The "elderly gentleman" being scammed out of the money he needed for his heart operation made me really sad even though it's not real. Stuff like that probably actually happens, especially since these scams' targets are often seniors.
When I worked at Wal-Mart, we had to be on high alert for well over a month due to an old man who had been taken in by a scam. He just didn't understand why we wouldn't let him buy $500 worth of iTunes gift cards... He kept trying and slipped through in the end. Coming up next on sick, sad world...
Challenge: What if you tried to haggle with a scammer just to see how low you can make the advance fee? “You want me to pay £500? I know another guy who is offering more money for only £200, can you price match?”
Plot twist: the 77.5 mil was legit and after Manuel paid the fees and recieved the award, his heart operation failed and now he has to find an internet stranger to pass on the money before he died.
Whenever I watch one of these scam videos, I can’t help but think of a story my uncle told me. About a year ago, he received a phone call from what he called a ‘car insurance scammer’. The gist of the scam is that they ask you if you have been in a car accident recently, and if you say yes they’ll claim to be the insurance company of the person you hit and try to get money off you. Now, my uncle is a very quick witted man so he immediately understood it was a scam and played around with him for a bit. They wanted to get him to pay them $200 in damages but he acted all confused and made up some story about how he side swiped a guy at the lights and the car was badly damaged and the driver hurt. The scammer, obviously seeing an opportunity for more money, said something along the lines of ‘oh no that’s just the processing fee, in total it’s about $5,000’. My uncle still acted confused, and said that can’t be right because of how badly injured the guy was. Scammer responds with the government covering a lot of the medical costs, and my uncle finally hit him with the punchline; “But I killed the guy. He’s dead.” Scammer realises he messed up and hung up.
Nice. Sometimes I play with scammers too. One time I pretended to be an unemployed stoner. Another time I was an elderly man who liked to watch internet porn but didn't want his daughter to find out. Or say there's a bad connection, and make the scammer shout (one of the guys net to him apparently told him I was playing him, because the guy hung up on me!)
One scammer's efforts cost a couple so much money that the husband lost his mind and shot his wife and then himself -- the scammer was actually confronted on this over the phone by an investigator, and the scammer said something akin to: "well you feel bad if someone gets hurt but then you get their money and so it is ok again" .. so he literally said it's fine they're dead, I got their money and that's what matters.
One of the best ways I’ve found to deal with scammers is to act like everything they’re saying is the best news you’ve ever heard. “I pay you $15,000 and get 77.5 mil in return? Holy crap what a deal!” “You’re shutting off my electricity unless I pay the $11,000 bill I missed? Good on you for running a tight ship in your company!” It makes them super uncomfortable and is a really good source of entertainment.
Being passive aggressive might he a fun approach. "I guess I saved all this money for so many years just to pay this. But I guess it's fine, since I'll get more money. Sad to see it go though..."
in the future you should try confusing the scammer by purposefully giving them contradictory information and coming up with overly complex answers to their questions
The business is on. I am trying to raise the balance for the Gummy Bear so he can submit all the Fizzy Cola Bottle Jelly Beans to the Creme Egg for the Peanut M&Ms process to start. Send £1,500.00 via a Giant Gummy Lizard.
Gunnar Young “Oh you seem like a very fine helpful gentleman. I hope you don’t mind, but I did some digging and found your Facebook. Your very handsome ;) I’d be happy to pay the fee, you have such a trustable friendly face”
Admittedly if the scambaiting videos involved atomic shrimp going to Africa and having to fight tooth and nail to avoid all the scammers killing him with machetes that would be pretty interesting.
Yes, Africa isn't one country, but you don't have to call others stupid for not saying unnecessarily specific things. All that says is that you are the stupid one for assuming that the guy is stupid for using a generalisation of something that is always generalised that way.
Especially since there is no evidence that says that he legitimately thought Africa was one country. And before you jump on MY gun, read the above comment in it's entirety.
The email where Martin is describing Mike, saying he has an obsession with unusual canned foodstuffs, had me doubled over in laughter. That kind of subtle, self-depreciating humor is totally my kind of comedy. I really enjoy your content. Thanks.
Mike often really gives all it's sense to the expression ROFLMFAO. His britiness also gives his interventionr a rather charming and delicious aftertaste, depending on what side you are, of course.
I worked closely with several people from India for over a year recently.. Some of them speak with the same thick accents and some barely try to even learn proper English.. I never judged them for any of these things because I knew their hearts were in the right place and they were really trying to help people. It is so sad to hear some of the same, thick, Engalish accents in these videos who are giving my old friends such a bad rap in society.
Louie Albrecht from what I’ve read, the difference is that it’s considered almost universally extremely shameful in India to be involved with scamming. Nobody would admit it. But in Nigeria, although most people condemn the scammers, there is an undercurrent of people who look at the scammers almost as celebrities.
@@anthonyhegedus7948 Wow, that is awful. I guess the coworkers/acquaintances I've mentioned it to are either Americanized enough to be embarrassed or able to pick up enough information from my tone of voice to at least feign embarrassment.
@@anthonyhegedus7948 Another thing to consider when judging other countries compared to the US.. poverty levels and job opportunities: "India is approximately 3,287,263 sq km, while United States is approximately 9,833,517 sq km. Meanwhile, the population of India is ~1.3 billion people (955.3 million fewer people live in United States)." --MyLifeElsewhere.com
@@anthonyhegedus7948 I have no other experience than these videos, but seeing the fairly common office party photos they post on facebook applauding their team, and the sheer amount of these call centers and relatively open facebook and skype groups dealing in the call sheets, it doesnt seem the people involved are TOO ashamed. I've seen one or two Indians posting comments about being disgusted, and I believe them, but somehow I'm not seeing local citizens rising up and condemning known or suspected scammers. I'm having a hard time believing that family members or friends can suddenly afford cars and all kinds of gadgets without raising suspicion, especially if scamming is such a infamous yet common practice.
Monica: They told him he had to pay all this money before he got his funds, then they killed him, it's such an awful thing Scammer: Yeahhhh... So anyways we'll need $1,910 before you get your funds *Seems legit*
I wish that, in such an unfortunate case as this, a dislike would be used for agreement rather than liking the comment, as nobody truly likes this sort of behavior, and these people are the worst form of humanity. Let us try to improve from here, but let us not forget how we felt in this moment.
