How to get back at an Internet scammer?

Georgina Elin: How to get back at an Internet scammer?
Some weeks ago I found a guy on the internet who offered to build me a thing I needed but is hard to get.
I sent him the money, and the details, and he was very nice in the beginning. He sais he has sent it, but It’s been too long and now he doesn’t reply to my e-mails.
I have his name and address, but he’s in another country. I don’t want to get the police involved because it would be to embarrising (due to the thing he was supposed to build).
I fear he has tricked me for hundreds of dollars. What can I do to get back to him in a legal but horrific way?
No, not Nigeria. Think North-America.

And to all of those who said I should know better: I know this was never a sure deal, but I had a very good reason to think the person involved was a professional and that I was doing buisness with a legitimate firm.

So, no need to call me stupid anymore, I already know 🙂

Answers and Views:

Answer by Vampires_Kiss
Go and smash his computer.

Answer by GigGLeS!
I can help you!

Send me a few hundred dollars and I will get back to you by email.

Answer by cubs2009
What did he build for you? anyways theres nothing you can do..sorry..i hope you learned your lesson. never send money to strangers.

Answer by robin b
well first off you never send money to someone you don’t know, second you should contact the authorities because if you try to get revenge who is to say you don’t break the law yourself and he reports you, plus then you wouldn’t be much better than him would you. And whatever it was that was suppose to be built don’t worry about it I am sure the police have seen and heard it all

Answer by el_mustard_mangler
Don’t pay the ferryman until he gets you to the other side. Lesson learned. Move on and forgive yourself.

Don’t worry about revenge. From a karmic standpoint, the guy has already F**ked himself.

Answer by bigdogchris
I would basically take this as a lesson learned. You don’t send money to people over the internet, especially someone that far away, unless it’s someone you know.

Is saving your embarrassment of talking to police over the phone worth a few hundred dollars?

Answer by Bamma
Bamma say hire witch doctor. Bamma say karma bus run over doll maker. Bamma say he expert craftsman. Bamma make for half price. Bamma return email. Bamma say no money down. Bamma say send pics of progress. Bamma say best deal in town. Bamma otta know.

Answer by Angel
You do not get back at him..you get the police..it doesnt matter ow embarrasing it is that is agaimst the law..and no matter how embarrasing it is the cops will not laugh at you..they are paid not to laugh. because if you gt the police invovled then you can sue him and gt the money you “paid” him back. and more maybe.

its your choice..

Answer by PLthe1
Nothing you can do unless you paid with a credit card that has purchase protection and they will go after him. Other wise chalk it up to a lesson learned. If you have his name and address you could find his phone number and try to call him. Dealing with people out of the country is not worth the effort, you are too at risk, which you know. I like dealing with folks close to home so that i can go over to their business or house and see whats up with my THING they are building or whatever. Sorry, good luck

Answer by r!7u4l
If u were ok with paying a guy a few hundreds of dollars just for building you an embaracing thing, than that meens there’s more where that money came from .
So spare a few more hundreds if u think u really got he’s name and not a fake 1, hire some hacker guy to make he’s life hell, burn he’s pc, block he’s account in bank wich u already know or something like that. Gl , tell me how it went if u gonna do that.

Answer by Gizmo L
It sounds like you’re looking for revenge. You will never obtain that, and I certainly wouldn’t advise you in any way in that regard.

Your primary remedy is to pursue legal avenues, but for reasons unknown you state that is not viable. Even if it were, there would be substantial barriers to that pursuit due to the fact that this involves someone in another country, which may have very different laws.

The only thing I can think of would be to publish your story online, in whatever arenas exist that first made you aware of the person in question. If you found out about him in a forum, then write about your experience in that forum. You could also create a webpage where you document your story, and publish the details. This would possibly lessen the chance that others willl be taken in by the same scammer, and will also make you feel better in the process.

Ultimately, the best thing to do is consider this a learning experience.

Answer by msbluemd
True story: A friend of mine was involved in a Internet scam and lost on the upwards of a $ 1,000. She was so upset and spoke to a lawyer, the police, and an investor to try and get their help to get her money back. After she spoke to all three, it would of cost her more to hire those people then the amount they would of recovered. Finally, she called the embassy of the country that the scammers were from and got the telephone numbers of all the local newspapers and reporters that lived in the scammers local area. She wrote to all of the newspapers, reporters, and even the police to alert them to what had happen to try and get them to do a story on them in their home country to embarrass them and to possibly get them busted. Well, to her surprise about 6 months later, she got a phone call from the police saying that her letters to the local newspaper made them do their own investigation, aired the report, the police stepped in when the newspaper made a big Deal about it and the police arrested the people. They found her name on some records and released her money from a saving account and she got all her money back….down to the last penny. Something to think about doing!

Answer by dmpusa1
they had something like this on dateline a few weeks ago. its international probably and there really nothing you can do.
Keep trying, you never know. I have to say though, doesnt anyone learn? Dont send money or any info to these pigs!!
Especially if it has anything to do with nigeria. Scam capital of the planet!!