New here

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 12, 2009 1:54 am

I am not sure I am posting this to the right place, forgive me if I'm not. I've never been part of a forum before.

I have been on Match.com for about two months. I noticed a strange trend to the messages and winks I was getting. At first I didn't pay any attention because the guys were usually from a different state and I want to meet someone local.

This is what I noticed they are always late 30's to mid-forties, widower, one child and the English is not just bad grammar, but strange. The picture is usually of a very good looking guy, oh and they are looking for a woman between 45 and anywhere from 60 - 99. (I am 46)

I finally did some internet research and found this site, among others and can't believe Match allows this to continue without warning the women who pay to be members.

I am also very disappointed that the only people interested in me are scammers, oh well...and they obviously haven't even read my profile. I get about 3 - 5 of these each week.

I'd like to join in in the baiting, but it seems you have to know all about computers and I'm just not that savvy, so I'm not sure where to go from here.

Also the emails say right away they want to chat on yahoo, I don't even know how, I have a mac with ichat and have never used it.

Ok well if anyone reads this, thanks

Jennifer

Baiting Guru Joined: 03 May 2007 Posts: 18313

Welcome Jennifer!

Yes, the number of scammers prowling dating sites is huge. I'm glad that you were able to spot that something isn't right with the ones who contacted you and that you noticed the patterns. They also very often claim to be engineers, for some reason.

You absolutely DON'T have to be very computer savvy to bait scammers. Also, you can get tons of help here. Please keep reading, looking particularly at this sticky topic here in the romance scams forum: http://forum.419eater.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=125681
Ask all the question you want.

Also, when Scammers contact you, even if you don't want to bait them you can always register at our sister site, www.ScamWarners.com and post their information there (including the first email from them) so that should any potential victims do a search they will be alerted to the scam.

Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 2:24 am

Hi, Jennifer, and welcome to Eater! Very Happy

I know what you mean about the scammers on dating sites. Evil or Very Mad

All you need to know about baiting is either:
1 - in a sticky (those topics that stay at the top of each forum),
2 - in Eater University (a whole forum devoted to educational posts about baiting),
3 - available from a mentor (an experienced baiter who'll help you through your first few baits and remain available for any questions), or
4 - from other members of the board who answer public posts like yours here. Smile

Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 2:28 am

Hi Jennifer and welcome,

I'm glad you found us as a result of suspicion, and not having actually been scammed. Unfortunately, there are plenty of people who only find us after they have suffered damage to their hearts, their psyches, and/or their wallets. Scammers are some of the lowest people of the world, and romance scammers are at the bottom of that heap!

You don't need a lot of technical knowledge to be a baiter. You also don't need to chat on yahoo (though you can if you'd like, and you can do that with a mac too).

One of the best thing about this sites is the fact that we have a community of people who are more than willing to help each other out. The very first thing I would recommend is signing up for a mentor. A mentor is someone you can turn to with questions, ideas, or just for guidance when you are stuck or confused. You can request a mentor here. Just post a reply in this topic with your request.

http://forum.419eater.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=122306&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=300

While you are waiting for a mentor to be assigned, reading the stickies in scambaiting help, hints and tips (especially the new to baiting one) will give you some basics. Then go down to eater University and check out the information on the type of baits you are most interested in, or even pick a few baits (in-process or completed) to read through, and you will learn a lot.

The thing about baiting is that in general, you can define what you want and are willing to do, and if one lad doesn't cooperate, you can just pick up another one. And when you waste a lad's (or vlad's) time or send him spinning in circles, you know that you are helping to keep him from scamming someone who didn't get suspicious like you did.

Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 4:20 am

Welcome Jennifer,,

Glad it only cost you a subscription to match.com, and nothing else. It just goes to prove that even paid sites are not immune to the scammers.

So what to do, While you could report the people that attempted to scam you, [didn't happen your smarter then that] It really would be pointless, the chances are they have multiple registrations, and at the end of the day the site owners don't care, business is business.

I would assume you have used your own genuine e-mail account on this Match.com site.. Go into "tools" and add them to your blocked sender list. or if you don't know how to do this , check the "help page" anyone on here with a Mac, your help is needed.

As others have told you, there is plenty of help on here, you only need to ask. it really is that simple, and no one's going to laugh, or give you a hard time. We don't work like that, It's simply a question of US and THEM
And while we might not win all the time, we like to think we make a difference..

Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 6:45 am

Welcome Jennifer

Quote:

This is what I noticed they are always late 30's to mid-forties, widower, one child and the English is not just bad grammar, but strange. The picture is usually of a very good looking guy, oh and they are looking for a woman between 45 and anywhere from 60 - 99. (I am 46)

Some even say they are in 50s, but all are looking for ladies who are old enough to have some savings. The real nasties have a child who calls you 'mummy'.

Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 8:53 pm

Thanks for the replies. I can't believe I have spent so much time since yesterday afternoon perusing this site. Im going to learn all I can from you people because I am sure many unsuspecting women on Match are falling for this.

I must not have much of a life, this is like a soap opera and I'm having so much fun. I'm not sure I'd be a good at it, I'm not as clever as most of you, but I am going to learn all I can.

Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 9:29 pm

Thanks for the replies. I can't believe I have spent so much time since yesterday afternoon perusing this site. Im going to learn all I can from you people because I am sure many unsuspecting women on Match are falling for this.

I must not have much of a life, this is like a soap opera and I'm having so much fun. I'm not sure I'd be a good at it, I'm not as clever as most of you, but I am going to learn all I can.

Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2009 5:46 pm

I have applied for a mentor, in the meantime where do I ask general questions? I checked the IP on two different guys, one is Lagos (i suspected) and the other is Dublin, Ireland his yahoo ends in co.uk, is he really in ireland then?

Thanks

Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2009 5:58 pm

If the ip trace heads back to ireland, then you can assume he is. The assigning of mentors is a bit slow lately, it seems that Cherrie is very busy but don't worry, you will get one soon. If you have questions, you can ask them either here if it's about romance scamming specifically, if they are more general you can post up in the Hints and Tips forum, there are many members who will be glad to help you. Have fun and bait safe!

Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2009 6:00 pm

Yes Jennifer we have to admit Ireland (or at least the north) is part of the UK.

If he's from Ireland he has more lines than the whole world's fishing fleet.

Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2009 10:26 pm

Jennifer wrote:

I'd like to join in in the baiting, but it seems you have to know all about computers and I'm just not that savvy, so I'm not sure where to go from here.

Oh god no sweetheart.

I am HORRIBLE at all the technical stuff that some of these folks discuss. I am a little more savvy than when I first joined, but not a whole lot. Laughing

There is something for everyone here! And lord knows we need more baiters to take these slimeballs on.
You will get used to all the technical jargon being discussed, and always feel free to butt into a geek-fest thread to ask any lame newb question you feel like. The tech-monkeys LOVE feeling smart and explaining things to the newbs.
We don't tolerate a$$holes here. You will always get a nice helpful answer from an old-timer. And if they are mean, then Ima will smack them with her purse.

Welcome to the eater darling! Very Happy

*edit to add 2-cents*

I think one of our dark-hearted female members needs to mentor Miss Jennifer and show her what torture is really all about. Laughing

Master Baiter Joined: 27 Jun 2009 Posts: 172

If one of our dark-hearted female members are going to mentor and dish out torture, i will gladly volunteer to help with OP's education.

Just not with Ima's purse please

Oh and welcome to Eater Jennifer

Have fun and bait safe

Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 12:03 am

Quote:

If the ip trace heads back to ireland, then you can assume he is.

Not necessarily. Though it is more common with vlads, some lads and/or cafes do use proxies, or they could be using an Irish IP-stripping email, or it could be a satellite provider --those show up as many places.

Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 9:18 am

Dorothy saya

Quote:

an Irish IP-stripping email

Do tell, that thought had my attention, and does it have the southern accent?

Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 9:24 pm

Ok, so i made a yahoo address to give to one of the lads who contacted me on Match. What I didn't know, because I've never used Yahoo is that when you sign up you also have chat. So he saw I was on and requested to chat. It was late in Nigeria, he is an antiques buyer he is there for auctions and will return to Las Vegas in 2 weeks.

I knew it was late into the morning there so when he told me he needed to go to sleep, i kept asking him to stay online with me, which he did, because he loves me already...haha.

Now the trouble, he wants my phone number, i said i would have to contact my cell provider to see if i can accept international calls. He wanted me to to it today and all I could think of was to tell him they are closed on "hump day" he bought that.

He has sent two emails today that I googled and couldn't believe how they use the same letters over and over. The email talks about "all the good times we've had together"

He wants to chat again tonight, I'm going to keep it very short.

Oh, He loves Italian food, I told him that I like spagetti and lasanga, he hates spagetti and lasange, he likes Italian food.

Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 9:33 pm

The phone number mostly isn't too much of a big deal, many times the lad will just stop asking if you keep ignoring. Just a warning though: you are using yahoo, and yahoo doesn't strip your ip-adress. He can't trace your adress to your doorstep, but he can get close. If you want to use a safe email addy, you can use gmail. it strips away the ip and the lad will never know where to locate you. In the end it's your choice, but when dealing with lads I prefer a big E-condom Smile

Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2009 3:49 am

Quote:

an Irish IP-stripping email

Is that like a singing telegram, but your not waring any knickers.

OK OK I'm living.

Posted: Sun Jul 19, 2009 4:29 am

Well it turns out he is not in Ireland. I have been chatting with him while he says he is in London, tonight he told me he is traveling on business to Benin City, Nigeria on Monday. I'm actually surprised because his English isn't really all that bad.

Posted: Sun Jul 19, 2009 5:07 pm

I specifically target slime saying they are white and in america or the uk.
I love IP addy's Very Happy

I put off getting a phone for over a year - I just told them work provided me with a work phone and any unauthorized use would be noticed. I explained I used MSN with my friends & family. They didn't like it but they accepted it.

They will want you to get a Cam (web camera) too. I just tell them I can't afford one yet...and it gets put on the back burner for a long time...

I finally got a phone and gave the number to 3 lads - they all called and would say "it's your husband" when I demanded to know who it was...that didn't help much...so I'd say I wasn't married & pretend there was a lot of static on my end so I'd make them repeat things until they spent a couple mins. and then they'd suggest we get on YIM and talk there. It really was difficult to make out the name due to their accents...

THEN I'd figure out who it was when they IM'ed me.

They called so often, I turned the phone off. It just wasn't a fun game for me & told them I was getting so many calls from family & friends I went back to just using MSN in my free time (I am REALLY busy, they think)...

The point to this is it's up to you to get a phone specifically for using with them. They usually will pressure you to get one, and then back off from it for awhile.

DON"T use your regular cell phone number.

I used pre-pay Virgin mobile using someone else's name. I heard they call africa, but my free phone only would send american long distance. Which is a good thing, since you want THEM to call YOU.