F*cking stupid scammers, why do they bother?

Sorry - im a little sensitive and therefore sometimes very calloused about these situations.

Not that i dont mind discussing it! Im not one to get over heated by it. Just my upbringing.

It's a little bit heartbreaking to see all that handwritten text.

Oh yeah and what about all those fucking reports I wrote out in school. How much did I earn for those? Fuck all, that's how much. Education is the 419eater of the 1st world. I blame your kind, fishmanlover.

Sorry - im a little sensitive and therefore sometimes very calloused about these situations.

You've got nothing to be sorry about, any criticism (if it's' even valid in this particular situation) is aimed at the guy winding the scammer up.

Oh yeah and what about all those fucking reports I wrote out in school. How much did I earn for those? Fuck all, that's how much. Education is the 419eater of the 1st world. I blame your kind, fishmanlover.

Writing your own reports, does your mother know?

She sometimes helped.

Oh yeah and what about all those fucking reports I wrote out in school. How much did I earn for those?

You earned your passage back to the MotherLand™.

Without your 2 qualifications from school - basic woodwork [C+] and fighting [D] - you wouldn't have been allowed to get off the boat.

I blame your kind, fishmanlover.

As you know the case was dropped and I got a letter of apology from the CPS and DEFRA.

RE-ports.
RE-tards.

Why can't schools get this?

Ty, im ok :-)

Unfortunately the way its been painted, in that case the scammer seems like the victim.

It upsets me when i hear stories that a robber or a thief takes someone to court for injuries incurred on 'the job'. People will romanticize these things unfortunately.

Normally i try and put it in perspective. If a thief is out witted by the intended victim, its not a bad thing. The person probably worked hard to get something that now someone else wants to take away from them.

What is worrying though about that story is, what happens if the scammer gets hold of this guys address? What damage do you think the scammer will do? And these guys, even though in this portrail, seem stupid, theyre not. And they will be brutal...

I was top in class for woodwork and although I scored at the lower end of a Credit for fighting, a strange number of combatants I faced had strange mishaps before graduation.

Bribery is the easiest way into Grunt Britain.

Fish do feel pain.

Ty, im ok :-)

Unfortunately the way its been painted, in that case the scammer seems like the victim.

I can't see that, I think - where it appears - any sympathy for him is along the lines of a desperate situation has forced him into being a bit of cunt - but certainly not the victim.

Strangely enough, these scams have worked in a number of cases, even desperately bizarre ones.

A Scottish local authority lost £102,000 to an African gang after being duped by a targeted letter scam.

The letter, received at the end of July, purported to come from one of South Lanarkshire Council's legitimate suppliers, and requested that payments be made into a different account.

The finance department complied, apparently without checking the request was genuine. The fraud is now the subject of a national investigation to discover if other local authorities have been similarly duped, and to attempt to trace the gang.

A South Lanarkshire Council spokeswoman said: "Forged documents instructing a change of bank details were sent to the council and used to obtain fraudulent payment of £102,000.

"We are co-operating with an ongoing national police investigation. The council are confident no member of staff is involved in the fraud."

albeit fair play wrt specific local government attack vector hookup, (or lucky with fool mark), either way another solid effort shown by by the the lads from lads from lagos; once more managing to achieve a well-deserved positive result (against the Scottish).
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/09/24/counci_419/

I can't see that, I think - where it appears - any sympathy for him is along the lines of a desperate situation has forced him into being a bit of cunt - but certainly not the victim.

Think 'Oliver Twist'. It's obviously a very different scenario, but Africa really is in a dire state.

It upsets me when i hear stories that a robber or a thief takes someone to court for injuries incurred on 'the job'. People will romanticize these things unfortunately.

I am ambivalent about that sort of thing, I think that it the only proper approach.

Normally i try and put it in perspective. If a thief is out witted by the intended victim, its not a bad thing.

I doubt it would take much pushing from me for you to come up with numerous situations where this conclusion ('it's not a bad thing') would look wrong.

The person probably worked hard to get something that now someone else wants to take away from them.

If we temper the guess work a little ("probably worked hard") I generally agree with what you are saying, someone has something, someone else wants it.

What is worrying though about that story is, what happens if the scammer gets hold of this guys address? What damage do you think the scammer will do? And these guys, even though in this portrail, seem stupid, theyre not. And they will be brutal...

You are probably right about all of this, but it has little bearing on the idea that it's all pretty desperate/sad stuff.

I was top in class for woodwork and although I scored at the lower end of a Credit for fighting, a strange number of combatants I faced had strange mishaps before graduation.

Bribery is the easiest way into Grunt Britain.

Fish do feel pain.

lies

I was top in class for woodwork

No, this rings true.

Think 'Oliver Twist'. It's obviously a very different scenario, but Africa really is in a dire state.

I don't understand what your post means.

Just got this:

*'Good day,

I was instructed by my boss to send you these Western Union information
for you to be able to receive part of the fund that was supposed to be
transferred to your account.

