Help a newb: Does the skin ever stop crawling?

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Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2012 6:48 pm

This surprised me: apparently I find lying to scammers difficult to deal with. Has anyone else experienced the heeby-jeebies while baiting the lad(ette)s? I love the notion of scambaiting and I plan to stick with it but sometimes dealing with these folks just creeps me out.

I'm just sayin'...

Baiting Guru Joined: 03 May 2007 Posts: 18313

I remember going through the exact same thing as a new baiter. I thought I had an interest in baiting romance scammers, but it just kept feeling creepy, so I ditched that and focused on a puppy scammer and a dying widow scam instead. It was much less creepy for me.
Beyond that, writing back to scammers in general becomes much easier and automatic after a bit of time.

To answer your question: Yes, that odd feeling goes away.

Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2012 7:00 pm

At some point you find the "this is just weird" feeling being replaced by hysterical laughter.

At least I did...!

Baiting Guru Joined: 27 Mar 2011 Posts: 21158

@frans, it is an uneasy feeling at the start. You need to figure out what you are comfortable with and work that angle. I started with a few different types, but have found my comfort level in the romance thanks to the great baiters that posted in that area.

I will still take on other types on the side. Try a few of the massbaits and you will have others there to help you along as you go. they are great for learning. Finding one that appeals to your disgust level makes them much easier to work at.

Elite Baiter Joined: 19 Jun 2011 Posts: 1066

Quote:

I thought I had an interest in baiting romance scammers, but it just kept feeling creepy, so I ditched that and focused on a puppy scammer and a dying widow scam instead.

Interestingly, I stopped baiting dying widow scammers because I couldn't take all the pictures of hospitalized ITPs they send as "proof" that they're really sick.

I mostly bait NOK and trunkbox scammers. They never send pictures of anyone or anything (except laughably bad certificates.)

Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2012 8:13 pm

Your early baits can creep you out a little but it's because you're unsure of the twists and turns ahead. Once you realise that you're in control, then it's just lad pain all the way. Very Happy

If things seem weird, you can always PM "Pastor Frank". He'll get you over the first time. Wink

Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2012 8:18 pm

Fowan Nyne wrote:

Your early baits can creep you out a little but it's because you're unsure of the twists and turns ahead. Once you realise that you're in control, then it's just lad pain all the way. Very Happy

If things seem weird, you can always PM "Pastor Frank". He'll get you over the first time. Wink

Or The Dane, he's always weird Wink

Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2012 1:01 am

No matter how much you hate scammers, and realize you are communicating with one, in the beginning, you can't help but feel on some level like you are having a real interaction with a real person, and that can make you feel really awkward. The scammers don't have that problem, because they don't really see their victims as people--if they try to get to know them, it is only to help them decide when and how to approach for money. The easiest way to get past that "creepy" feeling is to do the same thing.

Go over to scamwarners, and check out the romance scams forum. Read a bunch of the threads there, making sure you read a few posted by victims who lost a significant amount of money.

Besides fueling some (well-deserved) anger against the scammers, it should help you to really see one key point--all romance scams are the same.
The names, documents, and reasons for money requests may change, but the basics--from the standard profile characteristics to the set of techniques used to convince victims--are essentially identical. The scammer is basically just recycling the same things again and again. When you start to really see that, it becomes much easier to respond. Whether you are straight baiting and giving the scammer the response he wants (sort of, anyway) or taking it in a whole new direction and deliberately throwing the scammer off course, if you focus on the actual scam and not the character, it becomes much easier to write anything without feeling awkward.

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

Fowan Nyne wrote:

If things seem weird, you can always PM "Pastor Frank". He'll get you over the first time.

As master therapist and lead spiritual advisor to this site, I'll be happy to walk you through the "first time".

Elite Baiter Joined: 19 Jan 2009 Posts: 1440

I can't deal with "Dying widow" cancer lads, due to the overwhelming hatred and disgust I feel for them. If there were any justice in this world, they would all be suffering from this disease IRL.

My favorites are love lads. I just adore sending them all kinds of BS and having them swallow it hook, line and sinker. Very Happy

Their vile copy/paste porn used to gross me out but now I find it hilarious as I think of them Googling like mad to find something suitably erotic to send to me.

Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2012 10:24 am

Other than submitting yourself to PJ's ah masterful ah guidance, you might consider using your reaction in your baiting.
That is to say, in your messages, go on and on about how much you HATE scammers
HATE HATE HATE
Discuss your aged rellies who were scammed out of their life savings.
At length.

And of course, go on and on about how 'he' restores your faith in mankind, etc.
Burble on and on about how fortunate it was those 'aged rellies' bequeathed you their stamp/coin/cigarette card/whatever collection and the fabulous price it fetched at the Christies sale last October... Twisted Evil

But to answer your question.
No. In my case, no.

Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2012 10:32 am

franswolly34 wrote:

This surprised me: apparently I find lying to scammers difficult to deal with. Has anyone else experienced the heeby-jeebies while baiting the lad(ette)s? I love the notion of scambaiting and I plan to stick with it but sometimes dealing with these folks just creeps me out.

I'm just sayin'...

Well you play a part in your own soap, and don't call it Lying
Your head part is wasting the Lad's Time and try to irritate him
And please do read the reports in the forum, and learn how to play

Direct your own soap, change the script if it does not run as expected.
No. Lying is not necessary, it's for your own entertainment

Happy Hunting

Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2012 10:57 am

Another way that has worked for me since the beginning is to write something so far out that no normal person should be able to believe it. Then, when the lad does believe it (and in 99% of the cases he will), you have established that he can't really be a real thinking human being, and can then continue feeding him crap to your heart's content.
What I mean to say is, if you can fool him into believing something stupid right from the beginning, you are already ahead of him and have nothing to fear from him. Twisted Evil

Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2012 5:03 pm

franswolly34 wrote:

sometimes dealing with these folks just creeps me out.