@@eifbkcn Predation isn't my favorite literary libation except in case of retribution or when applying the brain screw, it can quench me in a very satisfactory fashion.
I pretended to have a heart attack while talking to an American health scammer. I was a 53 year old man who called for a medical alert system, you know the button you wear around your neck... she didn't even call 911 and was mad she didn't got her money. Meanwhile my character fell to the floor and died probably.
The person in the call with you didn't even bat an eye and still try to continue with the scam. Btw, the double-cross plotline sounds interesting, shame it didn't go anywhere. I would love to see more of that if you get the opportunity. And that callback to your unusual canned foodstuff was hilarious.
One way they might justify it to themselves is that their living very poorly, and feel no remorse for people in first world countries. Still doesn't justify it, but just a thought
They also have unrealistic beliefs of how much more well off people in First World countries are too. They think everyone is stupidly rich so don't feel bad about stealing from them. Though this video makes them seem a lot scummier than I thought since their told the victim needs the money badly.
@@Sifer2 I had been thinking the same thing. My guess is that a lot of these scammers go day-today with barely any money and then they go into a "rich" westerner's bank account and see tens of thousands. Not realizing how badly these (mostly elderly) people need it. If I was extremely poor I can imagine twisting logic and truth to make stealing okay, so I could still live with myself. I think its kinda a natural thing for humans to do.
Living in a third world south American country. Yeah, people here think first world countries have a lot of money, and have no difficulties in life. I'm better off than most people, and have been educated, but normally, an average citizen thinks the Americans and Europeans are all millionaires. Euro and US dollars are very expensive in this country, and that makes people believe that you guys live perfectly
some of those scammers aren't actually poor, except before they started scamming. i think that even though they already have good legal job opportunities, they never tried to take it because scamming gives them 5-10 times higher pays without working too much. tl;dr maybe some are actually just lazy, and not poor?
You didn’t do the thing! You didn’t begin with “OK”. But you said it thrice in the video (albeit in quoted footage), so all is good. Thank you for making these videos for educational and fun value.
That would be the only thing which could lighten this - if all the 419 scammers were actually just practical jokers who were escalating their stories just so TH-cam scam videos were interesting. Sadly, I know this isn't true.
Thank you. According to AARP, in 2018, Americans age 60+ lost 649 million dollars to scams. They have started a program called BankSafe teaching retail employees and bank tellers how to spot victims of scammers. Education is key. Spread the word to everyone you. know. Thank you for your efforts.🙏
I had one scammer that I told I had two days to live and if I didn't have the money for the fee for my care I would die. He just told me to pay faster.
I appreciate you publicizing stuff like this! My mom got taken in by a phone scammer who scared her half to dead, prevented her from contacting family, and wasted a whole day and multiple thousands of dollars (gift card scams) with fake promises and threats. We’re a fairly tech-savvy family, but he knew just what to say to make her doubt her own common sense in a vulnerable moment. It’s spooky and absolutely affects normally intelligent and aware people.
I think you are going to like the next one (currently in edit, uploading in a week or two) - the little skit that I have planned to insert into it is going to be epic!
All the rest are the I.R.S. agents hell bent on catching that tax-evading tea-cult leader old lady who gets panic attacks over putting the wrong kind of jam on her toast
9:22 The entire message and the scope is so brilliant! It's basically a sort of underhanded way of saying 'look, i know exactly what's going on here, btw what exactly is so bad over there to make you resort to this sort of thing?"
I just wanted to thank you for making videos like that. I work for a company that trains people to be able to determine whether an email is phishing or not. It's scary how much money these scams pull in every year. Once again, thank you for doing this.
To be fair a lot of criminals do have morals and even things they would never do. Iirc child molesters and the such are actual despised by other inmates. While all criminals may have broken the law not all are immoral
Its honestly disgusting how far scammers are willing to go to make some quick cash. Its great to see people like you educate people on how horrible these people are, you are doing a great service to the world.
I loved the final 2 minutes of advice from you on this channel. I wonder whether there is a a short video appropriate for vulnerable people to summarise the risk and identify the danger signs. I have 2 friends who were scammed - one for several thousand pounds, that he had saved for wedding and down payment on mortgage. They are still struggling to get over this and he is still suffering the shame and embarrassment in front of his wife and her family. Thank you so much for what you do.
I once got a phone call from this elderly woman, who I do not know. She had called me because she missed a call from my number (definitely scam, given that I don't know this lady). I warned her to be cautious of picking up unknown phone numbers and that people were probably trying to scam her, but just the thought of these scammers trying to take advantage of that kind old lady (and other such victims) fills me with enough rage to overflow hell itself.
I appreciate these videos. It shows the contempt in which the scammers hold the lives of their victims. They are too lazy to try to get a real job, and have no morals or conscience. I would love to see Interpol or another international police agency arrest these pukes and put them away for life, as I am sure they have taken the life savings of many victims. But I doubt this will ever happen, as the law enforcement in many countries is as corrupt as the scammers are.
I heard that people will do the scams because it’s hard to find a job and scamming is the best source of income. Not trying to justify it, it is completely wrong. (I saw this from one or two TH-cam videos so it could very well be false.
@@brycedaugherty9211 That reminds me of when this Russian fellow did a Miami Vice/GTA Vice City episode where he traveled to Miami. EDIT: I have no idea what I was addressing here. My poor brain.
I'm sure that there are places in the world where the availability and pay level of honest work makes scamming look like the best option. IMO, that doesn't excuse it. In order to be a scammer, you need internet access. With internet access, there are many opportunities to learn and develop, and make money - learn coding, learn story writing, learn a craft; sell your skills on Fiverr; sell your crafts on eBay, tell your story on TH-cam. Of course, that's hard work; scamming promises rich rewards with less effort.
Thank you for your service in making the world a safer and more knowledgeable place, I'm alot more relaxed now because my parents can both spot a scam at a glance thanks to videos like this, whereas before I had to be their 24hr 7 days a week on-call techie haha cheers
People say scammers are poor and have no other way to make money, but when they have no qualms about victimizing people in similar or worse circumstances then even that excuse seems to lose its force. I've seen other scambaiters try things like this as well and the scammers never back off. Confirming what one would suspect, that anyone who spends all day stealing from people must be pretty ruthless.
