a lad from The Gambia and trying to get him to travel to Dakar, Senegal.

Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 9:28 pm

@Quada - Whatever you do, do NOT take photographs of the airport, planes, police or military personnel.
There is a very strong possibility that you will regret it.

Lets not forget that Ghana is a very long journey from Gambia, and it would be very difficult to get your mugu to travel that far.
If he did make that journey, how do you think that he might react when a foreign tourist starts taking snaps of him, just as he realises that someone has made a fool of him....

Personally, I think that you would be better off using your vacation as a sort of reconissance mission.
Get your hands on local maps, tickets and newspapers. Take some photographs of local landmarks, in short gather as much info as you can that could help you in a future bait.

But I would have to urge you to be cautious about initiating a "meet".

Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 9:36 pm

Simba wrote:

@Quada - Whatever you do, do NOT take photographs of the airport, planes, police or military personnel.
There is a very strong possibility that you will regret it.

Just wondering - why?

Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 9:48 pm

One time when I was in Kenya, a European tourist was taking some photos of the airport in Nairobi.

Without any warning he had a rifle butt crashed into his face, breaking his nose, knocking a couple of teeth out, and had the camera confiscated.

Africans can be over zealous of security around potential terrorist targets, and it really isn't worth putting their tolerance to the test.

Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 9:52 pm

Just my 2 cents worth. I sure as heck wouldn't do it. Lesson # 5, don't take pics in Casinos or Airports.

Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 10:29 pm

^^^^ Railway stations are also off limits. Any infrastructure that can be used to transport troops and/or materiel would be of interest to a spy, therefore that country's espionage statutes would very likely cover airports and railway stations. Border crossings might also fall into that category.

Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 12:01 am

^^^ However, it might be nice to recruit a lad as a roving, camera toting spy * Twisted Evil

* Just engage his services as a photographer for some obscure tourism publication or website Wink

Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 12:33 am

I say go for the safari but forget about the faux meeting.

Send him to another country, but don't let on that you'll be in The Gambia.

From what I have seen the only time very experienced baiters have arranged meeting to do some mugu recon they have been in their own territory with very strict controls and lots of people helping.

I wouldn't even entertain the thought of doing this in a foreign city let alone a foreign country on a foreign continent. Just bait the scammer and get his mates to take photos and send them to you Wink

Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 1:52 pm

@Seven:

I tried doing that once. The lad claimed that his trunk box was confiscated by customs at a border crossing, so I asked him all sorts of questions about the buildings and what the crossing was like.

He wouldn't take photos of it though. I kept trying, but he wouldn't budge.

Figuring I had nothing to lose, I told him that I needed the photos since I was going to lead a group of 20 commandos, launch a military assault on the crossing station, and then recover his trunk box for him. I never heard from him again after that.

Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 4:23 pm

Quada wrote:

I just want to see this lad with my own eyes

I can understand the temptation. In theory it would be fun. But in practice, even though the lad isn't likely to connect you with your female character, you would be putting yourself in close contact with known criminals. Keep in mind that many or most of these lads work in gangs, and even it not they have plenty of contacts they routinely work with. Your lad would not go to the airport in a foreign country without hooking up with a local lad to help him out. While they may not see you as connected to the bait, they may see you as an obvious foreigner ripe for plucking. Just because they're pulling an Internet scam doesn't mean they don't deal in conventional crime.

Sure, there's risk of being a crime victim no matter where you go, even in your own home. But why knowingly put yourself so close to people who are unquestionably criminals, especially when you will stand out so readily as a non-local?

Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 4:56 pm

Personally, I don't see it as a big deal. But I really doubt you are going to get him to travel that far. That is a very time consuming process and these guys are so unreliable.

While I don't suggest you taking a picture at the airport, for reasons Simba mentioned, I do suggest you get your mugu to take some. (Also for reasons Simba mentioned)

It would be great to see your lad in the airport, but it is highly unlikely. There is still a risk, however. I don't think the risk is that great, but is it worth the payout? Probably not. At least not in their territory as Juan pointed out.

Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 5:17 pm

jojobean wrote:

While I don't suggest you taking a picture at the airport, for reasons Simba mentioned, I do suggest you get your mugu to take some. (Also for reasons Simba mentioned)

Ssshhhhh JoJo, Ssshhhhh....!!!!

We don't want another ethics thread.... Laughing