For a long time I don´t come here to write. I decided to post today to talk about online scams.

Scams are part of life for everyday human. From phone calls, emails or messages in social networks all counts when someone wants to take your money. It´s also known that these scam groups are now big international institutions that use several types of scams to earn millions. We also know they also use slave labor to reach their goals. Today I will not go and try to explain why they are allowed to keep doing it or why some people still fall for it, but rather give you some incites how do I use them to take some profits or learn from them.

There are many Youtube videos explaining how they work and how they start the connection with the victim. From random Whatsapp messages to phone messages, every way counts when to contact someone to take their money. Also, most of these scams use cryptos as a payment base. Why? Because is easy, anonymous and fast. But I would add that is something new and for most people, after hearing about bitcoin in the news, they will go for it not knowing its a scam.

Although, in Portugal where I live, last scams I got into used phone payments, common in Portugal known as MBWay where you can receive and send payments using phone contacts.

I should point out that the returns are very few if you live in a first world country like Europe or North America for example, but for those living in some countries where a minimum wage is low, maybe what I get in some months is not so bad. But I also doubt they would contact someone from those poor countries.

This is what I earned so far:

From September till November 2023 – Around 100€
10 Abril 2024 – 19,5€
11 April 2024 – 13€
15 April 2024 – 12€
10 June 2024 – 6€
11 June 2024 – 8€

(I just realized that the values are decreasing over time. I wonder why??? )

So, if what I can get from scammers is not so much why I lose my time? Well, there are 4 main reasons:

First I like to understand how they work. By enrolling in these scams, I learn how they put the scam in motion, and I am able to understand that most of them work because of psychology. People are allured to get big and fast returns, and when they put some money and can´t take it out they keep pouring cash thinking one day they can withdraw. Being able to read at first hand their script on how to “negotiate” with the victims is very impressive. And trying to respond to their script is a challenge that excites me I should admit.

Second is, for every euro I take from them make´s them less profitable and makes them to give up or change their strategy because I am a cost to their enterprise. It may be a drop in the ocean, but that makes me happy, knowing I am fucking them up drop by drop. But I also know lot´s of people doing it just now, so I am not the only one. I like to think there are lot´s of drops working.

Third and very important is that by wasting their time with me I want to believe they are not able to use their time with someone else that could be scammed. Even if this not the case, I like to believe that happens :D

And fourth, the time I spent is nothing compared to the returns I earned so far (even being just a few euros). For example on the 10 and 11th of June, I may have spent maximum 20 minutes for the 14€ I got.

(This make 42€ an hour, which is not bad for Portuguese standards.)

Let´s see how much will I make till the end of this year.

Will keep you posted.