How to scam a spammer
This is a GREAT idea. Hmm.. I might just join in on the fun. (Smile)
Ever been tempted to respond to that e-mail message offering untold millions from the relatives of a deposed African dictator?
For some, replying is a rewarding hobby.
Interpol says these e-mail messages - which offer a large reward in exchange for a small advance payment - cajole, threaten and ultimately defraud billions of dollars each year from an increasing number of greedy, naïve and frightened Internet surfers.
“These e-mail-based scams are growing as quickly as the Internet itself,” said Ralf Zimmermann, a crime intelligence officer in the financial and high-tech crimes division of Interpol, who is based in Lyon, France. “Every new user of the Internet is a potential victim.”
Interpol has recently observed West African scammers moving to base their activities in Europe, and a relatively new breed of scam - love fraud - is coming out of the Baltic countries. Love fraud victims are conned into sending money for airline flights to a nonexistent lover encountered online.
In response, the national authorities have beefed up enforcement. The Netherlands, for example, created a 30-member police task force early this year.
Now, ordinary citizens have started taking justice into their own hands. Calling themselves scambaiters, these individuals from around the world trade tips, tales and “trophies” on thriving discussion boards at 419eater.com, scamorama.com and aa419.org.
Scambaiters turn the tables and scam the scammer. They antagonize, humiliate and frustrate scammers who think they have an unwary victim.
“My reason for scambaiting is to waste the time and resources of the scammer,” said Scam Patroller, who declined to provide any identification beyond an e-mail address.
“Each minute a scammer spends on my bait cannot be used to scam a real victim.”
Their motives may be altruistic, but not all law enforcement officials approve of their tactics, which can include entrapment and the public humiliation of having embarrassing photographs posted on the Internet.
“At first you might smile and think the trophy photographs are funny, but I have seen some with fraudsters in highly degrading positions,” said Zimmermann of Interpol. “They are fraudsters and they are not good people, but they have their human rights.”
To Jason dinAlt, a scambaiter interviewed in an online chat, the scammers are criminals who deserve any ridicule they receive.
READ: Scamming the e-mail scammers
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Comments
[...] How to scam a spammer By jimstroud Interpol has recently observed West African scammers moving to base their activities in Europe, and a relatively new breed of scam - love fraud - is coming out of the Baltic countries. Love fraud victims are conned into sending money … - jimstroud.com [...]
Hi Jim,
Love fraud is not that new. I even know of a policeman that paid money a few years ago(and painted his spare bedroom) and waited, and waited, and waited … The dumb ass!!! He should have known better.