what effect is 419eater.com having?

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Hello I'm New here! Joined: 12 Aug 2009 Posts: 3

I read in Wikipedia that a number of scambaiting sites, including 419eater, were hit with a denial-of-service attack in 2007. Since only lads would have an obvious motive for this, your activities must have gotten their attention. I guess it's war, eh?

Baiting Guru Joined: 19 Apr 2007 Posts: 3123

Why would we want a war? Obviously, criminals are going to target a criminal scam fighting site.

I would love to hope that our activities have an impact on ladland - I would foresake being on Eater for a week or so if it hurts them so badly that they need revenge.

corrected punctuation for my #1 Fanboy - JC

Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2009 7:02 pm

I think the DDOS attack was an indicator that we have been effective. It costs money to launch a bot net DDOS attack, and scammers don't part with money very easily.

It's difficult to say exactly how much impact we have, but I think it's safe to say it is significant. In addition to the direct stuff like closing down sites used in scams, wasting scammer time, etc., a lot is done to raise awareness so people will be less likely to be drawn in by scams.

Not quite a Newb Joined: 14 Jul 2005 Posts: 41

The attack came from Vlads - Eastern Europeans, not lads.

Just a minor quibble in terminology. Wink

Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2009 7:26 pm

Craig007 wrote:

Obviously, criminals are going to target a criminal, scam fighting site.

Dude!! Drop the comma between "criminal" and "scam".

You never know who is going to be viewing that confession. Twisted Evil

Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2009 8:47 pm

Another 419eater effect is keeping insane squirrels off the streets and GET OFF MY BIRDFEEDER YOU STINKING FURBALL R(*&$#*($&

Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2009 9:00 pm

^Those cheeky rodents still have too much free time, Bohigal.

Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2009 11:35 pm

Just to add a couple of my own thoughts to this thread, for what they're worth (which is probably about the same value as two milligrams of squirrel feed):

As far as I'm concerned, it IS war. I'm at war with the lads, and I will do whatever I can to fight their criminal activities, without placing myself in harms way. And try to have fun while doing it. Wink

The best way to see the impact we're having is to go read a few of the threads in ScamWarners. Right there you can see for yourself just how many potential victims have been saved from sending money. If we had the ability to do a survey of all the victims over there who would have sent money, but didn't because of having learned about scams from either ScamWarners or Eater, I have no doubt it would be up in the millions of dollars.

And that gives me the warm fuzzies!

Craig, I, personally, like your, copious, use of, commas. Ignore tha haters. Wink

Master of Master Baiters Joined: 26 Sep 2008 Posts: 689

Wikipedia has got a lot better in the last couple of years, when it was a free for all you couldn't beleive half of what was written, especially where competing interests were concerned. I do remember the DDOS attack, it certainly caused a few headaches for the technical staff here.

Eater and it's associated sites raise awareness and act as a warning to potential victims. Thankfully some of them are saved by their very presence.

I've never been totally convinced on the damage done by baiting lads for amusement there are so many of them, but it does get people into/involved with the world of scambaiting and they can do good deeds as well as have some fun in the process.

Keep it up all of you!

419Eater is my life Joined: 27 Jan 2009 Posts: 479

N N N wrote:

Wikipedia ... couldn't beleive half of what was written!

what about truth by consensus makes it any more believable?

Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 4:08 pm

N N N wrote:

I've never been totally convinced on the damage done by baiting lads for amusement there are so many of them

True. But depending on the lad and the type of bait, if you hit him hard enough you have the potential to save hundreds of victims.

For example, I frightened a lad who was very nicely set up in South Africa enough to make him up sticks and flee back to Nigeria. It put a large dent in his gang's operation. And there are many here who have caused far more damage to the lads' abilities to steal from innocents.

That said, if you bait just one lad in your whole baiting career and tie him up just long enough for one victim to wriggle free, everything that is done here is worth it.

Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 5:42 pm

N N N wrote:

I've never been totally convinced on the damage done by baiting lads for amusement there are so many of them

Don't forget that some baits end in arrests. It is rare, but it does happen. While amusing for us, not so amusing for them.

Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 5:42 pm

We are so special. Cool

Squirrels and all! Very Happy

419Eater is my life Joined: 30 May 2009 Posts: 298

Niagara, O roar again! wrote:

^Those cheeky rodents still have too much free time, Bohigal.

That's so cute. Is it real or doctored?

Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 9:11 pm

^^^That is a REAL photograph of our very own Slightly. He is among the bravest of us all, to be willing to have his real self photographed and displayed here on Eater for all to see.

What....you didn't realize he was actually a real squirrel?

Wink

Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 11:38 pm

What you can't see, but the people laughing in the background can, is that the squirrel fell onto the wooden handle of a broom, which is why its eyes look as if they're about to pop out. Very Happy

I'm not fighting a war - I just like stepping on bugs. Very Happy

Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 11:46 pm

the Slightlydemented Slightlyoutofit wrote:

...if you bait just one lad in your whole baiting career and tie him up just long enough for one victim to wriggle free, everything that is done here is worth it.

Wow! That was profound and inspiring. I guess Jose is having an effect on you after all... Wink

Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2009 12:41 am

If the best they can do is a single DDOS attack 2 years ago which stopped our forums from being viewed, compared to the real damage we've wrought!? It's a safe assumption their impact on us is like firing toy arrows at a tank.

Master of Master Baiters Joined: 26 Sep 2008 Posts: 689

Absolutely guys!

I saved a guy once, he hated me for what I was doing, he was so hooked on the scam. But I stopped him giving the scammer all his savings. He bitched and complained mainly because I hurt his pride I guess, but he didn't give the scammer his hard earned money. I got that warm fuzzy feeling despite all the grief I was given in return.

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