Curious situation. Drive by, or just my imagination?

[+Harry Dolphin]

Received the notice that two of my caches had been found, by the same person, last weekend. Now, we love to have our caches found! That's why we hide them! These caches are only a bit over two miles apart, but an hour and a half driving time. I do not think that anyone had ever considering doing these two the same day. That piqued my curiosity. This person logged thirty-four caches across five states that day. Not too unusual. It can be done. But these two??? Since we were near one of them, we decided to check. It is not necessarily an easy cache to retrieve. Lo and behold, his signature did not appear on the log. Perhaps he thought that he had signed it? Perhaps he knew where it was, but could not retrieve it, and decided to log it anyway? All of the logs are the same cookie cutter " This was another great cache find on our journey through this area.TFTC" You have to admire anyone who can find over a thousand caches in just over three months! Not sure what to make of this phenomenon. My e-mail questioning the find with no signature is unanswered. The 'found' log has been deleted. We will check the other cache when we get the opportunity. If that one has a signature, I will admit that my suspicions were in error.

Has anyone else noticed this paragon of geocaching? Has anyone else checked the logs to see if this person had actually signed the log? I am curious.

[+TwoCat]

This same cacher has logged 2 of our caches - we will check to see if the signature is there.

[+whistler & co.]

This reminds me a bit of a similar episode that occurred in our area a few years aso. A newbie logged numerous finds over the course of two days for caches along Route 6 in the northern part of PA, then heading up into New York state. They were all logged n the same brief cookie-cutter way, and at first glance, might have looked like the legitimate finds of a person driving along a route. However, I knew from personal experience that some of those ostensibly 1/1 or 1.5/1.5 caches were in reality a lot harder or more involved and time-consuming than they appear to be from reading the description, and had a hunch that the finds were false. I emailed a couple of people whose caches were logged, and they checked to see if the logs had been signed. Lo & behold, NONE were. One of the NY cachers contacted Groundspeak and the logs were deleted by them and, I believe, a warning sent to the account.

 

Oddly enough, the person in question does have a few legitimate finds (made with another cacher, who is somewhat active), and even though he has not logged a find for a couple of years, his account is still active and he did log on a couple of months ago. I don't know what possessed this guy to pick our area for his false logs, because he doesn't even live in the Mid-Atlantic region. I guess he thought he's build up his street cred by increasing his find count!

 

I would suggest checking your logbooks to verify if these people did or did not sign, then take it from there.

[Mr.Yuck]

This same cacher has logged 2 of our caches - we will check to see if the signature is there.

 

Inquiring minds want to know! Looks like the guy is traveling extensively throughout the U.S. and Canada. I just hope he's doing it in like a Prius, and not a Winnebago.

 

Of course he might be doing it from his living room too.

Edited July 30, 2008 by TheWhiteUrkel

[+HaLiJuSaPa]

Was it THIS person?

 

http://www.geocaching.com/profile/?guid=95...67-c2db512bbf02

 

Normally, I would think it is some joker (and maybe it is and he/she has a made up "fake" profile), but maybe it's just some happy traveling retiree crossing the country. It's interesting how "he" carefully picked caches along a route (pretty much I-95, at least in NY and southwestern CT).

 

I think deleting the log was best, maybe if he's serious about it he'll fuss and write back.

Edited July 31, 2008 by HaLiJuSaPa

[+TwoCat]

I have to say I was really hoping to find the signature on the log of DTMSUSA - Edison NJ, but no such luck. And my apologies if they were out caching with no writing utensil as none is in this cache.

 

However, if this is someone just logging for the fun of it, you just have to wonder what the motivation is for someone to just set out and log caches they have not found. Have they nothing better to do <<rhetorical question>>?

[+Harry Dolphin]

Thanks, TwoCat. Somehow, I wasn't expecting you to find a signature. I'll check my other cache in a few weeks.

[+MountainRacer]

They just (allegedly) bagged the new one in Rutgers Gardens too, near the log cabin, and I know for an absolute fact that it had a pen in it. I'll take a look.

[+weathernowcast]

They just (allegedly) bagged the new one in Rutgers Gardens too, near the log cabin, and I know for an absolute fact that it had a pen in it. I'll take a look.

 

Please e-mail me who you guys think it ws.

[avroair]

Yay! Virtual caching is so much fun! Don't even have to leave the computer!

[+Packanack]

Yay! Virtual caching is so much fun! Don't even have to leave the computer!

