Scammer Payback How Does He Do It

Scammer Payback is a Youtuber / Twitch streamer who shows us the art of scambaiting. This is done LIVE most of the time and is amazing how calm, cool, and collected he remains while being on these calls.

Image by Schäferle from Pixabay

Learn more about Scambaiting
Learn more about Scammer Payback aka Pierogi

Precautions

  • Never let anyone you don’t completely trust 100% get access to your computer.
  • Never use your cell phone or home phone to scam bait. Always use a disposable number from one of the many VoIP services.
  • If you’re going to allow a scammer remote access, be sure that you are using a Virtual Machine (VM).

Tools

How It’s Done

Collect scam details (phone numbers and type of scam) from sites like https://scammer.info/

Startup your VM and use this virtual computer when they want to connect to your computer.

The SCAM

Phase 1

  1. Pierogi will call the scammer pretending to be an elderly person
  2. He will let them walk him through the scam
    1. The scam can be various types, like refunds from Best Buy/Geek Squad, Amazon, Microsoft.
    2. Ultimately they will have you fill out a fake form, where the refund is supposed to be $300. They will add an extra 0 or two making it $3,000 or $30,000.
    3. Then plead with you to pay them back. That it was your mistake and you must pay them back.
    4. They will also have your login to your bank account and alter the web code (HTML) to make it look like you really received this large about into your bank account.
  3. And if successful in convincing them that he believes he owes them money, then the scammer will proceed to phase two.

Pierogi uses his voice changer to sound like one of his many characters. He will start up his fake bank server, where he can simulate the Bank of America website. And the scammers believe it is a real online bank account.

Phase 2

  1. The scammer will try to get Pierogi to pay them back with Gift cards or by mailing CASH.
    1. Gift Cards
      1. The scammer will want you to go to Target / Walgreens / etc to buy gift cards. Usually, ask for multiple cards of $500.
      2. They will coach you on what to say if anyone at the store questions your purpose in buying these cards.
      3. Next, they will have you go back home after purchasing, then request you scratch off the back panel to reveal the card numbers. They will ask you for the card numbers
      4. The scam bait will end here when you don’t really have gift cards. But hopefully, you’ve wasted the scammer’s time.
    2. Cash
      1. If they agree to send them cash, the scammer will ask you to go to your bank to withdraw the money. Usually $10,000+
      2. Again they will coach you on what to say to get the money out.
      3. Then have you go back home, where they will want you to take a picture of the money.
      4. After verifying that you have the money, they will give you an address to send it to.

Pierogi also uses sound effects like background sounds of driving, being at the store and inside the bank. He even has a horn sound that he using to pretend he is in traffic. On the ready are pictures of money that he can use to send to the scammer to make them think he took money out of his bank.

Phase 3

  1. So now you will send a fake package using the courier agreed upon in phase 2. This is typically FedEx or UPS.
  2. There will be some crazy instructions like wrapping foil around the money or putting a few bills in between pages of a book.
  3. At this point, you or in this case, Pierogi will work with others who pretend to be the courier delivering the package to confront the money mule. A money mule is a scumbag who is paid to pick up these packages. They will take the package and open it to make sure the money is in it. Afterwhich they will send the money to the next higher up in this scam. This process is sometimes called Hawala.

Pierogi works with fellow scambaiters Trilogy Media, Jim Browing, and Mark Rober to confront the money mules. It’s very dangerous to try to confront these guys, you never know what can happen.

Things To Watch Out For

  • Syskey is a Windows internal root encryption key that essentially sets a password on your computer. This is a password that needs to be entered before the user can log in. A scammer will try to “syskey” you if he/she thinks you are scambaiting them.
  • A scammer can blank your screen after you allow them remote access. This can be done with remote access software like AnyDesk, QuickSupport, TeamViewer, etc…
  • Again with remote access software the scammer has the ability to view and delete your files.

Scammer Payback

You fight against crime and entertain us at the same time. It’s too bad that these scams really happen to so many innocent people. Keep doing what you do and continue to support the cause. #WeAreAllscambaiters

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