CALIFORNIA – He’s one of the most controversial fraudsters on the scene today. With an easy-going personality and an innocent smile, he can play at your heartstrings with a good story and a bad check. And he is moving from bank account to bank account.
His name is Bodhi Grom Quimby, and he is a Scam Surfer. Taking it up at an early age by participating in a card cracking scheme, he opens new accounts and finds the best scams to take part in, knowing full well what they are. He has honed his craft, creating stories to appear victimized by the activity. Scammers don’t always know what to make of something like him either. Understanding that the activity is nefarious, he doesn’t always give them their cut. Because of this, no one on either side of the fraud equation like Bodhi.
“I was talking to this one scammer and was like, yeah, I’m in love with you. Send me the check or whatever. Then I told the bank like, I got the check from my fiancée and sent the money out. It was totally gnarly. I was able to scam the scammer and the bank at the same time!” Quimby, as one can see, has no qualms about what he is doing.
One such opponent to Quimby’s methods is fraud victimologist Perry Wright. Wright believes that Quimby and others like him are blurring the lines between victims and criminals when it comes to scams.
“Bodhi Grom Quimby and people like him pose major problems in the fraud universe. Plain and simple, he confuses others. There are many legitimate scam victims out there. People who have been put under the ether and victimized by some sinister schemers. Bodhi is not that person. If you were to do a deep dive into his history, you would see multiple instances of him doing this.”
Wright goes on to reveal that Quimby has got in trouble in the past for fraud and that, if pushed, he won’t give specific details on the scams he surfs. He has never made a police report on the scams he has leveraged, and his identity appears to be in shards from all the accounts he has opened.
“He may be one account away from needing to use identity fraud to conduct his schemes. The number of accounts he has made is like a horcrux to his real identity. While it may be sad, save your sorrow for the true victims.”
Scam Surfing is when wannabe or lazy fraudsters utilize other scammer’s schemes to conduct fraudulent activity. It opens the ability to steal or leverage other criminal's work, making the surfer an acting and knowing participant. Basically, a money mule with a surfboard of scam.
“No, no, no. I’m not a money mule. There is a wide range to what that even means. Some mules know what’s going on while others are clueless. No scam surfing…that is an artform,” reveals Bodhi. “The waves of scams are epic right now; lots of bombs! I’ll ride this until I get caught or have to change things up.”
Severity of Intent Can Be Difficult to Identify
The difference between an innocent victim and a guilty participant in a scam can be difficult to identify, especially when they give the same story. Detailed investigation and interview work is the key to being able to identify a scam surfer. Here are some factors to consider when trying to identify a scam surfer:
#1 – Newer account holder
#2 – Exclusively bad funds scam
#3 – Contradiction, vagueness and/or lack of cooperation in relaying details of scheme
#4 – Identity manipulation red flags and/or indications of PII Gypsy
#5 – Criminal history tied to fraud
Once again, factors to consider. There are exceptions for every scenario, and it is very important to be thorough when reviewing. Thanks for reading; I hope it helps in your fight against scams!