Snoskred – Life in the Country

One benefit of being an audio scam baiter is over time I have learned to take out a lot of the “um” and “err” type stuff that tends to happen when you’re talking to people on the phone. Listening back to this I sound remarkably together but I can guarantee you when I do these interviews I have the sweaty palms.

Listen to the radio interview

I do hear a few ums in there but a *lot* less than there would have been a few years ago when I began baiting.

Don’t forget to scroll down and read yesterdays post where there are links to my scambaits and audio baiting files, as well as links to more info on scams.

On Wednesday morning I’ll be doing an interview on ABC North West WA (update – the interview has aired and you can listen to it here), and some listeners may venture over to my blog looking for more information on scams, scambaiting, and check fraud. So here’s some linkage to posts I have written which may be helpful. This might also be a chance for regular readers to catch up on some of the stuff they may have missed reading. So without further ado – Linkage!

Information About Scams -

Please Help! What You Can Do To Stop Internet Scammers NOW. – How you can help stop internet scams.

Snoskred made 5 MILLION DOLLARS online this year! – In fake checks, that is. Unfortunately that doesn’t help me financially, but it does help me get the word out about fake check scams.

Snoskred on fake check scams and scambaiting – a guest post I did with a fake check bait from start to finish – just a quick one but gives you an idea how little it can take to get a check. An interesting read.

This could be a problem – Scammers are using the bank details of charities in order to make fake checks.

Internet Scams – How I Make A Difference – A bit more info on what I do.

Spam – Never Unsubscribe, Never Reply – this is how scammers and spammers know your email is being read by a human.

Scambaiting -

My Scambaiting Page – Links to my baits and audios – warning some of these contain language unsuitable for minors but extremely suitable for scammers.

The top 5 funny things scammers say – These funny things may come to you as a surprise if you are not a scambaiter.

An original scammer.. Or not. – We baiters get threatened regularly and here’s a funny one – but is it original?

What will a scammer do for money? – Virtually anything, it seems.

We cannot talk about sex before money! – You know they are serious about their scamming when an extremely pretty girl fails to tempt them..

Possible Offensive Language – A scammer is a little upset with me.

Aww Poor Scammer – automatic baiting is fun!

Sephyroth – Baiting – My scambaiting partner in crime, Sephyroth.

Learn to scambait -

The following forums all offer “mentor” or “student/teacher” programs where you can learn to scambait safely. If you want to try scambaiting I highly recommend you do it with a mentor or teacher as there is a lot to know.

theScamBaiter
419 Eater
Scambaits

While you are here..

If you’re Australian and you have a blog, join us at the Aussie Bloggers Forum. Also, feel free to stumble this post so we can get the message about scams out to more people.

If you want to know more about me, you can always click on the About page.

Over To You -

Got something to say about scammers, scambaiting, or fake checks? Have you ever been scammed? The comments section is open. First time comments are moderated, if your comment does not appear right away apologies but I might not be near the computer.

5. The modalities have been finalized.

What a lovely word modalities is. It was essentially never used for the most part until the scammers brought it back into vogue – at least within the scambaiting community, we just plain love the word.. It means “The ceremonial forms, protocols, or conditions that surround formal agreements or negotiations”.

4. As you read this, I don’t want you to feel sorry for me, because, I believe everyone will die someday.

This one is used a lot by the scammers. It will often be combined with a tale about cancer that has “defiled all forms of medicine”. Considering that the definition of defiled is – morally blemished; stained or impure I’ve got a sneaking suspicion they have absolutely no idea what the majority of words in the emails they send out actually mean. Other than of course money, and Western Union and Moneygram, which in their dictionary = money anyway.

3. Be rest assured that this business is 100% risk free.

Is there anything in life that is 100% risk free? I think not. But once you know this statement is used to convince people to take part in something slightly dodgy, you will start to see the words risk free jump out at you from the most unexpected places. I’ve even seen it in brochures from banks. My advice is, when you see the words risk free, be afraid very afraid!

2. Message received, content well noted.

This statement is usually an enormous lie, because the chances of a Nigerian Scammer actually reading an email that you send is fairly low. In fact my previous email to them might have been full of curses and insults and they will still say this. If they had noted the content, I think they might be a bit upset with me and they might have something to say about the names I called them.

1. I know that this mail will come to you as a surprise.

This sentence has spawned much hilarity among the scambaiters. If one scambaiter calls another scambaiter, the likelihood of the answering scambaiter saying “This call comes to me as a surprise” is about 99%. In fact the temptation to make the title of every post on my blog a variation of this is quite high.

As many of you know I am a scambaiter. I bait the Nigerian 419 scammers who try to steal money from people. One of the things I collect is fake checks. There’s more info on what I do and how I do it in this post – Snoskred Made 5 Million Dollars Online This Year.

I regularly check the PO box where the scammers send their checks to me, and I contact the companies who appear on the checks to let them know their bank account information is being used by scammers. Sometimes this is no easy task. I prefer to send them an email if possible but many companies don’t get back to me and I want to make sure they received the warning so I have to get on the telephone to speak to someone – and that is not the easiest task either. Especially given that I am in Australia and I receive checks with company names from many countries. I use Skype to make the calls, it is fairly cheap but the calls do add up.

How do the scammers get the bank information of these companies? They simply call and ask for it, claiming they have to make a payment. Most companies give out their bank information far too easily. But you know who gives out their banking information much more easily than a business? A charity.

I have feared this day was coming for a while now. Look what I just received.

Yes, this is supposedly a check from the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Only I know that it hasn’t come from them at all. I baited the scammer and they sent me this check. And guess where the scammer wanted me to send money to? And how they wanted me to send the money? No really, go on and guess. I bet you’ll never get it right! Here’s an email from the scammer who sent me this check.

---

Dearest Chloe,This is to inform you that you will be receiving a cheque for $35,000 via fed ex today. As soon as you have received the package, you are required to send within 24 hours the sum of $2500 via western union money transfer to my supplier in west africa with the information below;

Name: Steve Thompson
Address: Lagos Nigeria

Ensure the transfer information of the western union is sent to me such as, sender’s name and address, 10 digits money transfer control numbers and security test question and answer.

I look forward to your positive response as soon as possible

Regards,
Michael Brown

---

You’ll note I have edited out all the bank information on the check. That is because any scammer could create a counterfeit check with just a printer, some paper, and your bank account information – the stuff that appears along the bottom of your checks is all they need – and those counterfeit checks WILL BE CASHED if you have money in your account.This causes a problem for companies and charities because in general they do have money in their account – and some companies and charities do not have someone like an accountant in house watching the outgoing money.

Michael is apparently very unhappy with Chloe. He sent the check via Fedex, and that means he can see when it has been collected.

---

Dear Chloe,I am miserable to learn from you that you didn’t receive the package that was sent to you via fedex, whose tracking number indicates that it has been delivered to you. I called fedex and I was told the package has been delivered to you, so I can’t figure out what exactly you are talking about.

I will sincerely appreciate you call the local fedex outlet around you with the tracking number I previousely gave to you and find out the through position of the payment that was sent to you.

Please ensure you do so and get back to me with a positive response.

But mind you, should anything happens to my money, you will have yourself to blame for it because you will have the FBI to face.

Regards,

Michael Brown

---

Those scammers just love to threaten their victims with the FBI. They will steal money from anyone they possibly can. It is a pity there is no FBI in their country who might actually arrest them. The police in Nigeria are terribly corrupt.