They have internet access and they appear smart enough to cook up excuses. There is honest work they could try using freelancing services such as Fiverr - and using the internet, it's possible to learn a very wide range of skills completely free
Love this video, as per usual! I would love to see a video in which you briefly address what a scammer is talking to you about, and then ramble on for ages about how you have recently acquired a large fortune and need someone to split it with.
I would not have thought scammers, like this, would have any compassion, empathy or even remorse. I'm happy you and Jim Browning actively interfere with their operations. I have two friends that I have tried and tried to assist with regard to scams, but neither have heeded my pleas and advice. They both ran into problems. I'll never understand the reason they chose/choose to ignore my attempts to help them, especially when they asked for my help to begin with. It's baffling. Other friends and family do ask my help and advice, and they follow it, and they've all been kept safe. This is my contribution. I obtain a lot of information from Mr. Shrimp and Mr. Browning. I do pay attention and pass it along. For that I thank you both.
You should do a vid, and do the operation routine, and then ring back and say that the victim has sent their money and has died due to an emergency they did not have enough money for emergency operation and has had their life support to be turned off and see how they can handle it
Been binge-watching your scam playlist at work (easy to listen to, not too many distracting visual gags) and so I've heard the Godwin/Manuel voice clip where he tells you to give up your life-saving surgery money and it got me thinking about Hanlon's Razor ("never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity"): Despite the increasingly inteconnected nature of our world, there is still a large cultural divide between "East" and "West" where ignorance and misinformation thrive. Bit of an extreme example, but I recently learned that a few years back a rumor spread through national media in the USA and Australia that every man in North Korea was legally required to have Kim Jong Un's haircut, because of course they're so foreign and backwards that's the kind of thing they would do (it isn't, they didn't). Living in the US, I've become painfully aware of the horrible things people can do simply because they're insulated--not just physically by distance, but mentally by ignorance and misinformation--from the consequences of their actions. Not to excuse any harm done, ignorance is not a good excuse for causing any kind of harm, but it does explain how people can become so cruel without assuming they are just purely evil by nature. I wonder what kind of misinformation about money and healthcare in "The West" thrives in a place like India that allows them to keep that mental distance while they effectively pull the plug on someone's life support for what amounts to a few months of paychecks.
"The 77.5 million is a huge amount of money" Bugger me this scammer's a smart one. I don't think anyone else in the world knew that 77.5 million is a huge amount of money.
Scam Bites is a different series of videos to the 'OK' series, although honestly, I'm not sure whether I said OK in the previous episodes - I'm not that well organised!
Awesome video as always man! I don't think you need to be afraid of people misunderstanding your intentions (the part about your conscience), your intent is very clear I think. Your videos are super entertaining and highly important and I'm always looking forward to a new one from you!
my best friends rabbit, sammie, was in dire need of life saving surgery that would cost around $700. my friend and i posted on social media requesting possible donations and offering artwork and other services in return. we were able to earn enough on our own for her surgery, though she died a few days before her scheduled appointment. however i made a post on instagram about it and a lovely, sweet elderly couple commented saying theyd like to help me. i had never had experience with scammers before so i contacted them in all seriousness and told them the emotional story and how much it would mean to me because they offered to cover all of the funds we needed. they only asked that we send them $30 (which i didnt do, because eventually i realised hey wait no thats what scammers do, mentioned my worries of such to them and made them angry in doing so, lmao) but it just baffles and upsets me that they were willing to promise me, 16 years old at the time, money to save my friends rabbits life, just so they could get a whopping thirty dollars. its messed up, pls be careful out there yall and remember that if its too good to be true, its not true
Hmmm, an obsession with unusual canned foodstuffs, you say?? Why, I fully support this pursuit, and would love to see more (and donate what I can: my time!)
I've been amused, irritated, and appalled by your scam baiting videos --- but today I'm horrified. So, thank you very much, it's good to be armed with this information.
The more the better. Jim and Mike are quite amazing. They have less content in term of videos but their videos are not really to entertain, they are packed with organized, actionable and verifiable informations. They are an Enscammelopedia.
These people need to be jailed for this. As far as baiting these people, you are a legend. Love these videos. It’s a small sense of justice in this world.
How low will they go? I think that is an infinitely deep black hole. You should be proud of your scambaiting, you waste their time and effort thus saving potential victims, plus you get the info out to the wide world. Kudos.
I've always taken the time to conceptualize the reason one would be a scammer, and I've always just assumed it's because there's no better option. Perhaps a loved one has medical fees, or battling homelessness, or just the awful circumstances of low income in whatever country, America/Europe or not. This really put it into perspective for me, that some people are just lowest of the low and that's the reason.
Might get a granted wish of resusitationement for, as Mike has duly demonstrated in the past: scammers have a pathetic short memory. I'd add that they could learn a tad of telemarketing skills by adhering to Sc13nt0l0g(y) but we all know they don't like to share their hard ill earned wealth.
I did a bit of it myself lately when a telephone scammer called claiming to be from BT and that they were intending to disconnect my phone line. I pretended to be widowed and sick pensioner with barely enough money to survive each month whilst trying to stall her as I often do with scammers. The scammer continued to try get remote access to my laptop so as to steal from me until I stopped her and told her she was an inhuman scumbag. Just shows how low these people are willing to go
its insane to me that you still read alot alot alot of your comments, a person with 900k that would be actual thousands a day, i love the way you treat your work/hobby that is this channel
This is the mentality of the jungle rule: survival of the fittest, not mercy for the vulnerable. That is why showing weakness or need backfires with scammers & loan sharks. These folks find that they can pray on others' fears & weakness, while exploiting our greed by making grand easy-money promises. Definitely have to get the word out in these economically unstable times full of fear & worry. Manage thineself, both fears & greed!
I used to live just south of Oxford a few years ago and had a lovely neighbour named Mike. He used to make fun of amoral people a lot and liked to get into verbal humorous mudwrestling with door-to-door salesmen on a regular basis. When I watch these videos, I sometimes think this could have been his channel. Bless both of you.
