Scambaiting: A past and future hobby

I was digging through my online photo albums and came across my collection of scambaiting trophies. I thought I would share a few of them with you. I've forgotten the back story to most of them. When I was in my scambaiting prime I would have dozens of these guys on the line. Before sharing the pictures, I should probably explain what scambaiting is and why it is done.

Scambaiting is essentially using the methods and tactics of scammers to turn the tables on them for humorous results. As you know the internet is full of frauds, crooks, and scam artists of all shapes. My hobby particularly focused on advance fee scams. For instance the e-mail youall get from some lone Nigerian (other locations are used as well) business who desperately needs your help to move millions of
dollars out of the country. The scams typically reply on the greed and gullibility of the victim, though not always. I always liked to take on the ones who were using the sympathy of a victim in order to scam. Often they would claim to be handicapped or from an orphanage. I've even received scans of x-rays of god knows what to prove their injured status.

I enjoyed exposing these bastards for the scumbags they are. They take great pride in ripping off people. check out www.419eater.com for a good site that has some funny stories and picture, plus a good look at how these guys operate. Now for a few of the ones I managed to capture.

This is Ollie (holding the chain) and his buddy. They were using their access to an entertainment group in order to scam people into sending them cash to support "the arts". We know he was a scammer because he was using a flagged e-mail list that we seeded into the scammers e-mail chain. These lists are highly guarded in scammer circles and are handed around or sold to other scammers who needs fresh lists of e-mail addresses to spam. The only way for him to obtain this list was be in that circle. He sent e-mails to several other baiters on the list also. He was very prolific e-mailer and not shy of the camera. My baiter name was "Maxx"

From Scam Baiting Trophies

This is also Ollie and my prize jewel trophy he delivered to me. How I convinced him to do this is a trade secret..lol

From Scam Baiting Trophies

Meet Fateu. He was a Nigerian furniture maker by day and a e-mail scammer by night. This was my first trophy. Fateu was in the bible selling business. For small $500 fee he would make sure that he bought $500 in bibles to distribute to the needy children...unfortunately for him he e-mailed the wrong individual and all he got to do was wish the largest anti 419 fraud site a happy birthday.

From Scam Baiting Trophies