Lockdown Stories: How To Trick Scammers

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One day, while scrolling through my Instagram stories, a guy wrote to me. Opening my inbox, I read his long-winded letter: it was an attempt to solicit investors for a record label. Scrolling over the messenger's bio, I sensed a con artist, right down to the 'big baller', 'show stopper' photos. So, running an image search using the photos on his profile, I was right, the photos were stolen.

A couple more messages arrived in my dms and they were attempts by the messenger to begin a dialogue, so, I joined in and played into his skim. We moved to Watsapp, where he gave a long sob tale about being a widower struggling to make ends meet while raising a medically handicapped son 'all the way in Thailand'. We hit it off immediately and started talking. After a few days of speaking, he asked for a gift card.

Sent him a photo of a bogus £700 gift card. When it didn't work, he asked for a replacement. I left giving the impression I was going to do something. He contacted me a bit later, and I informed him it wasn't possible to obtain a replacement, the request was denied by a store personnel.

He requested £5,200 to invest in his music label, confidently describing the success it had enjoyed in producing hit songs and signing talented artists. Although I acted skeptically towards his proposal, he persisted in providing evidence through images of himself with popular Asian musicians and various contracts and schedules. Eventually, I gave in after weeks of convincing and agreed to send the money to his friend in Thailand. To further deceive him, I created a bundle of fake notes and thin cardboard stakes, taking a picture of it to send to him before pretending to send it through Fedex.

After a while, he sought a receipt. I lied telling him I didn't ask for one, further explaining it wasn't necessary since it was overnight service. He left a long voice note, coming off upset and frustrated, demanding I get back the money envelope, so I feigned doing so.

On the same day, he instructed this time to send it using FedEx. This time, I packed crushed Kellogg's corn cereal (my favorite) in to rectangular small gift boxes(roughly the size of cash bundles): along with the fake cash bundles. Placed in to a padded envelop (so it would weigh a few ounces more and he'd think I sent cash because the receipt indicates the weight of the envelope) and mailed it through the post office rather than Fedex.

You see, I mailed it using the post office to a different address, a government building, same zip code, as the address he gave me so that it would appear to be delivered. (The post office tracking will say delivered to the right zip code but won’t specify the address.) Apologies to the perplexed stranger who received an envelope with crushed Kellogg's corn flakes and paper bundles.

He thanked me for sending the money and providing a tracking number along with photos, but days after panicked when he realized it was shipped via the post office. I guess his plan was for a buddy to steal the envelope off the delivery van or probably doorstep upon its arrival?

However, because the address he supplied me was an apartment, the post office, which I utilized and gave the wrong address to, would deposit the mail in a secured box. And his friend cannot get access to the mailbox.

After much debate, he begged I return to the post office and request that it be sent to the correct address. After laughing to my hearts content (i.e., an inaudible laugh, didn't want to give it away), reaching out, I told said I'll give it a chance. A day later, more lies, telling him I contacted the office and they would forward the package to the correct address. A day later, It was still delivered to the government building, and he was unable to retrieve the envelop.

He was enraged and fighting to keep his cool (lol). Feigning compassionate, I apologized as much as I could, and gassed on, telling him I was expecting a significant amount of money from a lawsuit, he should pray for me to win (lol). He created a group chat with his so called brothers, to help increase the pressure.

All of this occurred during the lockdown, and I had a blast.

Note*letters displayed are independently chosen by Steve Wick's editorial team.

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