That Scammer who was asking for the rent and food money really burns me up; because, it’s not like they misunderstood. They’re totally willing to let their victim go homeless (or Die) to get money.
your scam baiting videos did prompt me to tell my mother about these kinds of scammers, but turns out she's been doing her own casual scam baiting all along :D
Doesn't Martin understand that your obsession with strange canned foods is what makes you such a popular TH-camr? Oh, wait, so sorry to hear about Martin! He was a complicated man, but, never one to pass up an opportunity.
hi! i have a question and a concept that may or may not be interesting, possibly q. how common is it for scammers to attempt to lure people to their country for ransom or related crimes? it's been mentioned on this channel before, but i don't remember any actual Scammers in videos pushing for it. it's very interesting and makes the whole thing a bit scarier (as it should be) c. what might happen if you tell a scammer you can't pay their fee until your winnings from another scam "go through," having already paid the first fee? how would they explain it away? would they be willing to "wait" at all? intriguing 🧐 thank you for your videos, insightful educational and relaxing 😌💛
Who would even suggest that you're trying to "justify your scambaiting" by this... There is nothing that needs justification because you're already doing a just cause. These people are wretched. They should be put down for the good of society.
@*Floofy shibe* And why the hell would preventing scammers from scamming people be immoral? Preventing a good deed can be immoral, but preventing a bad deed is very moral.
@*Floofy shibe* Because the scammers made immoral decision to cost lives. This person is saving other people by saving time of other normal people who legally got money. God level trolling tho
took me too long to realise 'floofly shibe' was some account whose replies are likely deleted, so I thought op was brandishing a fur-sheathed weapon everytime he is adding to the comment lolll
"I need that money to literally live"
Scammer: "Now listen to me"
“I am literally dead”
Scammer: “Now listen to me”
@Joven Mangges Indian, not african.
Juleru I can clearly hear african accent and african voice
"Now listen to me, I have your money now"
me litterally on the other side of the galaxy without any access to my Terran bank accounts
scammer: noW LiSTeN tO me
The "elderly gentleman" being scammed out of the money he needed for his heart operation made me really sad even though it's not real. Stuff like that probably actually happens, especially since these scams' targets are often seniors.
I was waiting for Manuel to surprise the scammer with a heart attack.
Yeah... there are some despicable people. A total piece of shit.
When I worked at Wal-Mart, we had to be on high alert for well over a month due to an old man who had been taken in by a scam. He just didn't understand why we wouldn't let him buy $500 worth of iTunes gift cards... He kept trying and slipped through in the end. Coming up next on sick, sad world...
gassnake2004 awww
I listened and it made me angry.
Challenge:
What if you tried to haggle with a scammer just to see how low you can make the advance fee? “You want me to pay £500? I know another guy who is offering more money for only £200, can you price match?”
#futurescambaitingideas
Atomic Shrimp try seducing a scammer
@@friendlyoldpieceofapoppedp711 yea
@@friendlyoldpieceofapoppedp711 this has to happen
even though it wouldn't be real, he's married and it might be crossing the line
Scammer and morality don't really fit in the same sentence...
Well, if you put "have no fucking sense of" in the middle, it fits
A Moral Scammer.. That is what one may call an oxymoron...
The Scammer being the moron
But in a negative et voila
Scammers have no sense of morality whatsoever
So very true, rhymes more with sociopath.
Escrocs sont contraire à l'éthique
The heart operation bit broke my heart; you’re a good actor.
"Now listen to me: A heart operation - you are not doing it now"
Jesus that scammer is the lowest of the low.
Ye
Same
honestly,,
at least that degenerate waste of skin scammer will be suffering painfully and eternally in hell
"he probably just waste the money on some ridiculous project or in *his obsession with unusual canned foodstuffs.* "
Heh.
Canned coochie?
@@kingarthur0407 canned pig brains.
Hummus. It's going to be big.
Are we talking about New England Wildlife & More???
@@Tater_Toot what
Plot twist: the 77.5 mil was legit and after Manuel paid the fees and recieved the award, his heart operation failed and now he has to find an internet stranger to pass on the money before he died.
...how the turntables?
If you can't defeat them, join them?
Unsure which one fits better.
@AnakinSkyobliviator plot twist, part 2: Manuel's real name is Davis Bon.
And that's how scams go from hand to hand...
WOW
Before viewing, I'm quite sure these will be kind, empathetic, and upstanding people.
Magic Jax haha honestly
What do you expect from a scammer?
Magic Jax
Mmmmmmm well yes, but actually no
Ah yes
A fellow degenerate
@@Itsprincesweets damn you're thick son
Whenever I watch one of these scam videos, I can’t help but think of a story my uncle told me. About a year ago, he received a phone call from what he called a ‘car insurance scammer’. The gist of the scam is that they ask you if you have been in a car accident recently, and if you say yes they’ll claim to be the insurance company of the person you hit and try to get money off you. Now, my uncle is a very quick witted man so he immediately understood it was a scam and played around with him for a bit. They wanted to get him to pay them $200 in damages but he acted all confused and made up some story about how he side swiped a guy at the lights and the car was badly damaged and the driver hurt. The scammer, obviously seeing an opportunity for more money, said something along the lines of ‘oh no that’s just the processing fee, in total it’s about $5,000’. My uncle still acted confused, and said that can’t be right because of how badly injured the guy was. Scammer responds with the government covering a lot of the medical costs, and my uncle finally hit him with the punchline; “But I killed the guy. He’s dead.” Scammer realises he messed up and hung up.
U got a heart
Lol
incredible
Nice. Sometimes I play with scammers too. One time I pretended to be an unemployed stoner. Another time I was an elderly man who liked to watch internet porn but didn't want his daughter to find out. Or say there's a bad connection, and make the scammer shout (one of the guys net to him apparently told him I was playing him, because the guy hung up on me!)
Your uncle must be real fun in family reunions! lmao!
They're like pirates, without the charm, and with the warmth of feral cats chasing mice.
They're like loan sharks, except rather than trying to get their money back, they're trying to take your own money.
Real pirates arent charming
Naoki Saito its a joke
@@fantaslurp I am aware.
Naoki Saito are you sure?
One scammer's efforts cost a couple so much money that the husband lost his mind and shot his wife and then himself -- the scammer was actually confronted on this over the phone by an investigator, and the scammer said something akin to: "well you feel bad if someone gets hurt but then you get their money and so it is ok again" .. so he literally said it's fine they're dead, I got their money and that's what matters.
Buddha and Jesus may have to take a little vacation while we mop up this mess with fiery vengeance.
Source?
I would like a source to that
@@reimarpb Simulated campfire stories in a troll A.I.'s subroutine.
