For those who think this site is just funny

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Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2006 10:06 pm

This site is fun. I love it. The first thing most new members here mention is something like: "damn, you guys do really funny shit with those scammers, I've been reading all day and I'm laughing my rockers off."

I agree with them.

Can it be funny here? Yup. Sure can.

But, at the end of the day, is scambaiting just a funny thing? Is this site here just for laughs?

Today I had occasion to speak with a victim of 419. He got caught up in a classical wash-wash scam. He ended up losing 90,000 Euros (= $US 108,000). Most of the money was borrowed. He told me he has basically ruined his family. He'll have to work day and night to even try and pay it all back. This will affect his three little children's lifes and education, his marriage, his relatives, etc.

He met with the scammers personally three times in Amsterdam. He said he's just happy to be alive.

Is scambaiting just a funny thing? No, not really.

This isn't directed at most of those reading it. It's directed at those very few who think 419Eater it just a playground.

(Btw, I used just to be bothered by the trolls. That was a while ago. I despise you. Evil or Very Mad

)

[gets off soapbox]

Master Baiter Joined: 12 Dec 2005 Posts: 127 Location: USA

Very good point you make.
I used to just "mess" with scammers to a small degree before I found this site. After reading all the funny things, I got drawn into the bigger end of it and see that it is way more involved than I ever thought beofre. I think the fact that there is so much funny stuff on here is probably what brings many people in. We may not realize it when we first see this site (as I didn't) but soon we see that this is a very serious issue.
The fun drew me in, the fun kept me here, the hatred I have built up for these scammers after taking this all in is what will insure that I stay.

Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2006 12:07 am

@ kleindoofy: puh - starker tobak...

I'm completely new, but for the beginning, I think it is a "little" contribution that I'm doing 5 different baits at the moment - three of them are already "off script" and have to answer a shitload of questions. Time which they definitely waste and can't respond to other, "real" victims.

This guys aren't beggars, these are criminals of the lowest level. And they should be treated like that.

btw: kleindoofy, your bank killing device is running all day long on my pc!

Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2006 12:18 am

Ibinnavolldepp wrote:

... your bank killing device ...

That's only a link, not my device. The device comes from the good folks at www.aa419.org

BTW, Nobody has to defend themselves here. I'm just *really* pissed at the trolls who abuse this site. For me they're like adults who call in false alarms to the fire department. Not funny.

Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2006 12:58 am

Funny???/ I don,t think so,,,,I spend a LOT OF HOURS here behind the scenes,,,,,True some things are funny here,,,,,,,But at the end of the day,,,,when I know I have saved a LOT of people a LOT of Greif,,,,,,and knowing I have actually STOPPED a FEW GOOD SCAMS in progress,,,,,Well then you tell me how funny this is,,,,,,,This is NOT A GAME

Elite Baiter Joined: 03 Jan 2006 Posts: 1455

It can be hilarious, which is what probably got a lot of people here in the first place, certainly myself. But it was seeing the opportunity to try and make a little bit of a difference that got me started myself. I'll try and have a laugh while I'm doing it, of course, as it's otherwise actually really boring to do.

It's definitely not *just* funny. But then, getting the phone lads e-mail addresses killed is fun too in it's own sort of way.

Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2006 1:31 am

Someone posted a link to this website in another forum in response to a person who had received a 419 email. The hilarity hooked me for hours, but as I started to read more information about the site and the people involved with it, I discovered that it is more about doing these thing to try and gather information and warning signs, possibly even shut them down... rather than purely for our own personal amusement.

In my family we have a habit of making hard times into innocent jokes so that we can laugh together and try to calm people down. The funny keeps us amused and helps our sanity and lets us share these things with one another. But at the core it's serious. Personally, I found it rather disturbing at first corresponding with these people who were obviously so horrible. By carrying on in a humerous way it helps me be less disturbed and know that deep down it is the right thing to do by my standards.

I have to say, I am very impressed with the lengths this community goes to personally take care of each other and see to it that we carry on safely and do what we feel is right. More communities need this sense of bond. It's nice seeing people doing something about problems in the world for a change instead of simply complaining and going no further.

Aaaaand, I talked too much.

Cheers!

Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2006 3:30 am

@Redrain: If only my parents and my older sister were like me and your family. Sometimes I wish that the rest of my family would ease up ... just for once ... and have some fun. Sad

Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2006 3:34 am

Well said, ReDrain.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 02 Jan 2006 Posts: 19

Having now replied to a lad gives me a whole new perspective on the risks and how hard making a lad look stupid really is. Thinking about what I'm doing makes me sweat so turining to the published work forum and having a good laugh is a great stress relif.

Majority of the lads targeted are taken in by the most absurd ploys. It needs to be fun because making fun of these guys is often the only thing we can do.

Sure it wastes there time, but they probably have multiple hooks out there and wasting there time on a few baits is cost of doing business. Getting there names and openly mocking them knowing there peers will roll on the floor laughing there asses off is the best deterrent we have.

Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2006 4:23 am

I never could get into computer or video games, but I'll sit at this computer for hours screwing with the scammers! I look at it as the ultimate computer game. You have to think, you have fun, and you actually do a little good for society. Try that with your action/adventure/virtual reality game!
NOTHING can make me laugh as hard as some of the stuff I read here!
Wink

We can't stop the people who are determined to do something stupid, but the people who hesitate, and do a little research, just may end up here, and realize they are getting scammed before it's too late. That's worth it, in itself....

Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2006 4:30 am

@kd
Is it real trolls youre fuming at, or real baiters that goof around a bit?
If it's the latter, I may be one of the objects of your loathing.
I have pretty bad grammer/punctuation, manners, jokes, and I've been known to yell theater, in a crowded fire. Basically, offensive to anyone of good taste.
So, is it wrong to be a half hearted, redneck baiter. Should baiters like me be bannished to the, land of misfit baiters?
I know there are plenty of places where you can fingerpaint the forum walls with shit, to the approval of fellow fecal freaks, but do I think this forum is one of them... Nope, not me. I believe eater is the light.
I was Just wondering if I missed something about the decorum here, and should sober up or ship out, because I have (and probably will again) make some pretty stupid posts... Like this;
I'am always sensitive, to the scorn of someone who could revile me in multiple languages. It's a knee-jerk reaction really, from a school teacher who didn't like me. Everytime I walked in the classroom, he would roll his eyes and slip into some arcane tongue, saying some obviously clever remark such as, "Fecum non Simonize-um". I could just tell it wasn't flattering, and there must have been some other Greeks in there to, because the chuckles would soon follow, but ultimately (after a little dialog) we found a level of temperance, and I got to stay riding on the long bus. Very Happy

Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2006 4:37 am

Dan, dear, have you sought counseling?

Wink

Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2006 4:40 am

Stepan Fetchit wrote:

I never could get into computer or video games, but I'll sit at this computer for hours screwing with the scammers!

Funny you mention this. Last year I spent loads of time on an MMORPG quite obsessively. Lately I find I spend much less time there and more time fooling around with these guys. Beginning hype? Maybe. But stuff just plain doesn't break me from my video games often at all.

Don't get me wrong, I still love 'em... but this is becoming quite the time consuming hobby at times!

Master Baiter Joined: 06 Nov 2005 Posts: 233 Location: USA

My two cents--if I have helped even ONE person to evade these vultures, or caused the lads some aggravation, then I feel that I have helped!

"I am not a number..."

Wannabe Baiter Joined: 07 Jan 2006 Posts: 92

I was recently directed to this site after receiving an email about a Nigerian windfall left by a dead relative.

Since my first visit I have spent many hours here reading posts and soaking up as much information as I can.

I admit I find some of what transpires here quite amusing. The goofy photos, absurd forged documents, the catchy lingo used and cleaver tactic implemented to hook the scammers are all very appealing to me.

I have laughed out loud at some of the things I have found here.

I also quickly recognized the face of evil and it isn't hard to find. You just have look into the eyes and faces of some of these men.

They may be dressed like Santa or have a fish on their heads and speak poor English but I guarantee some of these men would rather cut your throat and steal your wallet than give you the time of day.

The fact that these criminals are ruthless and cold blooded needs to be remembered. They will take your mothers last dime and not feel one pain of guilt over it.

Although I am very new here the great service to society which is being done by many of the members is very evident and greatly appreciated.

I am sure there are as many reason for baiting as there are scams. I have not been here long enough to draw a sold opinion on what I feel are appropriate reasons for doing so.

However I have come to the conclusion that it is very important for me to remember that through all of the slapping, smacking, laughing and hi-fives which are sure to come it is of the utmost importance that I do not forget the victims of these crimes.

They are after all the reason I stayed after my initial laugh.

Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2006 8:07 am

dan wrote:

Everytime I walked in the classroom, he would roll his eyes and slip into some arcane tongue

An nescis, mi fili, quantilla sapientia mundus regatur?

Kleindoofy, any chance you've been a teacher before? Would explain a lot. Wink

Don

Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2006 8:21 am

When in a war, it is usual to stupify the enemy by having nicknames for them and have amusing stories and imagery that degrades them. The war here is no different to any other war, there should be no guilt felt for having a laugh at the lad's expense, its part of the reason why there is the team spirit here at eater. When you are helping a fellow baiter you are simultanoiusly fighting the enemy.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 02 Dec 2005 Posts: 17

I was drawn to this site after receving scam mail and was imedialtly impresed with the members who devote their time ingenuity and expertise to causing as much grief as possible to the low life who prey on others yes guess I am a lifelong member of 49 eater Very Happy

Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2006 9:37 am

I started scambaiting after having found scamorama.com 3 years ago and it was purely shits and giggles then. But it didn't take long for me to realize the devastating effects these cockroaches are having on their victims' lives and I started to get angry with them. Very angry. In fact I hate them with a glowing passion. So much that I dedicate almost every free minute I have to fighting this scum.
Today I am cooperating with Law Enforcement getting these scammers arrested and I swear, no photograph of a mugu with a loaf of bread on his head will ever come close to the sweet feeling of deep satisfaction that you get when your police contact, whom you have been working with for months to track down a gang of mugus, calls you and says "We just bagged them."

Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2006 9:39 am

the gunner wrote:

I am a lifelong member of 49 eater

They are three doors down the hall on the right hand side. Mr. Green

Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2006 9:44 am

I have no idea how I got here! But I first saw baits a couple of years ago on another site. It wasn't until I found this warped and disturbed bunch of people that I realised, hey, I could do that too you know Very Happy

If I prove to be any good I hope to start contributing to the scammer fight in more productive ways, but for now it's a fun outlet for my childish sense of humor and sense of fair play; a toe-in-the-water exercise as I learn the ropes. Kudos to all the baiters who are fighting the good fight Wink

Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2006 11:27 am

I found this site a few months ago when a scammer tried to bid on my phone that I put on eBay. Obviously I knew that he was a scammer, but I went onto the eBay forums to find out exactly what this '419' business was all about. It was explained nicely in a thread, and somebody pointed me in the direction of 419eater. As I'm sure many of you have, I stayed up all night reading Shiver's amazing baits and found them ridiculously funny. Got a mentor, signed up for gmail, started baiting.

After spending some time here you realise that its not all about the laughs (although they're still important and bloody good fun). We're fighting the good fight... showing the scammers that there is a body of people that cares enough about the victims to actively disrupt their work and what-not. If we can have a few laughs along the way then even better!

To anybody that is thinking about baiting - do it! Read up on it, send out a few e-mails, and if you like it then get a mentor. Its rewarding, fun, and ultimately time-consuming.

Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2006 12:51 pm

dan wrote:

... Is it real trolls youre fuming at, or real baiters that goof around a bit? ...

Read my post again. I'm pissed at the "real trolls" and at those who view 419Eater solely (= "only," "exclusively," "just") as a playground and a place to goof off and don't mind disrupting important threads with comments such as "hey, I fart in church, hehe." Was my post so ambiguous or difficult to understand?

Funny baits and humor on this site are great. Didn't I say that? If someone does *only* funny baits, fine, wonderful, no problem. Go for it! That's not what I meant.

When I speak with a victim who lost 90,000 Euro a few weeks ago to the scammers and is desparately trying to get his life back on track, then login at Eater and see some asshole copying other peoples' old baits and pretending they're his, on purpose, just to get a laugh, haha, and using our bandwidth for the sole purpose of trying to fool us, cause trouble, and waste our time, yeah, I get pissed. Damn right.

It would of course be nice, if (some) baiters realized, as a minor side effect, that getting funny pictures and slapping lads isn't the whole story. At the end of the day, the lads aren't just objects of personal humor, they're scum. But that's not an argument against funny baits or having fun here. Far from it.

Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2006 1:32 pm

I feel sorry for that victim

@KD: I agree with your opinion for 100%

Scumbaiting is not only fun, it has almost a funny aspect (or not).

I think the more important part of scambaiting is to waste the scammers time and resources to keep them away from real victims

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