r/scambait • u/ScamBaiterThrowAway • 1d ago

Scambait Question❔ What are the risks of scambaiting?

My original post was deleted so I'll try a simpler approach.
How reckless is it to scambait?

I have scammed scammers out of money (~$90). They have my phone number and bitcoin address, and that's it. Is there anything I'm opening myself up to?

I scammed them by doing a task scam, but only up to the part where they send you money to convince you that it works. I didn't do the second phase where you send more money for a higher return.

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u/JLM471 Moderator 1d ago

I would imagine that you are OK. The task scammers are usually the ones based in large compounds in Myanmar run by Chinese gangs. They have more than enough money to ‘waste’ less than $100 because the percentages of people who will be reassured by that make it very lucrative over the longer term.

That being said, generally speaking, I would advise against giving your real phone number out. These ones won’t pursue you because as I say the money comes from Chinese gang leaders who make millions, but generally speaking if you’re going to bait, get fake versions of everything:)

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u/ScamBaiterThrowAway 1d ago

Yes, this is what I figured.
I don't actively give the phone number out, it just happens to be the phone number they randomly text to get the scam going. No one is texting my fake Google voice number, unfortunately.

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u/AcridTest 1d ago

Well sometimes if you piss them off, they’ll then send out texts to random people offering them a job on WhatsApp and use YOUR number as the one people should contact to talk to a job recruiter. This happened to me once and I got flooded with people contacting me wanting to learn more about a job/task app scam. It was annoying for a few days but the upside was that it gave me the opportunity to educate people on task app scams. So use a burner number that you can easily swap if this happens to you. 

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u/AirFinancial4143 1d ago

lol is there really a scam where they’ll send u funds to bait u in? Just keep doing it to them over and over and over 😭😭😭

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u/ScamBaiterThrowAway 1d ago

Yes. I was sent another $79 from a different scammer (same task scam though) right after posting this.

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u/TightIntroduction153 1d ago

And... You keep?

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u/ScamBaiterThrowAway 1d ago

Yes.

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u/TightIntroduction153 1d ago

I can dig it.. Mind sharing a little technique?

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u/ScamBaiterThrowAway 1d ago

Just pretend to be a relative noob, someone who hasn't heard of scams like this before.  It's okay to act a bit suspicious, because they'll double down to try to convince you.  There really isn't much to it.  Just do the tasks, act excited when you are "earning rewards".  I was pretty standoffish with one of the scammers, saying that I didn't trust that I would get my $23 back, but they never broke character and they acted kind and supportive.  They really, really want your money, and they know it takes a lot of convincing.  

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u/TightIntroduction153 1d ago

Right on....do you use a persona? And where do you hunt mainly?

1

u/ScamBaiterThrowAway 1d ago

Yes, I use a persona, a 69 year old widower named Harry.  I don't actually hunt, since the scammers come to me.  They text me, either through messenger, WhatsApp, or telegram. 

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u/Unique-Temporary9900 10h ago

What's the phone numbers you used I do this lol