Nice One
One of the best ways I’ve found to deal with scammers is to act like everything they’re saying is the best news you’ve ever heard. “I pay you $15,000 and get 77.5 mil in return? Holy crap what a deal!” “You’re shutting off my electricity unless I pay the $11,000 bill I missed? Good on you for running a tight ship in your company!” It makes them super uncomfortable and is a really good source of entertainment.
*Mutes Microphone*
"RAMIR! This guy isn't getting scared, it's almost like he celebrates our threats!"
Being passive aggressive might he a fun approach. "I guess I saved all this money for so many years just to pay this. But I guess it's fine, since I'll get more money. Sad to see it go though..."
in the future you should try confusing the scammer by purposefully giving them contradictory information and coming up with overly complex answers to their questions
that's pretty much what he does every time!
#futurescambaitingideas
Add to the confusion with highly advanced vocabulary and obscure sentences.
@Unique Kinanthi It would still be fun doe
The business is on. I am trying to raise the balance for the Gummy Bear so he can submit all the Fizzy Cola Bottle Jelly Beans to the Creme Egg for the Peanut M&Ms process to start. Send £1,500.00 via a Giant Gummy Lizard.
I'm not sure whose fake names are more absurd, the scammer's or Atomic's lol
Scammers lol. Something about a man with a heavy Indian accent saying he's John Smith always gets me.
@@LeFringe27 Mister Barrister John Barosa Warosa
@@wojtekpolska1013
Oh,and that guy too
@@LeFringe27 Plenty of Indian people have anglicized names as a result of brutal colonialism, so I'm not sure what "gets you" about it.
@@transfo47 Still, I don’t think the examples used above are very common.
Here's a challenge: try flattering the scammer
Gunnar Young “Oh you seem like a very fine helpful gentleman. I hope you don’t mind, but I did some digging and found your Facebook. Your very handsome ;) I’d be happy to pay the fee, you have such a trustable friendly face”
"Will *you* come with the money?"
@@RachelSnow0451, I forgot what my comment said and was feeling very flattered by your reply!
Kitboga sometimes has the scammers flirt with him/flatter him & occasionally flirts/flatters back.
#futurescambaitingideas
"...obsession with unusual canned foodstuffs." You're killing me.
I don't get it
@@darthrevan454 This is equal to the Weird Stuff in a Can series.
Admittedly if the scambaiting videos involved atomic shrimp going to Africa and having to fight tooth and nail to avoid all the scammers killing him with machetes that would be pretty interesting.
Africa isn't just one country, stupid.
Get it right🙄
@@danielled108 I know Africa isn't just one country, but you can still go to Africa. Unless this is some kind of reference I don't get.
Yes, Africa isn't one country, but you don't have to call others stupid for not saying unnecessarily specific things. All that says is that you are the stupid one for assuming that the guy is stupid for using a generalisation of something that is always generalised that way.
Especially since there is no evidence that says that he legitimately thought Africa was one country. And before you jump on MY gun, read the above comment in it's entirety.
The email where Martin is describing Mike, saying he has an obsession with unusual canned foodstuffs, had me doubled over in laughter. That kind of subtle, self-depreciating humor is totally my kind of comedy. I really enjoy your content. Thanks.
Mike often really gives all it's sense to the expression ROFLMFAO. His britiness also gives his interventionr a rather charming and delicious aftertaste, depending on what side you are, of course.
New Gold spot on!
I worked closely with several people from India for over a year recently..
Some of them speak with the same thick accents and some barely try to even learn proper English..
I never judged them for any of these things because I knew their hearts were in the right place and they were really trying to help people.
It is so sad to hear some of the same, thick, Engalish accents in these videos who are giving my old friends such a bad rap in society.
The same is true for Nigerians; most of them are good people and are truly disgusted with the 419 scammers.
Louie Albrecht from what I’ve read, the difference is that it’s considered almost universally extremely shameful in India to be involved with scamming. Nobody would admit it. But in Nigeria, although most people condemn the scammers, there is an undercurrent of people who look at the scammers almost as celebrities.
@@anthonyhegedus7948 Wow, that is awful. I guess the coworkers/acquaintances I've mentioned it to are either Americanized enough to be embarrassed or able to pick up enough information from my tone of voice to at least feign embarrassment.
@@anthonyhegedus7948 Another thing to consider when judging other countries compared to the US.. poverty levels and job opportunities:
"India is approximately 3,287,263 sq km, while United States is approximately 9,833,517 sq km. Meanwhile, the population of India is ~1.3 billion people (955.3 million fewer people live in United States)." --MyLifeElsewhere.com
@@anthonyhegedus7948 I have no other experience than these videos, but seeing the fairly common office party photos they post on facebook applauding their team, and the sheer amount of these call centers and relatively open facebook and skype groups dealing in the call sheets, it doesnt seem the people involved are TOO ashamed.
I've seen one or two Indians posting comments about being disgusted, and I believe them, but somehow I'm not seeing local citizens rising up and condemning known or suspected scammers. I'm having a hard time believing that family members or friends can suddenly afford cars and all kinds of gadgets without raising suspicion, especially if scamming is such a infamous yet common practice.
Monica: They told him he had to pay all this money before he got his funds, then they killed him, it's such an awful thing
Scammer: Yeahhhh... So anyways we'll need $1,910 before you get your funds
*Seems legit*
Listen, listen.
Honestly people in general are bad at reading emails, it wouldn't surprise me if the scammer is no different.
"Waste the money on canned goods" 😂😂
But damn, these people are awful
XD
I’m not very optimistic about the results...
I wish that, in such an unfortunate case as this, a dislike would be used for agreement rather than liking the comment, as nobody truly likes this sort of behavior, and these people are the worst form of humanity. Let us try to improve from here, but let us not forget how we felt in this moment.
@@eifbkcn Predation isn't my favorite literary libation except in case of retribution or when applying the brain screw, it can quench me in a very satisfactory fashion.
@@PandemoniumMeltDown Holy cow, you thesaurus'ed the fuck out of that sentence.
I pretended to have a heart attack while talking to an American health scammer. I was a 53 year old man who called for a medical alert system, you know the button you wear around your neck... she didn't even call 911 and was mad she didn't got her money. Meanwhile my character fell to the floor and died probably.
The person in the call with you didn't even bat an eye and still try to continue with the scam. Btw, the double-cross plotline sounds interesting, shame it didn't go anywhere. I would love to see more of that if you get the opportunity. And that callback to your unusual canned foodstuff was hilarious.