Oh, thank you , thank you thank you PTB and you too Avroair for letting me know that they are finally bringing back virtuals. I knew there was a reason for my premium membership renewal yesterday. I knew they would come around.

[+FunnyNose]

Someone virtually logged 40 caches in one day in my area, to bad they didn't check the weather report to see that the whole region was essentially in a state of emergency.

[+Whistlen]

Wow, even has a FIND after 3 or 4 DNF's!

[Mr.Yuck]

Oh, never mind, forget it.

Edited August 2, 2008 by TheWhiteUrkel

[+HaLiJuSaPa]

Check out this profile:

 

http://www.geocaching.com/profile/?guid=62...c1-49418731e965

 

I learned of her (? I'm basing on the pretty picture in the profile, but I have a feeling it's a plug from a sci-fi movie......) because the one cache local to me she (?) supposedly did is long on my watchlist and I thought the very short log was a bit suspicious for a slightly involved puzzle cache. A 5 year old account with no finds until today and the finds are spread across 4 states a plane ride from each other all in one day. The NC finds are probably legit since something more than "Yay!" is said and one of those logs says something like "close to my home".

 

I guess this is spreading.....

Edited August 14, 2008 by HaLiJuSaPa

[+stormchaserwv]

people who fake going to caches just to up their counts are only hurting themselves. is it the responsiblity of the caching community to police and call these people out? I dunno...I mean it's a hobby...it's something we enjoy doing...why claim a cache if you haven't gone to it? I don't know the answer to that one...

[+backhiker]

Someone must have a really sad life if they feel the need to log a cache they didn't even do, just to make it look like they did. Boy I feel sorry for them.

 

On the other hand I see nothing wrong with deleting their logs!

[+trowel32]

I was going to suggest, maybe they just don't sign the logs, but...1300+ caches in under 4 months That would be more than 10 a day, every day of the week. Heh heh, they even "attended" an event.

[+Harry Dolphin]

Yes. That event is curious. I wonder if anyone there remembers seeing him? He even did a Webcam. Without a photo, of course.

I know of thirteen caches checked, in three states. No signatures anywhere. Yes, my sister checked her caches in Maine. No signatures in either of mine. No signatures in either of my sister's. Maybe he doesn't like us???

[+stormchaserwv]

Yes. That event is curious. I wonder if anyone there remembers seeing him? He even did a Webcam. Without a photo, of course.

I know of thirteen caches checked, in three states. No signatures anywhere. Yes, my sister checked her caches in Maine. No signatures in either of mine. No signatures in either of my sister's. Maybe he doesn't like us???

 

I think it's time to call this person out....

[Mr.Yuck]

Yes. That event is curious. I wonder if anyone there remembers seeing him? He even did a Webcam. Without a photo, of course.

I know of thirteen caches checked, in three states. No signatures anywhere. Yes, my sister checked her caches in Maine. No signatures in either of mine. No signatures in either of my sister's. Maybe he doesn't like us???

 

Oh, I'm sure the guy has actually visited some geocaches, and attended an event. He does have a gallery in his profile, 5 or 6 pictures taken on a cache outing.

[+TwoCat]

We had a South Carolina cacher check a cache - what a suprise - no signature on the log book!

[+HaLiJuSaPa]

Yes. That event is curious. I wonder if anyone there remembers seeing him? He even did a Webcam. Without a photo, of course.

I know of thirteen caches checked, in three states. No signatures anywhere. Yes, my sister checked her caches in Maine. No signatures in either of mine. No signatures in either of my sister's. Maybe he doesn't like us???

 

Oh, I'm sure the guy has actually visited some geocaches, and attended an event. He does have a gallery in his profile, 5 or 6 pictures taken on a cache outing.

 

We've only been to 3 events, but don't they have you log some sheet of paper that's then compared to the online logs? I do find it interesting that he does have some pictures......

[Mr.Yuck]

We had a South Carolina cacher check a cache - what a suprise - no signature on the log book!

 

Ya don't say! It's quite refreshing, here in the Northeast Mid-Atlantic forum, to make a few comments/observations on this guy, without the usual suspects going into a 10 paragraph dissertation about how he's not harming anyone.

[+whistler & co.]

We had a South Carolina cacher check a cache - what a suprise - no signature on the log book!

