My Dance with a Digital Shadow: How I Became a Scammer's Bait (and Why You Shouldn't)
Very much a case of do as I say and not what I do!
So I am currently in one of my protective mindsets where I have reduced contact with pretty much everybody, to protect the few friendships I have left and I very much do this to hide the worst version of myself from others. I call this full hermit mode and it is likely a reason anybody is still around. During times like this, I tend to write more, read more, play more PS5 and that's to protect Colleen from that version of me. During these times though, scammers and their ilk are fair game as far as I am concerned! Don’t try this at home kids as I am a trained profess…… Ok ok, I can’t finish that sentence with a straight face but seriously don’t!
I recently found myself entangled in a dance with a digital shadow in the murky depths of the Internet, where anonymity reigns and identities blur. As these things often do, it began with an unsolicited message: a name I didn't recognise, a pretty profile picture that seemed a little too polished, and a proposition that smelled fishier than a week-old tuna.
Now, this will be one of my less creative conversations as they, unfortunately, cottoned on quite early, it will demonstrate a few things to you about their mindset and their methods. As a cyber professional who's spent more years than I can remember being exposed to the labyrinthine world of online scams, my spidey senses were tingling.
Instead of hitting the delete button, I decided to play along. Call it boredom, a twisted sense of entertainment, or perhaps a desire to protect others from falling prey to this scumbag and their schemes. I engaged, asking questions, feigning interest, and slowly but surely, weaving my own narrative into their carefully constructed script.
The first thing to note here? I have just spilled my heart out that I have lost everything and they see this as an opportunity! If you ever want to believe that scammers/phishers have a heart, you are very wrong. Many of these ‘people’ ( I use that term very loosely here) have no morals or ethics, targeting hospitals, charities, or the vulnerable using any weakness to gain a foothold because they always believe there is a way to extract more. This was all happening right here on Substack as many of you will already realise, but they do tend to follow a process and the next step in that process is to get you off whichever platform you are on and somewhere they have better control of the situation and less chance of things being logged.
As if by magic, Let’s pop over to Telegram, WhatsApp, Signal or whichever messaging platform of choice they offer. As you can see I always have a great reason not to do so, the FBI are always on my case and it’s just so unfair! (FBI or any other 3-letter organisation who is reading, I am kidding please don’t delete me)
Our little dance continued over a couple of days, a delicate tango between truth and lies. I would normally like to lead them down a rabbit hole of fabricated misfortunes, each one more outlandish than the last. The scammer would likely be convinced they had found a kindred spirit, clinging to my every word, their hopes rising with each passing message that a pot of gold was waiting at the end. On this occasion I was less interested in longevity as I was planning to make them famous in this very article, hence my lack of creativity or effort.
They didn’t let that stop them though and were reverting to some old-school tools like e-mail! I have redacted part of the e-mail address to protect you the innocent, but left the relevant part in case you see it pop up in your chats.
There is always a little thrill in outsmarting the scammer, in turning the tables on someone who preys on the kindness of others. But there is also a risk, a chance that my actions could backfire, making me a target for revenge or worse, exposing me to a network of scammers who wouldn't hesitate to retaliate.
Even the scammer seems to be losing hope that they will find a way to their pot of gold now and they can see it vanishing in front of their eyes. I take great satisfaction during the longer interactions with scammers because I know that if they are wasting time on me then they are maybe not targeting somebody more vulnerable.
You may look at that word and wonder, why my reaction immediately following it? Well Alaye is a way that one scumbag scammer uses to identify a fellow scumbag scammer
"Alaye" is a Yoruba word that scammers sometimes use to test if someone else is also a scammer.
Alaye* is a word from the Yoruba language, which is spoken in Nigeria. In the urban dictionary, it's used to describe someone who is considered a thug.
Scammers may use the word in a message to see if the other person is also a scammer. This allows them to decide whether to waste time or continue chatting as themselves.
Sadly, this was the end of the dance and I knew this meant they had moved on to their next unsuspecting victim.
Looking back, I can't help but wonder if I did the right thing. Did I make a difference, even a small one? Or did I simply waste their time, delaying their inevitable return to the hunt?
The truth is, I don't know. But what I do know is this: engaging with scammers is a dangerous game, one that should be left to the professionals or the crazy and as I am certified in both that means I am ok. For every minute you spend stringing them along, you risk becoming a target, a pawn in their twisted game of deception.
Instead, I urge you my subscribers to report any suspicious activity to the authorities, links below. Don't engage, don't respond, and most importantly, don't share any personal information. Remember, these scammers are masters of manipulation, skilled at exploiting our emotions and vulnerabilities.
In the end, the best way to win this game is to not play at all.
Think you have been a victim of scamming? Here in the UK, you can report it to the following organisations:
The dance of intrigue and chuckles 😂 Bice work brother
😂 😂 😂 Keeps me out of trouble my friend