And what if the “double crossing” just keeps happening and wasting the scammers time talking to new people
Forget the AI-generated faces, we've found the real monsters. And sadly they do exist.
The thispersondoesnotexist website isn't even creepy. Its just an innocent ai making fake human faces.
Oh, hey Snail.
Actually, fairly recently, they've updated their AI from StyleGAN to StyleGAN2, which results in far fewer monsters.
Humans are the real monsters after all.
@@ded8103 r/woooosh
One way they might justify it to themselves is that their living very poorly, and feel no remorse for people in first world countries. Still doesn't justify it, but just a thought
They also have unrealistic beliefs of how much more well off people in First World countries are too. They think everyone is stupidly rich so don't feel bad about stealing from them. Though this video makes them seem a lot scummier than I thought since their told the victim needs the money badly.
@@Sifer2 I had been thinking the same thing. My guess is that a lot of these scammers go day-today with barely any money and then they go into a "rich" westerner's bank account and see tens of thousands. Not realizing how badly these (mostly elderly) people need it.
If I was extremely poor I can imagine twisting logic and truth to make stealing okay, so I could still live with myself. I think its kinda a natural thing for humans to do.
Living in a third world south American country. Yeah, people here think first world countries have a lot of money, and have no difficulties in life. I'm better off than most people, and have been educated, but normally, an average citizen thinks the Americans and Europeans are all millionaires. Euro and US dollars are very expensive in this country, and that makes people believe that you guys live perfectly
some of those scammers aren't actually poor, except before they started scamming. i think that even though they already have good legal job opportunities, they never tried to take it because scamming gives them 5-10 times higher pays without working too much.
tl;dr maybe some are actually just lazy, and not poor?
Shady Kid Brasil ?
Suggestion: see how far you can get by replying only with “Ok. What do I do next?”
#futurescambaitingideas
this idea was legendary
0:14 If this video's about "finding out how low scammers are prepared to go", can we have one investigating "how high [they're] prepared to go"?
You didn’t do the thing! You didn’t begin with “OK”. But you said it thrice in the video (albeit in quoted footage), so all is good.
Thank you for making these videos for educational and fun value.
hey, it's Bisqwit!
Oh, it's surprise to see you around
bisquiiiiiit! :D
"Thanks so much for your email *and your content* "
Oh shit they're onto you.
That would be the only thing which could lighten this - if all the 419 scammers were actually just practical jokers who were escalating their stories just so TH-cam scam videos were interesting. Sadly, I know this isn't true.
Thank you. According to AARP, in 2018, Americans age 60+ lost 649 million dollars to scams. They have started a program called BankSafe teaching retail employees and bank tellers how to spot victims of scammers. Education is key. Spread the word to everyone you. know. Thank you for your efforts.🙏
I had one scammer that I told I had two days to live and if I didn't have the money for the fee for my care I would die. He just told me to pay faster.
I appreciate you publicizing stuff like this! My mom got taken in by a phone scammer who scared her half to dead, prevented her from contacting family, and wasted a whole day and multiple thousands of dollars (gift card scams) with fake promises and threats. We’re a fairly tech-savvy family, but he knew just what to say to make her doubt her own common sense in a vulnerable moment. It’s spooky and absolutely affects normally intelligent and aware people.
those endurance scambaiting videos you made are one of the hidden gems of youtube, thanks for reminding me that they exist
I think you are going to like the next one (currently in edit, uploading in a week or two) - the little skit that I have planned to insert into it is going to be epic!
God. The third one wasnt even trying to be nice.....
I received your comment and the contents has been well noted by me.
Therefore I want you to know that is funds will be transferred immediately.
The one dislike is Hannah Pilot
All the rest are the I.R.S. agents hell bent on catching that tax-evading tea-cult leader old lady who gets panic attacks over putting the wrong kind of jam on her toast
As I watched this, MrLarry Brilliant and Mr Andy Fred have joined Ms Pilot in "disliking" this video!
@@no-man_baugh To be fair, she was supposed to be on the apricot diet...
Or her brother Otto
3 are Andy Fred
9:22 The entire message and the scope is so brilliant! It's basically a sort of underhanded way of saying 'look, i know exactly what's going on here, btw what exactly is so bad over there to make you resort to this sort of thing?"
I just wanted to thank you for making videos like that. I work for a company that trains people to be able to determine whether an email is phishing or not. It's scary how much money these scams pull in every year. Once again, thank you for doing this.
Criminals not having any morals? I am shocked, shocked I tell you! Well, not that shocked.
To be fair a lot of criminals do have morals and even things they would never do. Iirc child molesters and the such are actual despised by other inmates.
While all criminals may have broken the law not all are immoral
@@HowlingDoom exactly
You know most prisoners kick a pedophile or molesters ass in prison, right?
@@iman5147 yup. Criminals still have some sorts of morality. Some of them anyway
Ayyy futurama
Its honestly disgusting how far scammers are willing to go to make some quick cash. Its great to see people like you educate people on how horrible these people are, you are doing a great service to the world.
Friday night shrimp is always a winner ☺️
Keep up the good work fella!
Plot Twist: Martin was also going to spend the money on imported tinned food, and spoon-whittling equipment.
That last one was pretty hilarious. Nonchalantly describing what's going on and the scammer doesn't bat an eye.
You’re a good person Atomic Shrimp. Thanks for all your wonderful videos, and a Merry Christmas to you and yours.
YOUR CONTENT IS WELL NOTED BY ME
We can always count on our scambaiter heros to save us!
And me! Me too! I want recognition too!
@@solitudeguard2316 YOUR CONTENT IS WELL NOTED BY ME
You’re a good man, shrimp.
Skullduggery yes
I loved the final 2 minutes of advice from you on this channel. I wonder whether there is a a short video appropriate for vulnerable people to summarise the risk and identify the danger signs.
I have 2 friends who were scammed - one for several thousand pounds, that he had saved for wedding and down payment on mortgage. They are still struggling to get over this and he is still suffering the shame and embarrassment in front of his wife and her family.
Thank you so much for what you do.
I once got a phone call from this elderly woman, who I do not know. She had called me because she missed a call from my number (definitely scam, given that I don't know this lady). I warned her to be cautious of picking up unknown phone numbers and that people were probably trying to scam her, but just the thought of these scammers trying to take advantage of that kind old lady (and other such victims) fills me with enough rage to overflow hell itself.
