An idea for a scambait - African photographer/scavenger hunt

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.

Master Baiter Joined: 14 Feb 2009 Posts: 209

So I was thinking of an idea for a scambait job thats JUST out of grasp for the scammer, something that will have him holding on for quite some time while really putting in the effort.

What about giving him a photography job? Something where you are a researcher in need of several photographs of the african safari, and he will be paid, say, $50 per photo, but have a minimum of 50 photos before he can collect payment. Start him off with some samples of something easy, like a toytoa land cruiser, a cow, a plant from Africa, then turn up the intensity and ask for photos of a jewish synagogue, a toyota supra, a bottle of evian water, a gay night club, etc. Whoops, can't get paid until you find ALL of the items.

Of course, I think the major roadblock would be keeping the lad from just googling the items and trying to say he took the photo. I'm sure there are ways of keeping him honest.

If this has already been done, my apologies.

Trophy Videos · Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2009 6:22 pm

Sounds like a good idea to me, hoorah. Very Happy

We have something similar around here running now, but it involves modeling agents and models. The contract (which they sign, but never read) says they get paid only in person at our modeling shows, conferences. And only Quarterly Payments, so they will have to wait...and do some traveling to collect their cash. Wink

Check out the M00sekuckl3 M0d3ling bait, for some tips and ideas. Very Happy

Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2009 6:54 pm

hoorah wrote:

Of course, I think the major roadblock would be keeping the lad from just googling the items and trying to say he took the photo. I'm sure there are ways of keeping him honest.

Yes, that's one problem that would need to be sorted, or else it's just a case of him going to Google Images with your shopping list of subjects and finding the right pictures.

Another problem that I predict to be a big obstacle is the Mobilization Fee modality. This is a vague term that lads like to use when you ask them to do anything more energetic than walking to the nearest WU office. I've encountered it many times, in many different situations, and it's annoying because they refuse to move even a millimetre until they receive their "mobilization fee". In this case, I think they'd either ask for "mobilization fee" outright or rename it into something that implies they need money for buying or renting equipment, travel expenses to get around and look for your subjects, and so on.

And I have no easy instant-fix solution to the Mobilization Fee problem, except a combination of charm, determination, and luck.

Not quite a Newb Joined: 09 Feb 2009 Posts: 24

just require that he send images that are large in size. 1500X1500 or more. that would limit the amount of photos he could potentially take off of Google. it would be a lot easier to find images online and check them if they were large too. not many images show up on the LARGE image only selection.

Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2009 8:48 pm

hoorah wrote:

Of course, I think the major roadblock would be keeping the lad from just googling the items and trying to say he took the photo. I'm sure there are ways of keeping him honest.

Can't you just tell if the photos are new recent by the exif data? If the exif data is not there or old, than the lad gets a slap. But of course don't educate him about the exif data.

Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2009 8:58 pm

@ hoorah. I've run baits like this before.

By far the biggest problem is the lad having access to a camera.
Make sure you specify that he should have one in your opening email. Otherwise you end up with loads of dorks, who 2 or 3 mails later, can't deliver the goodies. Yeah, you're opening by telling them that you're wanting photographs, but believe me, like the other guys have already pointed out, you'll have every lad who can use Google replyiing.

And like you say - start him off with something easy. The reason for doing this is that you want a few test shots just to see if he is a capable photographer.

Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2009 9:10 pm

After having found that out, we succeeded to convince our chair mewing_ghecko to specialize, away from "model" photographs, towards (occasional) safaris and (mutiple) forms. Very Happy

and sometimes special assignments. Hey, don´t underestimate your lads´ imagination - some have splendid ideas what they can do for your company.

Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2009 9:22 pm

In late 2006 I was brought in on a photo-themed bait where the Lad had been diverted from a DBC scam into providing photographs to order. I suppose I had high hopes of trophies, but I was confronted by gross Lad stupidity instead.

http://forum.419eater.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=140165

Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2009 10:54 pm

^^ You think that's bad?

I shit you not: From just one lad, I ended up with pictures from the movie 300:

Some chick in a boat:

Some dude with a big nose:

and this monstrosity:

I mean, come on!!! The guy's feet don't even touch the ground!!!

Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2009 11:15 pm

Sweepstake - how many emails into the bait before the lad starts whining about 'when are you going to send me money for a camera?'.

Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2009 12:21 am

Perhaps there could be a new wing to the Hall of Shame: All Their Own Work - NOT!

It would feature the most absurd examples of supposed Lad photography along the lines of my and Slightly's experiences for the worst, or most inappropriate, stolen picture.

Baiting Guru Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Posts: 3193

The standard way to ensure a photo gets taken, rather than stolen, is to require that it contains a sign of your own making. Maybe for the OP bait that could be a page with your logo that the lad has to write the photograph number on.

As a bonus, black text on a white page is never readable.

Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2009 10:57 am

Just a suggestion. One way would be to make out that your some news agency like reuters and you need photograhers on the ground in his neck of the woods but he must be the first photographer to arrive. Then all you do is make up news items that would be lucrative for the photographer if they were true, for example:

Your sources tell you that Madonna is going to adopt another african child, one american magazines paid 1/2 million to get the first photo of her with David Banda, and are likely to pay just as much for similar photos. Your sources tell you that Madonna is travelling to Oingo biongo whihc is located in another country to your lad. She will be attending some legal process at the town hall at a particular date/time, and you want a photo of her leaving the town hall with the child.

Celebrities are a good idea because we know that photos can command high prices. Simialrly, photos of someone notorious would also get a high price. You could put the ld onto the trail of someone like Osama bin Laden, or Lord Lucan.

Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2009 12:48 pm

May I offer a suggestion.

Get a lad to make up a reasonably small sized banner, and get him to take photographs infront of different landmarks and buildings etc.

Esq.

Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2009 1:06 pm

Angelina Jolie would be a promising target for a Lad - and didn't Paris Hilton talk about adopting an African baby*?

*I know this would be about as likely as an actual invasion from Mars, but the Lads may not know this...

Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2009 11:09 pm

yes, I had Angelina Jolie in mind as well. Pity that Princess Di is no longer with us. We could have had the lad visiting minefields in Angola Laughing

But wasn't someone saying the other day that Prince William and Kate Middleton are about to holiday at some exclusive 5 star safari park. .....

Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2009 11:42 pm

^^^ Who's running Simba's camps now he's retired? They're notoriously luxurious and equally notoriously hard to get to Wink

Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2009 1:15 am

I can't find the thread, but I remember another baiter (KeyserSoze?) who ran this modality with great success. His lad was running all over Lagos taking pictures of various landmarks. I'll try and find it.

Edit: Found it.
http://forum.419eater.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=69936

Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2009 1:27 am

@ MBL:

Doc Stephen Williams runs that safari camp now, pinky linky

Master Baiter Joined: 09 Feb 2006 Posts: 136

I have one of my lads now running all over town taking pictures of every internet cafe he can find. To make sure he doesn't take the pictures off the internet I said he had to be in every shot.

Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2009 3:19 am

Actually, it would be good to get the lad to go to a real safari camp. One that is so expensive and exclusive there is no way he could afford to get in there (apart from breaking in and being accosted by the wild beasties Laughing

).

These type of establishments should have a good web presence so you can do some research about their setup. You can then tell your lad that the celebrities are getting married in the blah room of a particular resort, and your clients will only pay for a photo taken of them during the ceremony.

An idea for a scambait - African photographer/scavenger hunt	View next topic View previous topic