Senders Names: Fred Peter.
Senders Country: UK
MTCN: #6565587802
Amount Sent: $1520 USD.
Text Question: color
Text Answer: green

Senders Names: Fred Peter.
Senders Country: UK.
MTCN: #1073456707
Amount Sent: $2540 USD.
Text Question: color
Text Answer: green

Senders Names: Fred Peter.
Senders Country: UK.
MTCN: #8650901109
Amount Sent: $3930 USD.
Text Question: color
Text Answer: green

Senders Names: Fred Peter.
Senders Country: UK.
MTCN: #8657111120
Amount Sent: $5270 USD.
Text Question: color
Text Answer: green

Senders Names: Fred Peter.
Senders Country: UK.
MTCN: #8657112220
Amount Sent: $5370 USD.
Text Question: color
Text Answer: green

Senders Names: Fred Peter.
Senders Country: UK.
MTCN: #8657101120
Amount Sent: $5870 USD.
Text Question: color
Text Answer: green

Senders Names: Fred Peter.
Senders Country: UK.
MTCN: #8657114520
Amount Sent: $6270 USD.
Text Question: color
Text Answer: green

I am out of town and I will not be back until 13th of December 2010. Just
go to any Western Union out-let close to you and collect the money and in
case you have any problem kindly contact Mr. Victor Goodluck. at the
e-mail below for help Email: eas.securitiesltd@gmail.com Note: I will not
be able to respond to your email, if you have any problem contact Mr.
Victor Goodluck for clarification

above.

Thanks,
Fred Peter.'*

Victor Goodluck is a very close friend of mine and you'll be yentzing with the best Bulgarian hookers once you claim your cash dollar money prize for free Pisti.

As for the desperation / sadness of the situation in some parts of Africa (as mentioned by tynan) yes it is terrible but is it my problem? No. Anyone anywhere has choices and although this may sound like Nazi middle-England speaking I don't believe unless you've lived in those circumstances you have much of a better idea than I do of what those choices might be. And scamming seems to be a fairly shit choice.

It's also true that some parts of Africa increasingly look to the west for handouts because we're mug enough to weave musli and have the spare cash and middle-class sensibilities to 'care'. What's this doing to those parts of Africa apart from turning them into bigger victims than they already are? And isn't scamming just a crafty way of milking a little more from the 'affluent' west? I doubt these phishing scams are being sent to Mexico or Uganda.

No it's not nice but neither is some twat coming up to you on the interwebz and saying 'oh hello, I'm the Pope and my dad is God but he's dead now in heaven and wants to give you $100 mirrion dorra in Q-tip bonds, please help or my beautiful daughter's head will fall off'.

The thing that personally offends me about it the most is the insult to my intelligence and the thing that amuses me about it the most is how some idiots can be stupid enough to get drawn in by it.

What's the answer? I don't know, but a lobotomy for all westerners who fall foul of it probably wouldn't hurt. And continued contempt and ridicule for the scammers who try it on won't hurt either. Learn to be a bloody carpenter (insert realistic vocation / trade of choice) or something instead of trying to get all the cash for a BMW in one hit so you can impress the laydeez. If carpentry was good enough for Jesus it's good enough for you. Good grief.

^ wow. I'm not going to be drawn into an argument about this, but I disagree with every single thing you've said. I find it quite disgusting actually.

+1

VanUden your Daily Mails were delivered to my house by accident, when do you want to pick them up?

Apart from anything else, you're completely ignoring the fact that the reason Africa is like it is today is because of its historical situation - i.e. because of us in the West, who invaded their countries, raped them for resources and let despots into power.

But no, it's not got anything to do with you has it?

i don't understand the sadness for the scammer. scum is scum, makes no fucking difference whether they are impoverished. do impoverished people have access to broadband, computers, email servers.....?

Yes.

Victor Goodluck is a very close friend of mine and you'll be yentzing with the best Bulgarian hookers once you claim your cash dollar money prize for free Pisti.

As for the desperation / sadness of the situation in some parts of Africa (as mentioned by tynan) yes it is terrible but is it my problem? No. Anyone anywhere has choices and although this may sound like Nazi middle-England speaking I don't believe unless you've lived in those circumstances you have much of a better idea than I do of what those choices might be. And scamming seems to be a fairly shit choice.

It's also true that some parts of Africa increasingly look to the west for handouts because we're mug enough to weave musli and have the spare cash and middle-class sensibilities to 'care'. What's this doing to those parts of Africa apart from turning them into bigger victims than they already are? And isn't scamming just a crafty way of milking a little more from the 'affluent' west? I doubt these phishing scams are being sent to Mexico or Uganda.

No it's not nice but neither is some twat coming up to you on the interwebz and saying 'oh hello, I'm the Pope and my dad is God but he's dead now in heaven and wants to give you $100 mirrion dorra in Q-tip bonds, please help or my beautiful daughter's head will fall off'.

The thing that personally offends me about it the most is the insult to my intelligence and the thing that amuses me about it the most is how some idiots can be stupid enough to get drawn in by it.

What's the answer? I don't know, but a lobotomy for all westerners who fall foul of it probably wouldn't hurt. And continued contempt and ridicule for the scammers who try it on won't hurt either. Learn to be a bloody carpenter (insert realistic vocation / trade of choice) or something instead of trying to get all the cash for a BMW in one hit so you can impress the laydeez. If carpentry was good enough for Jesus it's good enough for you. Good grief.
agreed

.

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/363/enforcers

First part of this episode of This American Life is about 419 scammers, and scam hunters. Give it a listen if you've got the time. The story of getting one scammer to travel fucking miles from home to "collect" his money and then being abandoned is.... interesting.

This American Life rocks, btw. Everyone should listen to it.