Anyone who has used the internet and had an email account (i.e. all of us) I'm sure are well aware of those email scams from people in South Africa, Nigeria, etc...using a multitude of different stories to try to scam people out of money. Phony baloney stories about how they are a dying rich man looking to repent on his death bed by making charitable donations, or some other story trying to make you believe that they have millions of dollars that you can get a piece of. Basically trying to get your bank account information and take you for all you're worth.
Just the other day I discovered a website where people turn the tables on these scumbags and string them along with ridiculous stories and make them do stupid and hilarious things. Here it is: http://www.419eater.com/
This website is pure comedy gold. One I just read involved the scambaiter tricking a scammer into believing he was dealing with some charitable religious organization that wanted to give him money to build a church in Africa. The scambaiter made this guy take absolutely hilarious photos of himself taking part in an "induction ceremony" so he could be considered part of the church and thus get his money. Take a look: http://forum.419eater.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=100907
And another, where the scambaiter posed as a director for some Art Scholarship Fund, and actually had the scammer mail him a carved wooden bust of his own head. He strung this guy along for eight months and even had him film a video of some guys reenacting a Monty Python sketch: http://www.419eater.com/html/bigman.htm
There's lots more on that site, apparently a whole community built up around it. Absolutely hilarious.
Email scams: turning the tables
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HornedMessiah
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Re: Email scams: turning the tables
Thanks for the find...this is an awesome site...such funny stories!
"The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it." ~Thucydides
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purple guy
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Re: Email scams: turning the tables
I was scammed once trying to sell registered Labradors online. I smelled a rat right away. I received an email from "Tom Smith" who wanted one of my pups.
He said he would have his hired hand come pick it up in Northern Minnesota.......coming from Florida. So he was going to send me a 4000.00 money order, and when his hired hand got here, give him the pup and 3000.00 back, I was only asking 500.00 for a pup, but he wanted to pay me for my troubles, of course.And wanted me to have the money for his hired hand so he wouldnt spend it all on the way up. I obviously knew it was all BS, but I figured Id play. I gave him my mailing address and received a 4000.00 money order in 2 days. Looked real, bank said it looked real, from an actual bank in Florida, so I deposited it into my checking acct. The day I received it, I got an email from "Tom" stating his hired hand who was supposed to pick up the pup, had fallen sick and wouldnt be able to make it, so could I just send him back a 3500.00 money order and keep the 500.00 for my troubles. I replied and told him I didnt cash the money order, I deposited it. He instantly replied and wanted my phone number immediately, so I replied and gave it to him. About a minute after sending it, "Tom Smith" (who could hardly speak a lick of english), called and wanted his money Western Unioned back to immediately. I told him OK, Ill go do it right now, knowing full well I wasny going to. He called every hour for about a day and a half, I never answered again. The money stayed in my acct for about 19 days until the money order came back as counterfeit. What he was hoping for is for me to cash it in and send him a "good" one, then I get stuck on this end with the bad one for 4000.00. ####. Im sure hes pulled it off, pisses me off that that happens.
He said he would have his hired hand come pick it up in Northern Minnesota.......coming from Florida. So he was going to send me a 4000.00 money order, and when his hired hand got here, give him the pup and 3000.00 back, I was only asking 500.00 for a pup, but he wanted to pay me for my troubles, of course.And wanted me to have the money for his hired hand so he wouldnt spend it all on the way up. I obviously knew it was all BS, but I figured Id play. I gave him my mailing address and received a 4000.00 money order in 2 days. Looked real, bank said it looked real, from an actual bank in Florida, so I deposited it into my checking acct. The day I received it, I got an email from "Tom" stating his hired hand who was supposed to pick up the pup, had fallen sick and wouldnt be able to make it, so could I just send him back a 3500.00 money order and keep the 500.00 for my troubles. I replied and told him I didnt cash the money order, I deposited it. He instantly replied and wanted my phone number immediately, so I replied and gave it to him. About a minute after sending it, "Tom Smith" (who could hardly speak a lick of english), called and wanted his money Western Unioned back to immediately. I told him OK, Ill go do it right now, knowing full well I wasny going to. He called every hour for about a day and a half, I never answered again. The money stayed in my acct for about 19 days until the money order came back as counterfeit. What he was hoping for is for me to cash it in and send him a "good" one, then I get stuck on this end with the bad one for 4000.00. ####. Im sure hes pulled it off, pisses me off that that happens.
Re: Email scams: turning the tables
I tend to think that's part of the problem too. Why did it take 19 days for the banks to figure out that it was a fake?purple guy wrote:The money stayed in my acct for about 19 days until the money order came back as counterfeit.
This is a pretty common scam targeting people selling all kinds of stuff on sites like craigslist. I'm surprised they went for so much more then the value of the pup too. Usually it's more like they'll try to get $1k on a $5k car.
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purple guy
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Re: Email scams: turning the tables
glg wrote: I tend to think that's part of the problem too. Why did it take 19 days for the banks to figure out that it was a fake?
This is a pretty common scam targeting people selling all kinds of stuff on sites like craigslist. I'm surprised they went for so much more then the value of the pup too. Usually it's more like they'll try to get $1k on a $5k car.
Yeah, I dont know. I know a guy who works at the bank, so before I deposited it, I had him look at it. He brought out a book listing all the banks, by city and state and their number (routing or whatever). Everything on the counterfeit matched. He said just deposit it, but dont spend it and see what happens. Took 19 days. I was actually thinking once the second week rolled around it was maybe good. That is WAY too long, tough to catch when there is that poor of a response.