PUBLISHER’S NOTE: You have GOT to read the chat conversation this scambaiter had with the scammer below! PRICELESS!!!

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The temptation was too great. I just couldn’t resist!

When Angela Hoy posted a story about scammers pretending to be publishing giant Macmillan—and listed the scam website address—I had no choice. Within a minute, I was at the fraudulent website, chatting online with one of the scammers.

Now, why would I do such a thing? Wouldn’t any reasonably sane person avoid a site designed to cheat writers out of thousands of dollars—especially since Angela had pointedly warned us about it?

Under most circumstances, yes. But, not only am I a writer, I am also a Scambaiter. For me, Angela’s story was like french fries to a fat man!

What the hell’s a scambaiter? 

A scambaiter is a person who intentionally contacts scammers with the goal of (a) wasting their time, (b) electronically destroying their business, or (c) both. The reasoning behind (a) is simple. Tying scammers up in time-consuming conversations that ultimately lead nowhere helps protect potential victims because, when scammers are talking to us, they’re not talking with real victims. Scambaiters act as deflectors, temporarily getting between scammers and any victims they might contact. Almost anyone can do this.

Other scambaiters execute option (b), in which they let scammers connect to their computers, secretly reverse the connection, and then proceed to annihilate the scammer’s computer. Only the most technologically advanced should even think about this option. It can be very dangerous. While I have some technical knowledge, I mostly operate as a time-waster, and I’ve had some pretty satisfying results. I think the longest I held a scammer on the line was 90 minutes. At one point I even had him talking to my “son” (me, using a different voice).

As for the Macmillan scammer, their web page is an almost exact replica of the real Macmillan page. The biggest differences: a number of buttons don’t work, the address listed at the bottom of the page is really some sort of warehouse in California (thank you, Google Earth), and there is a live chat button. The real Macmillan page has working links, no address at the bottom, and no live chat function.

At the fake site, the chat button came up almost as soon as I got there. I clicked it, and got a live “agent.” I was surprised to be connected to the scammer so quickly so I had to pretty much make it all up as I went along. I let him believe I had written a book on film star Errol Flynn, and was checking to see if Macmillan had a self-publishing division (the real Macmillan has NO such thing). I went into depth about what my book was about, number of pages, cover design description…anything I could think of to keep him occupied. He wanted contact info. so I gave him a fake name, a throwaway email address, and an untraceable Internet phone number.

I think I led him down the garden path for about half an hour before he got wise, and I knew he was about to dump me. Just for giggles, I admitted I’d lied to him all along—and that law enforcement IT pros were, at that moment, determining his exact location.

“Please stay on this connection just a little longer while we obtain your coordinates,” I told him.

Click. He was gone. And he blocked me (there’s a way around that, so I bugged other “agents” there for two more days).

The real Macmillan  (us.macmillan.com) has a fraud alert on its website listing 18 fraudulent URLs mimicking the publisher. After my encounter, I went to each and every one of the phony URLs, and found that the only one still active was the one in Angela’s article, and the one I’d just connected with: macmillanpublisher.co

The basics 

If more people visited known scammers’ website, clicked on the chat button, and engaged an “agent” in an insincere, 15-minute conversation, the scammer might just slip into madness. Or, maybe even shut down the phony website. It’s well worth the effort. But, there should be a few ground rules and some preparation beforehand.

1. NEVER use your real information. 

Never do this. Ever. No, I’m serious. Don’t ever use your real information, under any circumstances, when contacting scammers. These are vile people who want to take as much from you as they can and some of them are not above making threats. They don’t care how old you are, how poor you are, or how vulnerable you are. They are out to steal everything you’ve got if they can. Give them no real access to you or your life.

First of all, create a new identity for yourself. Give yourself a new name, come up with a new birthday. Write it down. Scammers—as a ploy to unmask scambaiters—will often ask how old the scambaiter is, and then quickly ask what the date of birth is. If arithmetic isn’t your strong suit, you may have to figure it out on the fly, which isn’t good. Have that info. on hand. Most people don’t hesitate when asked what their birthday is. A pause is a dead giveaway that you’re playing them.

2. Get a scambaiting email address 

This is easy. AOL, Yahoo, Outlook, etc. provide free standard email addresses. Get one, but don’t sign up using your real name. Whatever handle you choose should, ideally, reflect your new identity in some way. If you’ve chosen the name Chester Fields, for example, enter it and let the email provider come up with whatever’s available. It’s a throwaway address, so don’t sweat it if the name isn’t exactly up to your usual standards.