 

Ya don't say! It's quite refreshing, here in the Northeast Mid-Atlantic forum, to make a few comments/observations on this guy, without the usual suspects going into a 10 paragraph dissertation about how he's not harming anyone.

 

My dear Urkel, he very well may be harming someone! His wanton faking of logs is causing people to assume that the caches do, indeed, exist in a relatively intact condition. Imagine the poor person (me) who is OCD about DNF's and who sees how this out-of-towner breezed through and blithely found something I did not find after hours of searching on multiple visits? I can picture myself lying awake at 3 a.m. thinking and thinking and thinking (OK, actually that would be "obsessing and obsessing and obsessing") about how I could have missed the cache that he so easily found. That's only a hypothetical situation as petains to me, but perhaps it does appply in actuality to someone else? This person is being completely inconsiderate of those of us who actually hunt for, find, and sign the logbooks in caches! As Little Whistler would say, "He is such a poop!"

[+Crosby Stills and Cache]

I'm totally intrigued by this guy. I was reading some of his event logs and he creates a whole story behind his finds. It's fascinating.

 

He often references other cachers who are there, but no one ever references him? He'll add little anctidotes about a game played at the events or a special log, but it's completely superficial and pulls from previous posters and pictures.

 

The only thing is, if he really didn't attend these events, why is he not being called out more frequently?

 

Either he's real, or completely off his rocker. (I'm voting for the later).

[+Klatch]

I was wondering why one or more of the cache owners who have verified there is no signature in the log don't just email the guy and ask if he doesn't bother to sign the logs. His answer may not really prove anything, but at least he would realize people have noticed.

[+Packanack]

Or maybe he doesn't realize that there is an expectation that the log be signed. When I first signed up for this , I thought it was a clearing house of places that were of interest. I had no idea that there was valuable tupperware out in the woods, with a log and that you were supposed to find it and sign in. I thought it was about viewpoints and historical oddities and waterfalls and valleys and streams...this person might just like to go to neat places, as opposed to let's say--shopping center parking lots. Presumption of innocence............

Edited August 18, 2008 by Packanack

[Mr.Yuck]

We had a South Carolina cacher check a cache - what a suprise - no signature on the log book!

 

Ya don't say! It's quite refreshing, here in the Northeast Mid-Atlantic forum, to make a few comments/observations on this guy, without the usual suspects going into a 10 paragraph dissertation about how he's not harming anyone.

 

My dear Urkel, he very well may be harming someone! His wanton faking of logs is causing people to assume that the caches do, indeed, exist in a relatively intact condition. Imagine the poor person (me) who is OCD about DNF's and who sees how this out-of-towner breezed through and blithely found something I did not find after hours of searching on multiple visits? I can picture myself lying awake at 3 a.m. thinking and thinking and thinking (OK, actually that would be "obsessing and obsessing and obsessing") about how I could have missed the cache that he so easily found. That's only a hypothetical situation as petains to me, but perhaps it does appply in actuality to someone else? This person is being completely inconsiderate of those of us who actually hunt for, find, and sign the logbooks in caches! As Little Whistler would say, "He is such a poop!"

 

Dear Whistler, I totally agree with you. I'm not sure we were totally on the same wavelength. Mr. Dolphin started a thread about this "poop" in the general geocaching topics forum, and it turned into a bizarre, unreadable, liberal vs. conservative debate on personal morality issues, or something like that.

 

Me, as in post #27, I'm "intrigued" by this guy. I'd just like to hear a few comments and observations about the actual logging, including when other logbooks in other states are added to the "not signed" list.

 

And as far as post #29, I really don't think this guy doesn't know that it's proper etiquette to sign logbooks.

[+whistler & co.]

Perhaps he mistook Geocaching for Waymarking? Though how anyone could confound the two is beyond me!

[+MuckSavage]

As I sit here reading, itching all over from poison ivy, tick & chigger bites, I'm wondering........maybe the fake cachers are on to something!

 

Just kidding. I'm proud to be itching!

[+whistler & co.]

As I sit here reading, itching all over from poison ivy, tick & chigger bites, I'm wondering........maybe the fake cachers are on to something!

 

Just kidding. I'm proud to be itching!

 

Your post is alarming, as I see you list New Jersey as your location. As far as I know (I'm not sure, since we are no longer in the Northeast, but I assume), Pennsylvania is just one state over. So, with that in mind, I ask you what exactly is a "chigger" and do I need to worry about them?

