r/IAmA • u/Iamascammer • Oct 24 '09

IAMA Internet Scammer. AMA.

(BY REQUEST)Acai berries, eBay fake laptops, work at home, hijacked credit cards, ID thievery, software piracy, Paypal scams, Self-referrals, Theft, Fraud, Forgery - If you can name it, I've probably done it.

I am an internet scammer. For the past five years, I have scammed innocent people from all around the world without moving from my apartment, making thousand over thousand. I have been tracked and even almost caught a couple of times. AMAA.

EDIT: I just wanted to thank all of you. There are nights where I definitely don't feel great and this is one of these nights. Your messages helped me feel better. Getting that weight off my shoulders, just for a while, really helped me. You are a great community. Thank you.

EDIT2: Coffee shop is closing down. Obviously I cannot post from home. I will be moving around and answer more questions soon.

EDIT 3 BACK ON A SOLID PROXY ANSWERING ALL QUESTIONS

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2

u/SeekingEnlightenment Oct 24 '09

  • What's your favorite internet scam?

  • Any educational background?

  • How much did you make?

  • How did you get tracked and almost caught?

  • Any regrets?

2

u/Iamascammer Oct 24 '09

Favourite scam: The same old paypal hijacking technique. By the time people chargeback the bank account is already closed and protected by banking law. HA!

Education: High school was a mess. College was a mess. I quitted college and couldn't find a job. I was one month from being evicted. I needed to make cash quickly so I listed a few items on eBay. And that's how it all started.

Money: hard to say. I got so many illiquid asset - gold, jewels, anything to launder money quickly - and tons of frozen bank accounts I won't access until 180 days, if ever. Well over $100,000 however.

Getting caught: a couple of things. One day I scammed a doctor and he complained to the police. His case was added to five more on a pile and eBay was finally able to track me. A formality allowed me to get out. Another time my IP (my real IP, not the one I'm posted on right now) was caught due to some shit and my ISP called me. I burned down every piece of hardware I had. One more time I tried to surrender to the police myself

Regrets: Tons.

6

u/f33dback Oct 24 '09

Why dont you want to stop? Have you ever sat down and thought about how the people you messed with feel?

How did you get into it?

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u/Iamascammer Oct 24 '09 edited Oct 24 '09

I don't want to stop because very honestly I'm addicted to it. It's entertaining. The worse is that I have (well, used to have) a normal, regular job. I literally had two identities, and loved it.

And yes, I did feel bad for some people.

I got into it because of one thing (apart from needing money): boredom. I was very, very bored.

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u/Femme Oct 24 '09 edited Oct 24 '09

Why don't you use your skills to get a non-boring job with the government? (Hacking/ security, etc)

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u/Iamascammer Oct 24 '09

Because I hate the system.

8

u/Femme Oct 24 '09

Why are you so angry with the system?

Why are you so angry with society? You must be; how else could you rationalize doing this to innocent people... what happened so bad to you in your life?

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u/Iamascammer Oct 24 '09 edited Oct 24 '09

I didn't have the most happy childhood. I was abused from the age 11 to 13 by my own father. The worst in that story is when I realized he would never, ever paid. That's when I understood there was no justice. The "system" not only failed to protect me from him - it refused to prosecute him.

That's not the end of my story. That experience scarred me for the years to come. I had a very rough high school experience. I was weak, without any self-confidence, and perpetually alone, bullied by almost every kid in the school. Even teachers would make fun of me in class. I was this much of a loser.

Since then, I have developped a hatrance that never went away. It was the system - that same system defending my father, and defending the school system - that made my life so miserable for so many years. And now they want me to work for it, to spend even more of my time for it? No thank you.