3. Get an untraceable online phone number 

This is also far easier than you’d expect. Just go to Google Voice and sign up for your free online phone number. You can choose whatever area code you want. I don’t live in Charlotte, NC, for example, but that’s the area code I chose. Google gave me a choice of numbers available. I chose one, and was instantly in business. You can call anywhere, using the microphone in your computer (or on your phone). No headset required. The learning curve is gentle.

IMPORTANT: Just as you never give out your real information to scammers, never, ever use your real telephone to contact them. Use this untraceable Internet number instead. You can’t be tracked down and you can’t be spammed. It’s perfect.

4. Don’t give them your address

Scammers often ask for a mailing address. Simply tell them you only correspond via phone and email because you live in a rural area. Some scammers might not like that. However, most are very happy to have your phone number and email address.

Just do it 

Now you’re set up to perform the most basic Scambaiting! Using this new set of credentials (which are printed or written out right beside you, remember), you can contact any of the  gazillion scammers who try to get to you by phone or email every single day. Here’s how it went when I contacted another “agent” at macmillanpublisher.co:

I clicked on the “chat” button in the lower, right hand corner. I chose to type something like, “Hi. I’m looking to self-publish my book. Can you help me?” Within a few seconds, an “agent” will come into the chat. Below is a transcript from one of my very short sessions with an “agent” at macmillanpublisher.co.

NOTE: THE TYPOS ARE ALL HIS!

Ethan Gallagher: Good Morning 🙂 Yes, we have some great multiple options to accommodate a need for self-publishing. I can explain to you how this works and share our exclusive discounted offers.

Me: Please do! I would love to know more.

Ethan Gallagher: Sure. What is your name? As you see I am Ethan. (Here the scammer added an emoji of a smiling face with a halo over it. GRRRRRRR.).

Me: My name is Charles Field. Good to meet you. I am in Charlotte NC. Where are you?

Ethan Gallagher: Pleasure is all mine. Charles nice to meet you. We are in New York, NY To be on the same page with you, Is your manuscript/book completed?

Me: Yes, I have completed a manuscript that, when published, will be about 250 pages.

Ethan Gallagher: Very well, Would it need any editing – proofreading – formatting – artwork, etc? We are a one-stop-shop and can help you with all.

Me: I have a background in writing and design, so I don’t think I will need any of those services. I haven’t designed the cover yet, but will do so shortly.

Ethan Gallagher: Charles that is good, that you have a mind that possesses creative ideas. What this book is about?

Me: Well, it’s a book of tips for everyday people and how they can identify and protect themselves against scams.

Ethan Gallagher: Certainly, it will enlighten so many people. This is indeed of great importance

What is the page count?

Me: It is, indeed, of importance. I estimate 250 pages. It covers everything from India-based refund scams to fake publishers.

Ethan Gallagher: Great.

At this point, the “agent” disconnected the chat, and blocked me. No matter how many times I returned to the site, at various times of the day, I couldn’t get the “Chat” button. So, I used my VPN to change my virtual location, went to a different web browser, and tried again. Success! To keep getting in, I finally ended up using the Tor browser, which masks who and where you are every time you log on.

On one of my longer chats, the scammer asked for my contact info., so I sent him the throwaway email address and online phone number. Sure enough, he called the number, but I didn’t answer, telling him via chat that I didn’t have time right then for a phone conversation. So, be prepared. The scammer may call the number you’ve given him. There’s no danger if you want to answer. I encourage you to do so, and to lead him on a merry chase!

Be sure to join my Scambaiters Unite Group online! Come by and take a look, join, and help in the fight!

Good hunting!

(PERSONAL NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER, ANGELA: AN ELDERLY RELATIVE OF MINE IS RETIRED, AND VERY MUCH ENJOYS KEEPING SCAMMERS WHO CALL HIS PHONE ON THE LINE FOR HOURS TO WASTE THEIR TIME. IT’S A GREAT HOBBY!!!)

DON’T FORGET! THIS SATURDAY IS THE SUMMER, 2024 24-HOUR SHORT STORY CONTEST! It’s tons of fun so don’t delay if you want to play!! 🙂

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Charles Culbertson is a freelance writer and the author of a number of books on the history of Staunton, Virginia. He has also written a biography of the late gospel singer Tony Fontane, A Bargain With God, and a collection of short stories, Siege at Fort Lyautey and Other Stories. He has been scambaiting for three years.

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