Dangers of receiving packages?

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Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2007 8:04 pm

I've read a lot in these forums and haven't found this topic. If I've missed it, I'm sorry.

I was thinking about getting a mail drop to receive packages. P.O. Box maybe? Suggestions are helpful, and yes I know about the premium 419 drops (any way I can find out though PM if one is near me?). I live in the U.S. if that helps. I'm still trying to figure out exactly what I want to do on this. I'm sure that sooner or later I will need it, not to mention all the trophies it'd be good for. Anyhow, maybe I'm just being really paranoid here but safety is the name of the game...

Has anyone had any experience with or heard of the lads sending something nasty as retaliation? I suppose caution is in order when opening a package, but this does cause me some worry. I mean, a box full of elephant feces would be downright nasty, but what about something dangerous or even lethal? I'm talking like a black mamba or poisonous spider in a box here. There are some pretty nasty critters in Africa you know, and these are dangerous criminals we're screwing with. Maybe something else? Maybe customs would catch most of this stuff, but still, I don't know... I'm wondering if any of you can assuage my fears on this issue.

Sorry if this sounds stupid. I just want to make sure it's reasonably "risky free" Confused

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2007 8:28 pm

A lad once asked if he could send a little bit of cocaine once. He wanted to know if I would sell it for him (he said he would send a 16th of an Oz). I declined.

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2007 8:40 pm

It's not so much the 'sending something nasty' as the 'tracing your real address'. Premium membership has US drop boxes

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2007 8:47 pm

@Ghost Yikes. You might have some interesting questions to answer for the authorites if they siezed that package at customs. I guess that's why it's good to keep logs of all our dealings with the lads.

@benjaminbunny Yeah, I'm not sure how hard it really is to discover a U.S. postal box holder's real address and personal information. I would've gone premium already I suppose if I knew that there was a box reasonably close to me. I'd hate to have to pay a lot to have something heavy like a carving shipped to me, but then I suppose that true piece of mind is priceless (and heavy packages certainly wouldn't be the norm).

Still I wonder if anyone has had any experiences like what I'm talking about. Or anything siezed at customs for that matter.

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2007 8:54 pm

As benjaminbunny said...

If you pissed off a lad bad enough they can send their buddies in your area to check out the details associated with your mailbox. Your mailbox will have all your personal info associated. Most mailboxes I know require an actual id like a drivers license to sign up.

There's nothing to stop your lad from lying to the owner or threatening them to supply your info. to them.

Lad cares about personal info. when they want to track you down. They're not spend money to send you a poisonous spider or something illegal. The lads already wasted time and money if you really think about it.

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2007 8:59 pm

For that matter, there is nothing to stop the lad from having an accomplice loiter at the post office and watch to see who checks box #123419. We know that at least some lads have accomplices in both the US and Europe. There was at least one case reported some time back on this board that a baiter used his office fax to send a fax to a mugu - some time later an individual with a strong accent came to the office and asked for the baiter by his baiting name.

My point is - be careful!

Bruin

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2007 9:34 pm

Having you own PO Box for baiting- probably not the best idea. I will say the in the history of baiting a lad has never tracked down a baiter. It�s more of an urban legend but I�m sure it can happen.

Master Baiter Joined: 15 Mar 2006 Posts: 193

@ Bruin
I accept what you say completely. But let's keep things in perspective..Lads have no idea what an Ip is. Then, if they did, they'd need to know how to track you. Frankly, I find it hard to believe that anyone would have enough time to that. I'm all for hiding mt IP but mainly because I can pretend to be somewhere, not because I might get 'found'

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2007 11:47 pm

While I wholeheartedly agree with the baiting safe modality, read stickies, get a mentor, etc., I hardly think it's likely that some lowlife, low on the totem pole. minor mugu is going to spend one iota of time seeking you out if you piss him off. The delete key on their PC's must be worn down to the nubs by now. Think about it, for all the thousands of emails he sends out just about what percentage actually comes to fruition? Come to think of it, control V and control P keys must be worn out too! Wonder if they have a cheap source of PC's? Yeah - probably Dell, they'll ship anywhere...
He's paying a percentage of his "earnings" to his Oga, another to the cyber cafe owner, and lord only knows who else gets a cut, so following up on someone who scammed him is about as likely as me winning a real lottery.
Just check out the insults hurled at us - we've seen them cut and pasted before - can't even be bothered to come up with something new. The usual Igbo curses.
I wouldn't worry about it - I live in the US just outside a very large metropolitan city where nearly 70% of the cab drivers are from Nigeria - I take great pleasure in using their services, paying their fees, tipping (obviously) and then muttering "mugu" and another couple of Igbo phrases under my breath when I know they are listening. You'd be surprised at the expression on their faces...Priceless Evil or Very Mad

Just let's them know that we're on to them and I'll take every opportunity I get!
Welcome to the Eater - kiss your free time and your belief in man's humanity towards man goodbye (and yes, I do know that the phrase is man's inhumanity towards man so back off!). Check out the cancer scams, the Steve Irwin scams, etc. This shit will make you jaded beyond belief! Wink

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 12:00 am

@Vincent Gregor

Vengence costs money and doesn't turn a profit.