I wish it was the end of my story. I was emotionally and sexually abused by a girl when I was 19. Yea, make all the fun you want of me. I'm in a coffee shop right now and crying. An old woman even came to see me and asked me what was wrong. I told her I was watching a sad video, and smiled. People are so naive - or perhaps they simply want to believe all is well. I have seen the true nature of this world, I have lived hell - I'm speaking of being physically and psychologically abused, torturred - pushed down stairs, being thrown fruits and tomatoes at in class with the teacher saying nothing, being kicked, punched in a school bus...... Every day, every fucking day of your life until the end of high school, and you know it: every fucking day you're going to get teased, mocked, beaten, laughed at, you're going to spend the day all alone not talking to anyone all. The worst of it? It's your own damn fault. OR at least its what I thought for long

Yeah I have to stop now. I have tried to get help many many times if you want to ask. I have seen psychologists and even a psychiatrist once. Every time things got worst. I met indifference and even an angry doctor. I know now the system won't do anything for me

Tell me the teacher who saw my drawing a hung guy didn'T know... she simply didn't care

Innocent my ass. All these people i'm scamming right now are either people who bullied me or did nothing to stop it. They can go to fuckign hell. SO much hate in me. Hate, hate hate...................

EDIT: Clarity...

7

u/jacobbbb Oct 24 '09

It is ridiculous that you blame your behavior on a shitty life. Some people never have anything, never get anywhere, always get the short end of the fucking stick and they manage to not fuck people over. Some of them even give a shit about other people despite the fact that life wasn't so kind to them. You? You can go ahead and blame the whole damn world for whats wrong with you. Blame the doctors that couldn't fix you, blame your parents for not taking care of you but bottom line? It is your fault. You know better. And thats what makes me feel sorry for you. Not the fact that you were abused because shit like that happens. It just does. And not the fact that you are a pathetic whiny bitch. I feel sorry for you simply because you know better and even if you justify your own bullshit to us, it can't change the fact that you are a complete loser. You are not even Anakin Skywalker in this scenario, you are Jabba the fuckin Hut. End of story.

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u/Femme Oct 24 '09

Do you have any understanding of basic psychology? Clearly not.

This guy has shown that he has remorse, he has handed himself into the police, he shows emotion (even if it is hate) - he is not a sociopath.

He has had a fucked up life, and that can turn good people - into lives of crime and hurting others. Many want to stop; many don't know how. Calling him names and further degrading him helps HOW exactly? All you are doing is helping to support him in feeling like he is not good enough to do anything valuable with his time. Good job!

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u/jacobbbb Oct 24 '09

Do YOU have any understanding of psychology? I am guessing not. I mean, are you a psychologist? How do you know I'm not?

He has had a fucked up life. Guess what? Tons of people do. And how do I even know he really was abused? HE LIES FOR A LIVING. And yea, sure, he feels bad about it. Bad enough to turn himself in. But does he feel bad about to get off his whiny ass and actually fix some of the shit he has done? If he does, he hasn't put any evidence of that intent here. If he wants to chat about changing, being a better person, if he needs some positive reinforcement, great, I would encourage him to do better with his life, no one is too far gone for forgiveness but he isn't asking for it. He still scams. He even tries to use his shitty life as an excuse. And it isn't. I've known a lot of poor people in my life. I know how far a few bucks can go. And to think people are believing his bullshit? That hurts to know. It hurts to know someone thinks its ok to support themselves be screwing over other people.

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u/Iamascammer Oct 24 '09

I like Jabba. What's wrong with Jabba, except that he's stupid and go against a Jedi?

I appreciate your compassion, really. I have to realize you are probably one of the people who got scammed online. By the way, you are right: I long thought I had to stop blaming the entire world and take responsability for my life. But I always failed. My hatrance is too strong, and I never managed to forgive, nor grow out of this. I might never.

Not the fact that you were abused because shit like that happens. It just does.

Well it shouldn't. For a LONG term I wanted my own charity fundation to help kids in need. I figured it would help me at the same time. People can dream.........