[+MuckSavage]

As I sit here reading, itching all over from poison ivy, tick & chigger bites, I'm wondering........maybe the fake cachers are on to something!

 

Just kidding. I'm proud to be itching!

 

Your post is alarming, as I see you list New Jersey as your location. As far as I know (I'm not sure, since we are no longer in the Northeast, but I assume), Pennsylvania is just one state over. So, with that in mind, I ask you what exactly is a "chigger" and do I need to worry about them?

 

Have a look here;

http://sjgeocaching.org/SJG/modules/wfsect...hp?articleid=35

 

and here;

http://www.gamecalls.net/howtoavoidchiggers.html

[+MuckSavage]

As I sit here reading, itching all over from poison ivy, tick & chigger bites, I'm wondering........maybe the fake cachers are on to something!

 

Just kidding. I'm proud to be itching!

 

Your post is alarming, as I see you list New Jersey as your location. As far as I know (I'm not sure, since we are no longer in the Northeast, but I assume), Pennsylvania is just one state over. So, with that in mind, I ask you what exactly is a "chigger" and do I need to worry about them?

 

Have a look here;

http://sjgeocaching.org/SJG/modules/wfsect...hp?articleid=35

 

and here;

http://www.gamecalls.net/howtoavoidchiggers.html

[+MountainRacer]

As I sit here reading, itching all over from poison ivy, tick & chigger bites, I'm wondering........maybe the fake cachers are on to something!

 

Just kidding. I'm proud to be itching!

 

Your post is alarming, as I see you list New Jersey as your location. As far as I know (I'm not sure, since we are no longer in the Northeast, but I assume), Pennsylvania is just one state over. So, with that in mind, I ask you what exactly is a "chigger" and do I need to worry about them?

As far as I can tell, "chiggers" are like children, but bigger, hence the etymology. You can use the term interchangeably with "tween".

 

...Or maybe you meant these nasty things.

[+HaLiJuSaPa]

As I sit here reading, itching all over from poison ivy, tick & chigger bites, I'm wondering........maybe the fake cachers are on to something!

 

Just kidding. I'm proud to be itching!

 

Your post is alarming, as I see you list New Jersey as your location. As far as I know (I'm not sure, since we are no longer in the Northeast, but I assume), Pennsylvania is just one state over. So, with that in mind, I ask you what exactly is a "chigger" and do I need to worry about them?

 

I once read somewhere that the northernmost reach of these buggers (which I never heard of either before these forums) is southern NJ so maybe it actually does make sense after all.

[+TwoCat]

I was wondering why one or more of the cache owners who have verified there is no signature in the log don't just email the guy and ask if he doesn't bother to sign the logs. His answer may not really prove anything, but at least he would realize people have noticed.

 

I've thought about it, but decided I would not want the barrage of emails that might follow - who knows what he will do since he armchair logs caches....

[+whistler & co.]

Good grief! May all who log falsely be infested with chiggers! Chiggers...who knew? Yuck!

[Mr.Yuck]

I was wondering why one or more of the cache owners who have verified there is no signature in the log don't just email the guy and ask if he doesn't bother to sign the logs. His answer may not really prove anything, but at least he would realize people have noticed.

 

I've thought about it, but decided I would not want the barrage of emails that might follow - who knows what he will do since he armchair logs caches....

 

Did you delete the logs on your caches? I'm sure Mr. Dolphin did. It might not be very well known, seeing as log deletions are rare, but the system does generate a "log deletion notice" emailed to the logger. Assuming the guy checks the email account he signed up with, least he knows a small number of people are on to him.

Edited August 20, 2008 by TheWhiteUrkel

[+TwoCat]

Even more curious - I did not delete this cacher's logs on my 2 caches, yet they are gone. I'm guessing only myself or the cacher could have done this?

[+macatac1961]

Even more curious - I did not delete this cacher's logs on my 2 caches, yet they are gone. I'm guessing only myself or the cacher could have done this?

Maybe he just discovered the forums.

[Mr.Yuck]

Even more curious - I did not delete this cacher's logs on my 2 caches, yet they are gone. I'm guessing only myself or the cacher could have done this?

 

Pretty much! Or a reviewer or The powers that be. But I doubt they'd get involved. Probably a self-deletion.

[+Trucker Lee]

Now I'm curious.... do you think this person could get a few caches in Oklahoma or Arkansas and not get at least a couple ticks?