All good advice here. I would just like to add that I really never got used to dealing one-on-one with scammers either. It didn't creep me out per se, but got me so angry that I'd pop off at them and the bait would quickly end in flames. I think the longest I kept a lad on the hook was 2 weeks. Mad

But there are other things we can do for the cause. Posting scripts on our sister site SW is one, that way if someone is suspicious they can Goggle their way to the truth. As for me, I adore killing sites. I rarely have to deal with lads (I've had a few complain to me, after having been sent a copy of my report by the hoster) -- most hosters/registrars are on our side and are appreciative of our efforts.

And the lads never see me coming. Twisted Evil

Wannabe Baiter Joined: 05 Dec 2011 Posts: 93

I had such a yucky feeling the first time I talked to a lad and I still get it sometimes. They're just such nasty lying scumbags.

But it helps a lot to think of them as enemies in a videogame Razz

Baiting Guru Joined: 27 Mar 2011 Posts: 21158

I have created a "RAGE FILE" with links to actual victim stories for myself. If I ever feel uneasy about things, I just go through that.

Elite Baiter Joined: 19 Jun 2011 Posts: 1066

^Excellent technique.

When I first joined here, I had a small (ok, miniscule) amount of empathy for the lads. By my third trip to scam warners, it was gone. They don't have any empathy for their victims. Why should I have empathy for them?

Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2012 6:43 pm

^^Another good point, they have NO empathy whatsoever. They have no allegiance other than to someone else's money.

I recently killed a fake job site that was supposedly in the UK looking for engineers. The site was run by a Nigerian, and was targeting Nigerian job sites. I found enough to have it killed, but also ran across a Nigerian forum where victims had posted about losing money to this dirtbag. The vast majority of Nigerians, as most folks, are hardworking and want to make a life for themselves. They were heartbroken and outraged that a fellow countryman would do that.

Same story in other countries. Malaysia comes to mind. They'll turn on their own families if they can get away with it.

Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2012 10:51 am

conga22 wrote:

Or The Dane, he's always weird Wink

Great, now I'm the discount version of PF. Crying or Very sad

To answer the O.P. - yes, I know where you're coming from. I too had a very weird feeling about it all to begin with. It passed relatively fast, though, and now it's all shits, giggles and battle against scum. However, I still can't bait love lads. That never changed. In my opinion, love lads are the lowest of them all. The rest of these vermin are 'just' taking your money - but in order to take the victims money, love lads will ram a stake through the hearts of these poor, lonely people. And this makes me so sick to the stomach, that I simply can't handle communicating with them. So I stick to 419 scams, there are plenty of hardened baiters that are ready to show love lads some love, and I'm grateful for that - then I don't have to. Wink

Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2012 2:19 pm

Don't worry, it's just the adrenaline.
The first time I ever called a lad I was a bit apprehensive,. thought "what if I give the game away?. What if they know who I am or can trace me?" I must admit I did have a few chills. But after a while this feeling goes away and you get better at stringing lads along. As long as you remember to keep lads at arms length and never divulge any real information. And just as importantly not to burn the lad to your bait.
The whole aim is to make them think twice about trying to scam people.
Just enjoy it and bait safe.

Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2012 2:27 pm

Thank you all!

I've read a series of posts buried somewhere on this site about new and would-be baiters dropping out a short time after signing up. I have to admit that I had similar feelings after dealing with a few of these dirtbags myself. Now, I tell myself that they have contacted me promising love, marriage, money... I think that I'm over the hump!

Baiting Guru Joined: 27 Mar 2011 Posts: 21158

It's all downhill from there!

Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2012 5:39 pm

You know, if you get doubts, there are always a few things you can do to reassert yourself...

1. Up the stakes and see how the lad reacts. Ask if he can arrange prostitutes for human trafficking. Or slaves. See what the lad says. Surprisingly many lads will have no problem with it.

2. You have the money, but you will have to dig into your savings to get them, and those money were really meant for your mom's cancer operation. Or your kids college funds. Or meant to pay your creditors in order to avoid bankrupcy. See if that will make your lad think twice (hint: It won't).

3. You are a little boy/girl, and your parents don't want you to use the internet, so you can't ask them for money for the fee. You could ask your uncle, though, but you are kind of scared of him. He is creepy, and always wants you to do strange things when the two of you are alone. You can ask him for the fee, allthough you really don't want to, because he'll want weird stuff in return. Again, see if that will make the lad think twice... Wink

Lads only want one thing: your money. They don't care about you, they don't care about your family, they don't care about anything except dollars, and they are ready to go through Hell and back to get them. Keep that in mind, and you'll do just fine. Wink

Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2012 5:52 pm

^ I had a fun time with a love lad, complaining that I needed to keep my money because my dog had three ears and needed ear impaction surgery. Of course the lad found an ear impaction surgeon right away. Alas, my 'dog' passed away, and I was distraught. I yelled at him for days. He sent an email card, 'sorry for your loss' featuring a bunny rabbit where he'd tried to photoshop a third ear.

That was a good one. Twisted Evil

Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2012 6:56 pm

^^^That was pretty good Smile

I can't bring myself to bait love lads. I'll do the regular 419 baits, and I tried to bait a love lad once. It was too weird for me.

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