SCAMPATROL

[Gordon Blair]

Hi all,

I want to give you guys the benefit of the doubt and I do not want to cause problems for anyone in the bad guy's camp who is trying to help, but ...

Last week I got an email from a "Lottery" and I was a bit bored, so I had a bit of fun playing along. When my reasons for not paying the up-front payment got just too silly, he lost interest; but I figure if I can waste an hour of his time typing emails to me, it's an hour less he has to scam others.

Today I received an email from xxxinxxno@scampatrol.org, (not directly addressed to me) warning me this "lottery" is a scam.

What I'm uncomfortable about is that today is the day AFTER the deadline for the up-front payment.

I'm not posting the name of the "Lottery"; if you are for real I accept this may be hazardous to someone's health, but I struggle to see why I got the warning today, it's sort of shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted!

[Q]

Hi and welcome to scampatrol.org. I'm sorry that our message didn't get to you in time for the deadline and I'm relieved to hear that you didn't send any money to them. Unfortunately sometimes we don't get information about the people the scammer is corresponding with until its too late, we still warn everyone that the scammer is commicating with regardless of whether they have already sent money or are about to send money, as the scammers will generally not stop at just one payment and will try and extract further funds from a victim.

[lew_skannen]

There is no such thing as a deadline. Victims are no longer safe after some arbitrary deadline expires. The mugu will just announce an extension if he thinks there is any chance of getting money.

As for warnings - take them for what they are. If they are correct then they are real. If they are trying to scrounge money then they are mugus.

[Gordon Blair]

OK, I'm a sceptic.

If I was doing a scam, I would love to have someone telling the victim to cease all communication with the scammer, accept the loss and move on.

Which appears to be the advice you are giving.

The day after the deadline I was given for payment, you email me with the advice to cease all communication with the scammer and accept the loss.

I want to be convinced you are genuine, so don't give mealy-mouthed words of consolation; give us advice on DOS attacks, physical attacks , advice on how to close his account, contract killings or whatever; not advice to accept any losses and not communicate any further.

I honestly feel that by wasting the scammer's time, engaging in ridiculous emails, I have achieved more than you have.

If you are serious, advise us all what we can do to shaft Mr Van Gogh and his mates.

[Q]

You think we are scammers?!? Geez!!!

I don't know what I can do to convince you otherwise and to be honest I don't know if I want to waste my time doing so, because you're unlikely to believe it even if I do.

We're not scammers and we are not doing this for profit or any money. Scammers won't contact you to tell you to forget the money because if you sent money they will think you are good to send more and will try again and again and continue the scam until you can no longer afford to send money. If we were scammers orginally contacting you, we would have known that you hadn't sent any money, so wouldn't our 'warning' to you to forget the money you've 'sent' would have been a bit premature?

We're here to advise victims, if you want to 'bait' these scammers you've come to the wrong site. We're glad you didn't lose any money but please don't come here to flame us for helping people out, because if thats all you want to do please go away.

[Gordon Blair]

Sorry, I really was not trying to wind you up, but I seem to have managed it anyway

You might want to consider how trusting the victim of a scam is, been burnt once, why should he trust you?

I didn't "flame" you, but I don't automatically trust you as being "good guys" just because you say you are; isn't that the healthy cynicism you should be encouraging?

" if you want to 'bait' these scammers you've come to the wrong site."

I really would like to make my small contribution to making life just a bit harder for these people. If I really have come to the wrong site, then I will happily go away

[Former Member]

Gordon.

You will have received links in the warning email to various organisations. 419legal.org, USSS and the like. To get rid of your skepticism you might actually go read what we have suggested.

Conning people out of cash is a confidence-trick, some fall for it easy, some not. It's a very subtle form of brain-washing, and those who get hooked loose everything and keep sending more cash.

You have been lucky, but you sound like someone who could get scammed. Our purpose is to educate, not scam. Take our words of warning and hit Google... learn what you have just been resued from.

If you have the guts there are plenty of scambaiting communities out there where you can learn new tricks.

Your welcome BTW.

[Q]

[Guest]

A quick reply, thanks,

"You have been lucky, but you sound like someone who could get scammed."

That is a rather arrogant assumption

"learn what you have just been resued from."

That is another rather arrogant assumption, you rescued me from nothing

If you have the guts there are plenty of scambaiting communities out there where you can learn new tricks.

OK and thanks, but I do want to do something more than scambaiting, I would like to be one more small spanner in their works.

Best wishes in your endeavours.

[Q]

This is going nowhere!

Gordon I wish you luck in whatever you plan to try, but be careful.

I'm turning the lights out in this thread before we have a flame war on our hands.