TheScamBaiter.com

[hesperus]

This site has a bunch of people seriously dedicated to toying with scammers. Lots of examples, audio clips, bizzare things they have convinced scammers to do, and a set of forums to answer all your scammer-scamming questions. Possibly useful, definitely funny.


http://www.thescambaiter.com/

[Soda_Popinsky]

As funny as this is, there's a misconception that these people are all in Nigeria. These networks extend into the states to facilitate the scams. If a scambaiter screws up, distance isn't a preventive measure... and I'd bet anyone a dollar that most of the people that get into scambaiting don't know what they're doing.

You may get the emails from Nigeria, but "runners" exist in the states to close the deals (depending of course). They'll knock on your door if they know who you are.

[hesperus]

Soda,

I am sure you are right. There are posts in the forums by people who accidently give a little too much and want to know how to cover themselves. Its easy enough to do if you don't have a handle on security.

While it may be a stretch to call this stuff organized crime, it may only be a matter of time before it reaches that level. If it is profitable, it is inevitable. And while for the most part they probably just move on the next victim, if you piss them off enough or make them feel vulnerable, they might just have someone pay you a visit.

Still, despite how goofy these scambaiters are, they have some pretty sophisticated techniques for dealing with these guys. With the right precautions they could be useful to help someone who has been scammed.

In any case, they come up with some pretty damn funny stuff .

[Soda_Popinsky]

While it may be a stretch to call this stuff organized crime, it may only be a matter of time before it reaches that level.

It sure is organized! I've had my fun with them:
http://thebillygoatcurse.com/anatomy-of-a-419-scam/

Soon after I stopped going after the low hanging fruit and really started digging in, and the things I found made me want to delete the tutorial I posted. It's funny as hell, but I wouldn't encourage scambaiting anymore.

edit:
Could a mod delete that tutorial please? Looks like it never happened...

[wiskic10_4]

Soda,

the things I found made me want to delete the tutorial I posted. It's funny as hell, but I wouldn't encourage scambaiting anymore.

Care to elaborate? Exactly what did you find? I don't care for scambaiting myself - seems like a waste of time to me - I mean, with "real" work to be done and all - but it seems to me that it would be virtually impossible to get tracked down by the scammers so long as you know what you're doing and don't make careless mistakes (ie using your real name, etc.).

I would never encourage scambaiting, either - but I'm just curious as to how the "uberleet" Soda_Popinsky was made paranoid by 419ers

-Wiski

[hesperus]

Soda, without hesitation I defer to you in this, but I meant organized in a knee-cap breaking, finger taking, cement boot way.

And I second wiski. What did you find ??

[Soda_Popinsky]

They aren't all stupid, and they are very organized. They've been doing this 60+ years over snail mail, then fax, then email. They have classes that teach this stuff. It's an established line of work to them, and almost the entire city of Lagos deals with it.

The group I dealt with had lots of accounts and were setting up meetings with runners in the states to pick up money from victims.

[Kriss3d]

Originally posted here by hesperus
Soda,

I am sure you are right. There are posts in the forums by people who accidently give a little too much and want to know how to cover themselves. Its easy enough to do if you don't have a handle on security.

While it may be a stretch to call this stuff organized crime, it may only be a matter of time before it reaches that level. If it is profitable, it is inevitable. And while for the most part they probably just move on the next victim, if you piss them off enough or make them feel vulnerable, they might just have someone pay you a visit.

Still, despite how goofy these scambaiters are, they have some pretty sophisticated techniques for dealing with these guys. With the right precautions they could be useful to help someone who has been scammed.

In any case, they come up with some pretty damn funny stuff .

Im a scambaiter myself. Security is a serious thing that everybody must put as top priority anywhere.
Its true that what scambaiting goes you cannot be too sure that one day a guy wont show up with a baseballbat.. but as the main scambaiter on the site ( theFailure ) he said that first of all he lives next to a policestation, and he have by now made his most popular scammer ( cole 2.0 ) pay somwhere around $25-30,000 in fees to DHL.. and he is still taking it .. ready for shipment no. 9.
What they would normally do is to just threaten the baiter ( even though they dont realize he is a baiter ) and try to make them pay that way. If there had been anything serious behind the death threats it would have been done by now.
Imagine.. 30,000 .. its alot of money.. especialy for somone in nigeria.. and those money was paid up.. since DHL only takes cash on delivery in such places..