ScamBaiting - moral or not?

[Didacus]

One of my firends has taken up the 'hobby' as he calls it, of scambaiting and is inviting to take part.

For those unfamiliar with the term;

[url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scam_baiting"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scam_baiting[/url]

The description is surprisingly accurate.

My friend sent me an example of a scammer who was tricked into getting a tattoo of "baited by Shiver"!



Personally, I'm not certain what to think about all this. The scammers are thieves, and thieves deserve to go to jail. But its near impossible to catch these particular thievese. So the scambaiter's argument is what I call the 'Zoro' complex; they try to waste as much of the scammers time so that they do not have enough time to scam people. Its a form of protection and justice.

Sounds good so far? But I see that someone who is scambaiting is humiliating another human being, lying, and tricking someone else. But this someone else is trying to do the same and much worse by trying to steel through the scam so this trickery is well deserved?


Now I'm just confusing myself...

Anyone have any comments?

[cmotherofpirl]

Scammers are criminals.
I see nothing wrong with actual sting operations that enable law enforcement to take these people down.
A friend of mine has gotten mad enough to actually hack scammer's systems and disable [i]their [/i]computers. Good woman!!! :

[philothea]

In itself, I can't see a clear cut indication of scambaiting being good or bad. I think it would depend on the intention of the baiter. Are they trying to protect the innocent, or are they trying to get their jollies by outsmarting and humiliating an acceptable target?

Same as with police, prosecutors, lawyers... Or anyone, really.

[Didacus]

They do say intent is 50% of the law....

[Aloysius]

it is perfectly fine even if your intent is to just get your jollies out of messing with someone's attempt to mess with you.

[Paphnutius]

I would agree with Aloysius, as long as it does not become entrapment I think it is fine.

[philothea]

[quote name='Aloysius' date='Nov 25 2005, 01:56 PM']it is perfectly fine even if your intent is to just get your jollies out of messing with someone's attempt to mess with you.
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This attitude really doesn't seem Christian to me. Can you imagine Mary, or Jesus, or any saint tormenting someone -- no matter how guilty -- for fun?

[Didacus]

[quote name='philothea' date='Nov 25 2005, 03:32 PM']This attitude really doesn't seem Christian to me.  Can you imagine Mary, or Jesus, or any saint tormenting someone -- no matter how guilty -- for fun?
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i agree.. that sounds more like the job function of a demon than a Saint...

[cmotherofpirl]

it depends on your intent.

[Paphnutius]

[quote name='philothea' date='Nov 25 2005, 03:32 PM']This attitude really doesn't seem Christian to me.  Can you imagine Mary, or Jesus, or any saint tormenting someone -- no matter how guilty -- for fun?
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I can imagine him "tormenting" the pharisees and the like. I can see him driving people out of the temple.

[philothea]

[quote name='Paphnutius' date='Nov 25 2005, 05:34 PM']I can imagine him "tormenting" the pharisees and the like. I can see him driving people out of the temple.
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Yeah...

And I said that I could see ScamBaiting being good with the right motivation. I don't think Jesus did those things to get some jollies, which is what you and Aloysius said.

[Socrates]

Scammers and spammers are scum. They're simply getting what they ask for with their malicious behavior.

[Paphnutius]

[quote name='philothea' date='Nov 25 2005, 06:48 PM']Yeah...

And I said that I could see ScamBaiting being good with the right motivation.  I don't think Jesus did those things to get some jollies, which is what you and Aloysius said.
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[quote]it is perfectly fine [b]even if [/b]your intent is to just get your jollies out of messing with someone's attempt to mess with you.[/quote]

Well he said "even if", which typically means that there are more ordinary and frequent reasons or intentions, but as a minimum this might be acceptable.

[musturde]

I believe if its all in clean fun, it's fine. Just don't take it too far (making him give you money... making him do something painful).

[url="http://www.419eater.com/"]http://www.419eater.com/[/url]
Funny site but they actually got a person to get a real tattoo... making them lose money/ gain pain and embarresment, although funny, would be close to or right over the line.

[Norseman82]

[quote name='Didacus' date='Nov 25 2005, 11:00 AM'] But I see that someone who is scambaiting is humiliating another human being, lying, and tricking someone else.  [right][snapback]800102[/snapback][/right]
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Sometimes humiliation is the only thing that gets through to some people......

[Extra ecclesiam nulla salus]

if you are trying to get them arrested than sure. if you are trying to make them look foolish than no.

[Didacus]

After a lot of thought, I believe I realize now the wrong in this matter;

Love does not rejoice in that which is wrong or evil.

If I have 'fun' bringing these crooks to justice, then it is an uncharitable act. I am not acting out of necessity or love.

I think that most people who endulge in this activity do so either for revenge or just for the opportunity to make fun of another human being, and both venues are wrong.

Furthermore, if someone is morally unstable to the point of steeling openly on the internet, and he or she is caugt in a sambait (and some of these are pretty cruel towards the sammers), do you think the scammers will repent and stop their activities, or simply get angry and sink even further in immorality. Turth is you cna't tell for sure, but I do not want to be responsible for someone sinking deeper into immorality just because I had the opportunity to have a good time by making fun of them.

If I am to fight the scammers, I think the best way of going about it is to reveal their scams and spread the knowledge of it to as many people as possible.


Back to you Bob...

[Jaime]

[quote name='Didacus' date='Apr 10 2006, 06:40 AM']After a lot of thought, I believe I realize now the wrong in this matter;

Love does not rejoice in that which is wrong or evil.

If I have 'fun' bringing these crooks to justice, then it is an uncharitable act.  I am not acting out of necessity or love.

I think that most people who endulge in this activity do so either for revenge or just for the opportunity to make fun of another human being, and both venues are wrong.

Furthermore, if someone is morally unstable to the point of steeling openly on the internet, and he or she is caugt in a sambait (and some of these are pretty cruel towards the sammers), do you think the scammers will repent and stop their activities, or simply get angry and sink even further in immorality.  Turth is you cna't tell for sure, but I do not want to be responsible for someone sinking deeper into immorality just because I had the opportunity to have a good time by making fun of them.

If I am to fight the scammers, I think the best way of going about it is to reveal their scams and spread the knowledge of it to as many people as possible.
Back to you Bob...
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And for that sincerely insightful and profound comment, you've won a hot stuff corps t shirt!

[Sojourner]

[quote name='hot stuff' date='Apr 10 2006, 08:43 AM']And for that sincerely insightful and profound comment, you've won a hot stuff corps t shirt!
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Oooo, can I have one?

[Jaime]

[quote name='Sojourner' date='Apr 10 2006, 09:55 AM']Oooo, can I have one?
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Yes

Just as soon as you come up with something insightful and profound.