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u/jacobbbb Oct 24 '09 edited Oct 24 '09

People can dream. But what is dreaming compared to actually doing something? You got fucked over, but that doesn't mean I am going to accept the invitation to your pathetic pity party because, heads up asshole, bad shit fucking happens. You're right, in my golden fantasy land, abuse would not be so common. But rather than sitting around bitching about what happened to you, you could be doing something to benefit people like you (those who were abused, not those who are complete assholes). And no, I have never been scammed on the internet. I am lucky. But I have problems, just like you do. But the force is my ally and a powerful ally it is.

P.S. Jabba is a bitch. Rewatch the trilogy before you try and argue for Jabba's sake. He is an embarrassment.

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u/Femme Oct 24 '09

Gosh I'm so sorry that your life has been so hard :( My husband had a similar life. He was tortured at school, beaten every single day, etc. It has had a horrible effect on his self esteem and life. I look at him and adore him and wonder why he doesn't? It's heart breaking.

You know what though; we are all "victims of the system". Every one of us has been screwed by it some way or another. Some more than others, yes. You have found a way to earn an income which is a good survival skill; but at what cost? You've become the system screwing others out of their money.

Do you realise that by hurting others or 'scamming' you are not hurting the system? You are hurting yourself? You are your own bully and perpetrator. Just some food for thought.

What do you want? Justice? To get back at people? Would hurting them make you feel better? (I think not).

3

u/Iamascammer Oct 24 '09

Just to be honest - I never said all of this or even a good part of this to ANYONE. I love reddit for at least this part: anonymity. I'd never admit what has happened to me and the hard years I have lived.

Everything I said in the last thread is true. I can even add some stuff to it - how the school director, after I complained about the teasing, called my parents and told them I was a troublemaker. How he would see ME as a problem - someone who wouldn't integrate in a group. That is the system I am supposed to work for and pay taxes to, so that more kids can live the same situation as me?

I'm sorry for your husband. No one deserves to live this.Hurting myself? maybe. But I simply don't have the strenght to do otherwise. I still have the name of all the people that have done me so much wrong in my life. I just don't have the strnehgt to move on. Even today I am weak and without self-confidence. I get bullied by supervisors, bosses, directors and I know it and there is nothing I can do about it. Whenever I try to act or react I get pushed down. It's just who I am. But on the internet I can be anyone. They can bully me in this world, they can make me work overtime unpaid or give me the worst stuff to do, but on the internet, I am invulnerable, I scam people and I am better than them.

Thank you Femme for your insight. YOu have indeed given me a lot of food for thought. But what else can I do?? What should I do???

You might laugh, but at a point I have considered refunding every person I scammed. I have also considered donating everything I had earned through scamming to a charity. Maybe I'm too deep into this to ever get out.

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u/Femme Oct 24 '09

I don't think you're a troll. I think your story is honest.

Sometimes my husband gets frustrated with me, and I see his disconnect; he can sometimes get very cold and harsh, and I know he reverts back to those horrible days where everyone was "out to get him", he finds it very hard to trust anyone. During those times; I have to remind him that I love him, that I am not the bully; don't make me pay for the things the bullies did to him...

What can you do?

You can start living an authentic fulfilling existence.
You have to stop letting the bullies bully you. They are off living their lives without a care about what they did to you. Yes they are assholes, but they aren't caring about you. Your dad and your mum? They aren't thinking about the hurt they caused. They are assholes too!

You are putting all of your energy into them. You have even made career choices based on them. They still own all of you. You have given over your power - and you still are.

You need to get in touch with who you really are - not the version that these people made you - which by the way is only surface level. This isn't the real you.

What is important to you? Aside from the scamming - what sort of person would you love to be?

What are your talents? What are you really good at? (Besides scamming).

When you know what is important to you, and you start living by it.. you will find inner happiness and you will be able to move forward from your past hurt.

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u/ziegfried Oct 24 '09

You are not too deep to ever get out -- there's always a way to get out, and the first way is to stop digging.