I appreciate these videos. It shows the contempt in which the scammers hold the lives of their victims.
They are too lazy to try to get a real job, and have no morals or conscience.
I would love to see Interpol or another international police agency arrest these pukes and put them away for life, as I am sure they have taken the life savings of many victims. But I doubt this will ever happen, as the law enforcement in many countries is as corrupt as the scammers are.
Or they are the scammers.
I heard that people will do the scams because it’s hard to find a job and scamming is the best source of income. Not trying to justify it, it is completely wrong. (I saw this from one or two TH-cam videos so it could very well be false.
Also they hustle hard. Lazy isn't the word I'd use to describe it. If only they put that much effort into something more agreeable with society.
@@brycedaugherty9211 That reminds me of when this Russian fellow did a Miami Vice/GTA Vice City episode where he traveled to Miami.
EDIT: I have no idea what I was addressing here. My poor brain.
I'm sure that there are places in the world where the availability and pay level of honest work makes scamming look like the best option. IMO, that doesn't excuse it. In order to be a scammer, you need internet access. With internet access, there are many opportunities to learn and develop, and make money - learn coding, learn story writing, learn a craft; sell your skills on Fiverr; sell your crafts on eBay, tell your story on TH-cam.
Of course, that's hard work; scamming promises rich rewards with less effort.
Take food from children. That's low.
Thank you for your service in making the world a safer and more knowledgeable place, I'm alot more relaxed now because my parents can both spot a scam at a glance thanks to videos like this, whereas before I had to be their 24hr 7 days a week on-call techie haha cheers
People say scammers are poor and have no other way to make money, but when they have no qualms about victimizing people in similar or worse circumstances then even that excuse seems to lose its force. I've seen other scambaiters try things like this as well and the scammers never back off. Confirming what one would suspect, that anyone who spends all day stealing from people must be pretty ruthless.
They have internet access and they appear smart enough to cook up excuses. There is honest work they could try using freelancing services such as Fiverr - and using the internet, it's possible to learn a very wide range of skills completely free
And getting good at it, some scammers even evolve depending on their "employees" skills and intelligence.
My grandfather is going to go through heart surgery tommorrow and this is making me very sad looking at this people are honestly disgusting.
Love this video, as per usual!
I would love to see a video in which you briefly address what a scammer is talking to you about, and then ramble on for ages about how you have recently acquired a large fortune and need someone to split it with.
#futurescambaitingideas
Even the scammers are thanking you for your content, it's undeniable how good it is 😁
I would not have thought scammers, like this, would have any compassion, empathy or even remorse. I'm happy you and Jim Browning actively interfere with their operations.
I have two friends that I have tried and tried to assist with regard to scams, but neither have heeded my pleas and advice. They both ran into problems. I'll never understand the reason they chose/choose to ignore my attempts to help them, especially when they asked for my help to begin with. It's baffling. Other friends and family do ask my help and advice, and they follow it, and they've all been kept safe. This is my contribution. I obtain a lot of information from Mr. Shrimp and Mr. Browning. I do pay attention and pass it along. For that I thank you both.
@6:10 The "or invest it in his obsession with unusual canned foodstuffs" line got a laugh out of me.
Mike is a honneypot and I love honney.
Well done for this video, Atomic Shrimp. This is one of the best videos you have uploaded.
You should do a vid, and do the operation routine, and then ring back and say that the victim has sent their money and has died due to an emergency they did not have enough money for emergency operation and has had their life support to be turned off and see how they can handle it
Been binge-watching your scam playlist at work (easy to listen to, not too many distracting visual gags) and so I've heard the Godwin/Manuel voice clip where he tells you to give up your life-saving surgery money and it got me thinking about Hanlon's Razor ("never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity"):
Despite the increasingly inteconnected nature of our world, there is still a large cultural divide between "East" and "West" where ignorance and misinformation thrive. Bit of an extreme example, but I recently learned that a few years back a rumor spread through national media in the USA and Australia that every man in North Korea was legally required to have Kim Jong Un's haircut, because of course they're so foreign and backwards that's the kind of thing they would do (it isn't, they didn't). Living in the US, I've become painfully aware of the horrible things people can do simply because they're insulated--not just physically by distance, but mentally by ignorance and misinformation--from the consequences of their actions. Not to excuse any harm done, ignorance is not a good excuse for causing any kind of harm, but it does explain how people can become so cruel without assuming they are just purely evil by nature.
I wonder what kind of misinformation about money and healthcare in "The West" thrives in a place like India that allows them to keep that mental distance while they effectively pull the plug on someone's life support for what amounts to a few months of paychecks.
"The 77.5 million is a huge amount of money"
Bugger me this scammer's a smart one. I don't think anyone else in the world knew that 77.5 million is a huge amount of money.
77.5 million? Huge amount? Nonsense. There's absolutely no way.
Keep those scammers distracted so they don't target more vulnerable people. Keep up the good work, man!
You didnt’t start with OK this video like all other scambaiting vids :(
Still love you and your vids
Ok
he didn't have OK in the thumbnail either
This is a video about how it's not ok.
Scam Bites is a different series of videos to the 'OK' series, although honestly, I'm not sure whether I said OK in the previous episodes - I'm not that well organised!
Ok
Awesome video as always man! I don't think you need to be afraid of people misunderstanding your intentions (the part about your conscience), your intent is very clear I think. Your videos are super entertaining and highly important and I'm always looking forward to a new one from you!
my best friends rabbit, sammie, was in dire need of life saving surgery that would cost around $700. my friend and i posted on social media requesting possible donations and offering artwork and other services in return. we were able to earn enough on our own for her surgery, though she died a few days before her scheduled appointment. however i made a post on instagram about it and a lovely, sweet elderly couple commented saying theyd like to help me. i had never had experience with scammers before so i contacted them in all seriousness and told them the emotional story and how much it would mean to me because they offered to cover all of the funds we needed. they only asked that we send them $30 (which i didnt do, because eventually i realised hey wait no thats what scammers do, mentioned my worries of such to them and made them angry in doing so, lmao) but it just baffles and upsets me that they were willing to promise me, 16 years old at the time, money to save my friends rabbits life, just so they could get a whopping thirty dollars. its messed up, pls be careful out there yall and remember that if its too good to be true, its not true
$700 for a rabbit?