[+Packanack]

An enigma wrapped in a conundrum

[+ReZappers]

 

I once read somewhere that the northernmost reach of these buggers (which I never heard of either before these forums) is southern NJ so maybe it actually does make sense after all.

 

I know from experience that that isn't true. I climb in the Hudson Valley near New Paltz, NY, and every season I get chigger bites from sitting on ledges.

[Mr.Yuck]

Dude has not logged a cache (notice I didn't say found) in over 2 weeks, nor logged into the website since. Dude has self-deleted logs to Two Cat owned caches. Dude knows. Hi, Dude.

[+Harry Dolphin]

I know of fifteen caches checked in South Carolina, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Maine. None had signatures.

0 for 15 of 1734 logged.

Speaking of chiggers... Andy Bear and I finished the requirements for the DeLorme Challenge with a 23 page sweep through South Jersey. First time I've suffered from chigger bites. Them's NASTY bites! Hydrocortisone seems to help. A Long Island cacher told me that they can be found out around Montauk.

I did e-mail a cache owner in NB, but she hasn't responded. We found a few of her caches on the Maine DeLorme trip to help my sister.

[+Hockeyhick]

He's been through South Carolina and North Carolina last month.

 

What a putz...

[+Vinny & Sue Team]

He seems to have made a run through MD back around July, and I have sometimes wondered over the past couple of weeks if I should have perhaps posted a brief note on our local MGS forum to alert folks to the fact that they might wish to check their logs if they were concerned that his finds may be bogus.

 

And now for something rather curious... I had noticed, starting a few weeks ago, the he seemed to have stopped logging new finds as of early or mid August 2008, and, in fact, some of us had speculated off-forum whether perhaps Groundspeak had gotten on his case about the fake finds and had perhaps ordered him to stop or else. Now, I notice something even more curious (and my apologies if someone has already reported this curious fact in this thread; I may have missed some of the earlier posts!) When I checked his profile page today, I discovered that all traces of his geocache finds have been sanitized from the profile page tab marked "Geocaches", in other words, his account now owns zero finds and zero hides, yielding a totally blank page! Now, I can tell you, that is a lot of geocaches to delete, as the last time I looked at the same page, he had over 1,600 claimed finds, all across the USA, if I recall correctly! How interesting that they should all disappear!

 

Overall, an amazing tale! I am, I guess, a bit of a gossip, and I always find myself somewhat fascinated by the antics of chronic serial loggers of fake finds, and equally interested in learning how their antics finally come to light!

[Mr.Yuck]

He seems to have made a run through MD back around July, and I have sometimes wondered over the past couple of weeks if I should have perhaps posted a brief note on our local MGS forum to alert folks to the fact that they might wish to check their logs if they were concerned that his finds may be bogus.

 

And now for something rather curious... I had noticed, starting a few weeks ago, the he seemed to have stopped logging new finds as of early or mid August 2008, and, in fact, some of us had speculated off-forum whether perhaps Groundspeak had gotten on his case about the fake finds and had perhaps ordered him to stop or else. Now, I notice something even more curious (and my apologies if someone has already reported this curious fact in this thread; I may have missed some of the earlier posts!) When I checked his profile page today, I discovered that all traces of his geocache finds have been sanitized from the profile page tab marked "Geocaches", in other words, his account now owns zero finds and zero hides, yielding a totally blank page! Now, I can tell you, that is a lot of geocaches to delete, as the last time I looked at the same page, he had over 1,600 claimed finds, all across the USA, if I recall correctly! How interesting that they should all disappear!

 

Overall, an amazing tale! I am, I guess, a bit of a gossip, and I always find myself somewhat fascinated by the antics of chronic serial loggers of fake finds, and equally interested in learning how their antics finally come to light!

 

Of course the whole thing is "gossipy", but yet also an "amazing tale". How can you not look?

 

Yep, the finds are definitely cleared. Now I do know of, or have heard of, a handfull of people who have self-deleted their find logs from this website. One of these people had slightly over 1,000 finds. Sure you can do it, but how long does it take? I dunno. I also dunno if geocaching.com cleared the profile. I guess we'll all never know.

 

EDIT: I just noticed in post #40, TwoCat says that the guy self-deleted his logs on TwoCat's caches.

 

I do think word got out, and so many logs were deleted, that the guy knew he was being talked about all over the county. And I'd be willing to bet there were one or more "busybodies" emailing the owners of every single cache he ever logged.

Edited October 13, 2008 by TheWhiteUrkel