Can less be more?

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Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2008 9:46 pm

Like most of us, I do enjoy reading the Lads' incoherent, rambling email. But somebody once said, "it's easy to make simple things complicated but difficult to make complicated things simple". So, for a change of pace, I figured I'd experiment to see if a Lad can scam in 35 characters or less?

I wrote:

pls snd mnygrm instr detl agin. not hav w me. thx.
[ msg sent by wireless email ]

Lad wrote:

Please make the payment via Money Gram or Western Union to;

Derrick Davis
147 W. 39th St., Suite 40, NY 10019

You are to send a scanned copy of the Money Gram or Western Union receipt given to you by Money Gram or Western Union as an e-mail attachment or send the following written informationʼs below;

Senders Name...
Reference Number (Money Gram) or MTCN # (Western Union)
Amount: $2500
Phone #
Mailing Address...

I sent the MG number, purposely too many digits w/ several doubles and got the expected response.

I wrote:

2133899355
[ msg sent by wireless email ]

Lad wrote:

Hello xxxx, you wrote MG which stand Money Gram but the number you provided are 10 instead of 8 digit reference number, please confirm if i was sent via money Gram or Western Union? And if it is sent via Money Gram the reference number are 8.
Derrick.

Then I came up with the character limit idea - to try and make him explain the error in 35 characters or less.

I wrote:

35 CHR MAX IN FON EMIL KANT C U MSG
[ msg sent by wireless email ]

I marked the first 35 characters in the above messages red to illustrate just how short that really is. I wonder what he'll do.

UPDATE
Got my response(s) ...

38 characters wrote:

Money Gram is 8 digit reference number

34 characters wrote:

U sent 10 digit number not correct

31 characters wrote:

U are to send reference number

25 characters wrote:

Or 10 MTCN number for WU

I think my cell phone is now out of range.

Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2008 11:41 pm

Nice messing with the medium there! I might have to try that one.

I did a bait last year where I convinced the lad to write his whole message in the Subject field. He kept that going for well over two months of regular emails.
<http://forum.419eater.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=119110>

Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2008 1:37 pm

@voudoujoe: Any chance you can get an email addy or phone number for Derrick? He could be a mule, an accomplice, or maybe even a baiter. It might be nice to find out which.

Given the trouble you are having with MTCNs, you could tell your lad you have a cousin in New York and he can just drop the cash off, or some other such nonsense. Very Happy

Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2008 9:25 pm

@Luckey - I am pretty certain that our friend Derrick isn't a mule, accomplice or baiter. He is, in fact, a low-life piece of shit. Check out the urbanapartmentowners thread

I looked for a person or address at the NYC address he provided and didn't come up with anything. According to Switchboard, there are no Derrick Davis in this area of New York.

Correct me if I am wrong, but if one sends money thru WU or MG, the city/state/country really are inconsequential to the mugu's ability to pick up the cash. So he can 'say' to send it to XYZ, New York and pick up the money in Nigeria, yes?

BTW - ANYONE who wants to have a go at this Lad, please do. He is successfully scamming people (a few victims have posted here) and his modality has gotten much more believeable. He must be successful because he is very, very quick to twig.

Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 3:36 pm

UPDATE

I am calling this experiment, in general, not very entertaining. However, it might work well for the dedicated str8 baiter who adheres to the 'one question per email' discipline as it gets you off the hook of writing. Beginning where the last post left off, here's what it looked like for me ...

me = blue
friend = green
lad = red

Quote:

SRRY IZ WU 213338935

Your Joke is over, WU is 10 digit.

NOT JOKIN SRY HRD ON FON 2133389355

Incorrect MTCN number

2133389355

SENT NUM DID U GET?

Incorrect MTCN #, send scan copy.

NUM WRNG? WIL ASK FRND 2 SEND SCAN

My buddy Bart asked me to scan this paper and send it to you.
(attached 1.5MB blurry MG receipt image)

to me: Scan 2 bold,can't se it,reduce size

to me: Receipt MG not WU,suppose 8 digit #

to friend: Hello, the scan copy you sent is too large, i could not see what is written, please re-send reduce scan copy or send the 8 digit reference number on the Money Gram receipt.

smaller image too.
(attach 5.1KB 96x96 pixel image)

J SENT SCAN. ALL OK? NEED APT NOW.

to me: Scan too large, later too small

to friend: Hello, the receipt you sent is too small, increase the size but not up to the first scan copy you sent, to aviod all this stress, look at the receipt you will find 8 digit reference number, please send the reference number it covers the stress to download.

This is a PC image file. I have a Linux computer and I can't open it. I am just sending along what B*** sent me. My company uses a secure internet download service that might work. I will try that if you want. Or I will try to email again. I am going out of town today and I won't have access to email for a few days. Let me know soon.

WHAT ABOUT APT? GET J'S EMAIL?

HAV U PICKUP MONEY?

to me: Incorrect info, pick up, No

to friend: Just send me the 8 digit reference number on the Money Gram receipt

Didn't I tell you I can't? Yes, I believe I did. Did you read my email? I guess not. I am trying to help my friend. Don't be a dick. Read the email I already sent. I put the important part in bold to make it easier for you to find....

This is a PC image file. I have a Linux computer and I can't open it. I am just sending along what Bart sent me. My company uses a secure internet download service that might work. I will try that if you want. Or I will try to email again. I am going out of town today and I won't have access to email for a few days. Let me know soon.

WHAT? J SENT PAPER, NO?

PAPER TO LARGE&TOO SMALL,SEND REF #

I never heard from you so I went ahead and put the image on the secure image d/l site.

Go to http://www.mysaf3imag3.com
Enter the code in the attached image file. (attached image)

J GONE. MY # OK RITE? APT OK NOW?