I don't get it.

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Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 8:55 pm

As you can see I'm new here. I've been studying the Letters, forum topics and so on, but there are a few things I can't figure out:

1) The scammers obviously have access to the Internet and all its wonderful research tools. Why don't they check names, addresses, phone numbers and the like to see if they're being baited?

2) Why don't they have a "419eater-watcher" forum where they can share experiences they've had with being baited, so as to inform their peers and help their profession become more...professional?

3) Can't they crack a nice version of PhotoShop so as to produce better documents?

4) What's the percentage of scammers who fall for the bait? Given the number of active baiters on this site, and the well-documented exploits here, I would think the percentage would be dwindling with time as scammers wise up to these pranks.

Presonally, I can't wait to take my first dip into the dark waters of International Finance. My own Dad actually flew to Nigeria about 20 years ago at the behest of his greedy employer, this was before the Intenet and before common knowledge of 419. Fortunately his intuition kicked in and he got out of there before harm befell him.

TIA for any answers.

Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 8:59 pm

I think a lot of them are just too lazy!

Baiting Guru Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 11857 Location: UK

Lads have to pay for their internet cafe usage, they hate spending money, they would rather spend their time sending mails out and replying to mails, rather than wasting precious scamming time and money doing searches for people.

We do get the odd lad who does do google searches, thankfully, 99.99999% dont.

Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 9:25 pm

Plus of course they're greedy barstewards who wouldn't spit on a burning person unless they could charge them for it

Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 9:26 pm

Not only are these guys lazy, they are not too smart either.

Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 9:31 pm

Thanks for the replies so far.

How often do these scammers succeeed? Are there any statistics? I cannot understand why anyone would fall for it, but I suppose greed blinds people.

Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 9:31 pm

they're also not really looking for people like us, they're generall looking for older retired people, or ones that just aren't too bright.

we just show up and ruin the party.

they're lazy, and take the "shotgun" approach. they figure if they send out a 1000 emails and get ONE person to send them a few thousand dollars, they'd be set for months (the average Nigerian makes about $100 a month).

Not quite a Newb Joined: 04 Feb 2006 Posts: 29

I had the same thought, but then when you think that THEY think having major banking/security firms using Yahoo as their email provider is convincing, you don't have to question their intelligence.

Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 9:37 pm

Those are good questions. A lot of new lads get into the scamming business and are unaware of baiting. Those are the fun ones. It takes a lot of work and some luck to get a really good lad.

Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 9:39 pm

I'm pretty sure the lad I just got tattoed was running is first scam ever! Welcome to the Jungle, baby!

I think I have a pretty goot shot of steering him clear of getting involved in scamming.

Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 9:41 pm

@mrlukeplease

If the scammers were really willing to do or capable of doing all the things you mentioned in your opening post, they wouldn't have to be scammers. Not even in Nigeria.

Diligence and the criminal mind don't mix in reality, only in the movies.

Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 9:43 pm

In response to question #3 above, I don't think we want them to improve their photoshopping skills. The more obvious the fakery, the less likely they are to hook a real victim.

Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 10:36 pm

I don't think we want them to do any of the things mentioned. That would ruin all our fun.

- Bill

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 29 Dec 2005 Posts: 13

Even if a lad became aware of baiting, he won't tell anyone, as they are competition. It isn't worth one lads time to fight baiters, so I can't see them ever getting organised. The more experienced ones will get a sniff and drop the ball. I doubt they would warn anyone else of it.

Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 11:16 pm

I had one lad after he twigged at a couple of my requests tell me that he "posted" my email addy at his "work"(aka internet cafe) so his boys could get me.

The next day I received about 16 new business proposals from the same IP traced to an internet cafe in Lagos....

Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 11:19 pm

AWESOME! he got you more lads to mess with. what a way to "get you back" for screwing with him.

Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 11:21 pm

@blarg- I know right! Laughing

I didn't thank him for the unforseen help he gave me. I'll have to see if his phone and accounts are still active.....

Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 11:28 pm

You have to consider that the longer they are in the cybercafe the more they have to pay so doing searches and they like is time consuming plus they have to remeber wehere to find this stuff online. The computer may or may not store their links and stuff after they leave. They have to keep that stuff on memory cards.

The default internet mail computer is not going to have photoshop on it and if they are like kinkos here in the US they charge more for machines with graphics programs on them and again it would take alot of time and effort to install PS on every computer you want to use it and time consuming.

Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2006 12:04 am

One word:Lazy.
The lads are lazy, lazy as hell.

Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2006 12:42 am

Yeah, so lazy they will travel 400 miles to pick up money in another town in another country on hard dirt roads in the back of a sweaty tro_tro minibus rather than use google to check your ID out. The lad I am running rings around at the moment also keeps on forgetting to use his alibi and signs himself off with his real name! - How dumb is dumb?

Take a peek at this ongoing saga, and enjoy! Remeber this guy has just come back from a long and fruitless trip, and I am sending him right back to his doom:

Michael,

You poor deluded child! Why didn't you email me when you arrived in Accra as I told you? How could you hope to find Diana in such a big city without my help?

Michael, I can only help you if you do exactly as I say. If you want to do things your way, thats fine, but then I cant help you any more. Please dont ask why - this is a complicated business and there are things I cannot explain to you right now, things that will make you a very happy man if only you can do as you are told. Trust me, I am a head teacher, not a fool.

I am desperately sorry that you made a wasted trip, but as I told you, Diana and the money is waiting for you in Accra - please go back straight away and email me when you arrive.

As you told me yourself, it is very important to keep this matter private, that is why I cannot say more at this time about the arrangements I have made for your education and welfare when you arrive in Scotland, but please rest assured that everything is well.

This time I am asking you to go to a different hotel - for security reasons it would not be a good idea to go back to the Nagasaki. There are plenty of people who would like to rob you of your money, believe me, and you have been noticed by the wrong people asking all kinds of stupid questions. Michael, why did you have to go talking so much? Why can't you keep your mouth shut? If it has even reached me, here in Scotland, then how many people are talking in Accra?

Diana says that the Hotel De Joko - Tel:+233-21-400413 - is nice and quiet: it is in a different part of Accra and hopefully you will not be spotted by our enemies this time.

Diana lives just around the corner from there. Do not mention her name to ANYONE again or the deal is off, and thats final. You could get her into a lot of trouble.

At the hotel they have a fax machine. Please fax Diana Nodosh from the hotel any time after 6pm in the evening. - her Fax number is Fax:+233-21-773432

The fax message you should send is: Diana Nodosh please and make it quick. From Lucky

That is all - dont write anything else.

Wait in the lounge until she arrives.

Diana will come to the hotel immediately she gets the fax and will use the password: 'Anydosh Lucky?'

You must give her the correct reply: 'Nodosh please, I'm Lucky'

Email me to let me know how you get on, or if there are any problems.

I have told Diana to expect you on Sunday, so you had better be quick.

Your loving uncle,

Sebastian

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 16 Dec 2005 Posts: 7

how powerful are the computers (on average) that they use in those netcafes?

i would guestimate something like top of the line pentium II or low-end celerons. maybe 256MB ram running win 98 or win 2000. by now, some may have XP, but on a system like that, wouldn't run XP or photoshop too well.

Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2006 5:02 am

Why ask why? It just is.

You thinking of becoming an oga?

Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2006 5:27 am

thebigdirty wrote:

something like top of the line pentium II or low-end celerons. maybe 256MB ram running win 98 or win 2000. by now, some may have XP, but on a system like that, wouldn't run XP or photoshop too well.

Which is more than than adequate for running psp5 and msword, thats all you need to knock up convincing documents, you do not have to have the latest whiz bang computer and software to make documents, afterall, 8 years ago those computers were the latest whiz bang, and people managed with the hardware/software quite well. Thankfully the lads dont seem to understand the need for really convincing documents.

As for question 1, you would be suprised to know the amount of guyman who have absolutely no idea baiting exists, it is a completely foreign thought to them. Some do know about baiting though, mainly through having been baited, and they usually refer to us baiters as "jokers"

419Eater is my life Joined: 19 Feb 2005 Posts: 290

mrlukeplease wrote:

How often do these scammers succeeed? Are there any statistics?

No one really knows for sure, but the smallest reasonable estimate is that 419 scams take in several billion USD annually. Most of this almost certainly goes to the very small percentage of high level 419 syndicates that have ties to the Nigerian government and are most certainly smart enough to use Google and Photoshop.

The baiting community really only sees the stupid mugus. Fortunately, that's most of them.

Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2006 9:09 am

The US Secret Service says 100s Of millions USD + a year just from the US. (Hundreds of millions Uinted States Dollars) Mad

I just need to find a mugu.. been awhile isnce I had one that would do a lot of leg work beside just hold a sign. (take more pictures, major safaris. etc..)