I don't have any experience with animals, but isn't that too much?
And wouldn't it just be better to get a new rabbit?
I'm really happy that you are safe and well and I pray that continues so. And thank you for showing about the caution of things like this.
I read the title as “probing the mortality of scammers” and I thought he was gonna torture them
What he doed is close enough to torture, to be frank.
Hmmm, an obsession with unusual canned foodstuffs, you say?? Why, I fully support this pursuit, and would love to see more (and donate what I can: my time!)
I've been amused, irritated, and appalled by your scam baiting videos --- but today I'm horrified. So, thank you very much, it's good to be armed with this information.
The more the better. Jim and Mike are quite amazing. They have less content in term of videos but their videos are not really to entertain, they are packed with organized, actionable and verifiable informations. They are an Enscammelopedia.
These people need to be jailed for this.
As far as baiting these people, you are a legend. Love these videos. It’s a small sense of justice in this world.
They go so low that you almost want to believe the scam is real.
How low will they go? I think that is an infinitely deep black hole.
You should be proud of your scambaiting, you waste their time and effort thus saving potential victims, plus you get the info out to the wide world. Kudos.
Came for the scams stayed for the epic voice
I've always taken the time to conceptualize the reason one would be a scammer, and I've always just assumed it's because there's no better option. Perhaps a loved one has medical fees, or battling homelessness, or just the awful circumstances of low income in whatever country, America/Europe or not.
This really put it into perspective for me, that some people are just lowest of the low and that's the reason.
No doubt that is sometimes the case, however, many of these scammers view this as a lucrative career choice.
18K for heart surgery? Someone's taking the piss mate. I will do ANY procedure for half that ,tops. Get in touch mate.
Pretty much an example of the old adage, "There's no honor among thieves."
rest in peace martin. he died with hopes in his eyes
Might get a granted wish of resusitationement for, as Mike has duly demonstrated in the past: scammers have a pathetic short memory. I'd add that they could learn a tad of telemarketing skills by adhering to Sc13nt0l0g(y) but we all know they don't like to share their hard ill earned wealth.
Always incredible content brother, and a great message. Sad to see some friends and family fall for these things. Blessed be brother
I did a bit of it myself lately when a telephone scammer called claiming to be from BT and that they were intending to disconnect my phone line. I pretended to be widowed and sick pensioner with barely enough money to survive each month whilst trying to stall her as I often do with scammers. The scammer continued to try get remote access to my laptop so as to steal from me until I stopped her and told her she was an inhuman scumbag. Just shows how low these people are willing to go
its insane to me that you still read alot alot alot of your comments, a person with 900k that would be actual thousands a day, i love the way you treat your work/hobby that is this channel
6:15 "Hed probably just spend it all on his obsession with canned foodstuffs"
Perfect level of subtle humour, I love it
This is the mentality of the jungle rule: survival of the fittest, not mercy for the vulnerable. That is why showing weakness or need backfires with scammers & loan sharks.
These folks find that they can pray on others' fears & weakness, while exploiting our greed by making grand easy-money promises. Definitely have to get the word out in these economically unstable times full of fear & worry. Manage thineself, both fears & greed!
At 8:15 Martin calls lotteries a taxation of the desperate.
I concur, adding that lotteries are a taxation on the mathematically ignorant.
Out of all the videos you posted this is the one that made me subscribe. There are some horrible people out there that'll do anything for money.
7:52 it actually says "revive the funds" XD
I used to live just south of Oxford a few years ago and had a lovely neighbour named Mike. He used to make fun of amoral people a lot and liked to get into verbal humorous mudwrestling with door-to-door salesmen on a regular basis. When I watch these videos, I sometimes think this could have been his channel. Bless both of you.
"he'd probably waste the money on his obsession with unusual canned foodstuffs."
ahh, a casual jab at yourself, eh?
That Scammer who was asking for the rent and food money really burns me up; because, it’s not like they misunderstood. They’re totally willing to let their victim go homeless (or Die) to get money.
Scammers are psychopaths with no sense of empathy or a moral compass.
@The Gaytheist I’m a simple man. I see a garnet pfp, I like the comment
Retired child army veterans who were given a computer instead of a gold watch. Promoted to fundraisers.
more sociopaths, psychopathy implies some competency
@@atlascove1810 sociopaths have morals. At least I do.
your scam baiting videos did prompt me to tell my mother about these kinds of scammers, but turns out she's been doing her own casual scam baiting all along :D
I can’t believe how horrible these scammers are I wish there was a better way to bring them to justice
Damn, you're good at making your voice sound like an older person, not just in the voice itself but in the mannerisms.
I noticed on that last scam that the fee went up after they agreed to donate the money for them.
6:18 "Unusual canned foodstuffs"
Ashens has entered the chat
Doesn't Martin understand that your obsession with strange canned foods is what makes you such a popular TH-camr? Oh, wait, so sorry to hear about Martin! He was a complicated man, but, never one to pass up an opportunity.
hi! i have a question and a concept that may or may not be interesting, possibly
q. how common is it for scammers to attempt to lure people to their country for ransom or related crimes? it's been mentioned on this channel before, but i don't remember any actual Scammers in videos pushing for it. it's very interesting and makes the whole thing a bit scarier (as it should be)
c. what might happen if you tell a scammer you can't pay their fee until your winnings from another scam "go through," having already paid the first fee? how would they explain it away? would they be willing to "wait" at all? intriguing 🧐
thank you for your videos, insightful educational and relaxing 😌💛
You know shits bouta get real when it says
“Outro music:”
God bless your heart mike, it's people like you that make this world a safer place
Who would even suggest that you're trying to "justify your scambaiting" by this... There is nothing that needs justification because you're already doing a just cause. These people are wretched. They should be put down for the good of society.
@*Floofy shibe* And why the hell would preventing scammers from scamming people be immoral?
Preventing a good deed can be immoral, but preventing a bad deed is very moral.
@*Floofy shibe* Aye, that's a logical explanation, I see your point now.
*Floofy shibe*
This has to be a troll, if so, 9/10
@*Floofy shibe* Because the scammers made immoral decision to cost lives. This person is saving other people by saving time of other normal people who legally got money.
God level trolling tho
took me too long to realise 'floofly shibe' was some account whose replies are likely deleted, so I thought op was brandishing a fur-sheathed weapon everytime he is adding to the comment lolll