I Just saved someone $10,000!

By joining our community you will have the ability to post topics and access other forums reserved for members. Registration is quick, simple and absolutely free. Join our community today by clicking here.

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 8:40 pm

^^^ i know everyone

it was just a joke Laughing

. You see, lad refers to scammer, and lad also means young person... huh? huh? get it? Cool

i prob should have put a smiley face after it Embarassed

EDIT to Add: Smart ass comment

** Retired ** Joined: 14 May 2007 Posts: 750 Location: Air

I got what you meant first time - if its any consolation Wink

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 8:46 pm

Hahaha ... saw that one coming after NG's post .. Lurking around here too long easily makes you forget the real meaning of that word .. Laughing

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 8:58 pm

^^^ It's good to know that SOME people can take a joke, and understand one at that Laughing

good job smartbomb and dutchbait

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 9:13 pm

simpson, we get people here whose first language is not English, and some who don't necessarily recognise the different use of words in different parts of the globe. The moderators tend to err on the side of caution, and try to explain ambiguous or idiomatic posts so as to assist members understand one another. And it has worked; Tsnerd and I now have a better understanding of you. Smile

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 9:23 pm

yes. i like jokes.

and i did not think about people being here whose first language isn't english. but when i saw the 2 posts both saying that lad was another word for young person, i guess i didnt know what to think...

just wanted to say it was a joke. ha ha. Surprised

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 10:51 pm

I don't know what the answer is to protect gullible, greedy, needy, overly compassionate, or love-starved people from scammers on a wide scale. I only know what I personally can do.

Many of my friends know I follow this forum. I haven't actually started baiting yet, although I did open a new email with fake info (although not on gmail - not that savvy yet). But I regale them with stories from the forum. They've heard this story, and the one about the family that lost over a million dollars. They've heard the love lads story, the TWATs safari story, and others. I have just joined a new dating site for persons with disabilities, and I took the opportunity to recommend tight security to the administrators as well as posting an informative piece in the forums - it is, I believe, the very first post in the forums.

Nobody I know is going to be scammed if I have anything to say about it - and you can believe that I have plenty to say about it.

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 10:55 pm

Way to go, Titania. The more publicity about 419 scams the better. Very Happy

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 10:55 pm

@ Titania

I can't believe that I have finally met another person who has been around for longer than a week and has not done a bait yet Cool

i thought I was the only one... Crying or Very sad

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 11:03 pm

I was pleased that my young sons (10 & 13) came in today telling me about scams and asking what each type is. They were watching a show called "Biz Kid$" that teaches kids about financial matters.

The show presented the concept that if it appears too good to be true, IT IS. The boys know of my baiting and now understand better why I (and thousands of others) do this. The oldest said that scammers make him mad Evil or Very Mad

and victims make him sad Sad

.

Maybe, just maybe, more and more people will be aware of scam traps from their youth. (Wishful thinking, I know.)

Edited to correct name of show and put in link.

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 11:10 pm

@Titania: Warning and informing your circle of friends/ family is a very good start. Imagine this: you're baiting the living daylights out of a couple of dozen lotto lads, while 3 blocks down the road your own dad is making payments to those nice men from the lottery to release his prize money. Creating awareness is the best weapon against these sleazebags.

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 11:15 pm

Great save, Simpsonman! Cool

Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 8:59 am

Quote:

Western Union is a conduit of stolen money

So are banks, Switzerland built a whole industry on it (allegedly).

I can't see them closing anytime soon, apart from the ones that have been giving mortgages to Cleatus and Billy Bob.

Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 11:28 am

I have sent money via WU many times from the "first world" to West Africa, and nobody has ever asked me why.

On the other hand, a customer who is less informed about fraud could rightly take offense about that invasion of privacy.

Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 12:17 pm

@Simson - yes Mexico is not in Central America Smile

As for WU, no they cannot simply say a person of a certain skin color (or colour) sending money to Africa is okay, but another skin color needs a warning. But some common sense could prevail on their end.

I am not one of those that thinks WU should stop all payments to Africa/Nigeria (or pick your favorite scammer locale). I just advocate common sense in a case by case basis rather than trying to kill a fly with a sledge hammer.

IMHO WU/MG should have larger warnings about 419 type fraud and I would think it is in their best PR interest to have an education campaign. They can couple that with their advertising of use of their services.

I would be curious to know (not that we ever can or that WU/MG even can) what % of transfers from say the US or the EU to Nigeria are legitimate and what are 419 fraud.

Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 12:53 pm

Quote:

IMHO WU/MG should have larger warnings about 419 type fraud

In the US, the warnings on the forms and the website are pretty obvious.

Unfortunately, they could be in 200 point flashing neon letters with siren sound effects, and some victims still wouldn't pay attention.

Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 2:58 pm

Wouldn't it be nice if WU/MG did some "public service" type ads? MG just had a TV campaign here in CA, touting that using MG is a route to "freedom" (whatever that means).

I would think that a move toward public education - showing some sensibility about what people lose by using WU/MG without proper thought for the circumstances - would go a ways toward increasing legitimate use of their services.

On another note, though, MG posted horrendous losses a while back, and they probably don't care why people are using them - they just want the money flowing through and dropping lovely little percentages into their coffers.

Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 3:43 pm

simpsonman3000 wrote:

@ Titania

I can't believe that I have finally met another person who has been around for longer than a week and has not done a bait yet Cool

i thought I was the only one... Crying or Very sad

Not everybody reading these forums baits. I have never baited although I do make sure everybody I know visits or is at least aware of these forums. Some have joined, some have not, some bait, some do not.

Don't get me wrong, if I had any spare time I would jump in with both feet but unfortunately RL takes up all of my available time.

I think you will probably find that every post I have ever made has been between 9:00 & 17:30 Mon-Fri (GMT), as I don't even have time to log on to these forums out of work hours Laughing

Edited to correct (some) spelling

I Just saved someone $10,000!	View next topic View previous topic