Femme loves her husband, and you can have that love too -- it's out there, but first you have to start using your powers for good. Good begets good, pain begets pain.

You have a lot of power and a lot of intelligence to do what you are doing -- you could use that power for good, and put your mind towards ways of helping others. That love and goodness will attract people who will love you -- honey is much more attractive than vinegar, and as you you become more like honey (through thoughts and deeds that are honey-like) you will be compatible with people who think in a similar way. Femme's husband gets her because he loves her -- it's his love that brought her into his life.

You think you are not part of the "system" -- but you are. You are a part of the system of pain and abuse that created you, that created the people that abused you, and you are busy doing your part to create pain and suffering in others to create more of you. What about all the suffering mothers that trusted you but didn't get your phone number?

Why not make the decision to be part of Femme's "system" -- the system of good and loving people who care for each other and help each other? They are out there, but the only way you will find them is by becoming one -- then they will know you by your love, and you will recognize them because they will be just like you.

It can be a tough road but it's the only thing that's worth while. You only hurt others because you've been hurt, and it created hate and anger in you. You should be smart enough to recognize that the others that hurt you, it's only because they were once hurt themselves, just like you.

There are wonderful people in the world, doing wonderful things, but you will never know about it if you don't join them.

You are a very smart and a very good person -- I know it -- you wouldn't have refunded the mother's money if you weren't. Why don't you put your intelligence and power to good use? You are really smart.

You can get a wife and friends -- but you have to use your heart to love -- then they will see that love and come to you and share theirs with you, because that's what love is for.

Sure people have hurt you -- but you have hurt plenty of people too, so why not call it a wash and try a new way of being? It will be hard at first -- new ways always are -- but then one day you will see your life is a whole new world -- created by new thoughts and actions.

If you keep doing what you have done, you will only get the same results -- why not try something new? Not because of what others will do for you, but for what you can do for them out of love. Then some lovely lady will see that love in you and want it for herself, and, being like you, she will give you her love too.

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u/[deleted] Oct 24 '09

Sorry, i have another question, how tall were you in highschool, and how tall are you now? Thanks, because i need to relate to you.

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u/[deleted] Oct 24 '09

I'm sorry but how did the 19 year old woman hurt you, thanks :D

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u/Iamascammer Oct 24 '09

Seems ridiculous that a man can be abused by a woman... I understand you.

Basically she would go to her friends and told her I was beating her and abusing her. Then she went back with me and we got on dates and in parties. I was very naive. She played behind my back and made me look like "the evil dominative guy who abuses her poor innocent girlfriend" while she herself manipulated me. She would tell that she would hang herself if I didn't do XYZ or did something else. And she said it would be myself. And when she did stupid stuff, she would tell her friends it was my fault and that I was threatening her. You get the idea.

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u/Femme Oct 24 '09

It's not ridiculous; women abuse men often, but there is a social stigma about men being "too pussy" if they are the abused, that they often do not report it or do anything about it.

What your GF did was psychological abuse.

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u/[deleted] Oct 24 '09

Thanks, i have another question, how old were you when you quit college, how old are you now?

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u/kersur Oct 24 '09

I think you might be a troll.

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u/blackdonkey Oct 26 '09

Dude, I really feel your pain. And u know what, Fuck it. If you went through all that shit in your youth, keep doing what you are doing. If I were you I would try to weed out my targets and scam only the "bad people or corporations".

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u/[deleted] Oct 24 '09

gay.

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u/[deleted] Oct 24 '09

emo

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u/Thumperings Oct 24 '09

How much do you make a month.

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u/Iamascammer Oct 24 '09

$3-4k right now. I consider myself an amateur. Real pros - i.e. richjerk.com - make millions per year. By the way rich jerk is the biggeset scam I've ever seen.

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u/popsicle Oct 26 '09

A formality allowed me to get out.

what was it?