Lads don't do anything that 1.) costs money and 2.) doesn't turn a profit.

Western Union · Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 12:03 am

guymannemisis wrote:

Just let's them know that we're on to them and I'll take every opportunity I get!

And just what, exactly, are you on to?

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 12:25 am

I've been preoccupied with other matters for a few months, but is it just me, or are the lads drying up? Maybe my anti spam measures are cutting them all out...Gmail is certainly efficient, but I find myself looking through the spam bucket to find someone to bait, and they are in short supply. Have we killed them all off?

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 12:48 am

^^^
Don't think so. There are currently 62 pages of ladmails in the Surplus forum, 10 pages of which are mails posted in the last week.

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 1:39 am

guymannemisis wrote:

...where nearly 70% of the cab drivers are from Nigeria - I take great pleasure in using their services, paying their fees, tipping (obviously) and then muttering "mugu" and another couple of Igbo phrases under my breath when I know they are listening.

Not to side track, wouldn't you say that's a little misdirected? Being from Nigeria and being a scammer are two very different things. I would say there's a good chance that anyone who's busting their hump to drive a cab is making a go at an honest living. My response to that is usually respect.

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 3:12 am

I agree with luckey guymannemisis. Your anger may be a bit misdirected.

Quote:

You'd be surprised at the expression on their faces..

I could imagine. They are working and providing you with a service you asked for; and then you insult them. And I didn't know Nigerians had a look that you could identify. Unless the license shows country of origin. I hate to say it but you are not helping to remove the term 'ugly american'.

And to stay on topic to Vincent 'rick free' is always subjective. You do what you feel comfortable with. True most lads wouldn't try to find you, you could get one with friends but even then they would have to expend a fair amount of time. They also have to put themselves in danger because they scam realitively anonymously; to confront someone means they have to expose themselves. To put it in perspective, no one that has come through this site has had any problems.

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 6:43 am

A cab driver in a major US city most likely works at least 12 hours a day in the face of much danger and risk for relatively little pay. I agree with other comments that Nigerian=scammer/mugu is a fallacious equivalence. Then I hear the mention of the "ugly American". In fact and in history the economic and political and social and cultural power and freedom of minorities in America far far outstripps their counterparts in Europe writ large (no single country is comparable to the diversity of the US). The "ugly european" is in fact much uglier than the "ugly american". And no I am not a flag waving war mongering patriot by any means.

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 7:02 am

Back on topic, I was entertaining the idea of getting a P.O. box in a town out in the middle of nowhere, and checking it every couple of months. I'd like to find a friend out in the sticks that has a place to stick a mailbox....

I have a friend who runs a shop where they pack and ship stuff and have mailboxes, but it is in a big city. There, I would worry about some thug causing trouble. I might just get a box in my medium sized town, any advice or ideas there?

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 11:33 am

Thanks for your replies everyone. I think I feel a bit better now, and probably I will get a premium acct. (which I felt that I should anyway to help support 419eater.com) and use that maildrop.

Again, I'm sorry if I seem really paranoid, but hey, it's kept me out of trouble all these years. Very Happy

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 11:45 am

I have the joys of having a drop box - in the "middle of nowhere" where a lad witha thick accent would stick out - and if he did the "local cop with warrant modality" - they would know he was a fake - as sad to say there are no "thick accent / etc..." lads on the force...

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 1:10 pm

guymannemisis--

QUOTE:
I live in the US just outside a very large metropolitan city where nearly 70% of the cab drivers are from Nigeria - I take great pleasure in using their services, paying their fees, tipping (obviously) and then muttering "mugu" and another couple of Igbo phrases under my breath when I know they are listening.

I drove a taxi for 7 yrs in the biggest apple of them all--NYC. It's my hometown.

You have it all wrong there, you are taking out your hostilities on people who are obviously honest and hard-working. Driving a taxi is not only a 10-12 hour daily hack, and thankless at times, but also remains one of the most dangerous jobs in America. Especially on the night shift.

You need to re-think on this. And let me guess--you're in Texas.

jervis tetch

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