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Verious Geocaching Cheating (& non-cheating) Services on Microjob Sites


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Due to the drastic rise in incidents of blatant cheating (largely by finders or putative finders) that I (and others) have witnessed in the geocaching world over the past 6 years as the sport has become more mainstream, I have, for years, joked on various geocaching-related forums that eventually people would form for-profit businesses that would offer their geocache cheating services via websites, including Ebay, etc.

 

Well, acting on a hunch, I have, over the past two weeks, visited some of the microjob sites (such as Fiverr.com, gigbucks.com, gigme5.com, tenrr.com, etc.) that are now plentiful on the web, and I discovered that something that the very thing that I have often joked about in the geocaching realm has come true:

 

There are now people on the above-mentioned microjob sites (there are hundreds of such sites to be found on the web. ...) who will, for a fee ranging from $5 to $25, perform any one of the following services (most of which I would consider cheating):

 

 


  •  
  • find and sign the logbook in your geo name on any cache in their region, enabling you to log the find online as if it were your own.
  • place a new cache, with a name of your choice, in their region, enabling you to increased your "caches owned" count.
  • place a new cache in their region with any name, container size, cache type and D/T rating that you might wish, so that you can later claim a fake find on it to complete requirements for various challenges.
  • visit the cache listing page of one of your caches that you feel is being neglected and post a fake find log replete with glowing praises for the cache and the cache hider (that would be yourself).
  • solve a puzzle cache for you, or provide help in solving a puzzle cache.
  • post a DNF (Did Not Find) or Needs Maintenance (NM) log on any cache that you specify.
     

 

To me, this phenomenon is quite amazing... it is as if my wildest jokes are slowly becoming manifest in the real world! It is almost as if an occult hand had reached down from above and moved the players like pawns upon some giant chessboard!

 

Footnote: Please note that I rarely post in the forums nowadays, and I posted this only because the whole matter is so funny, and so interesting (and it got a good reception when I posted it earlier today on my private FB page). Due to the fact that I am very busy with other commitments, there is very little chance that I will be responding via the forum to any replies that people may post below (unless Sioneva publicly maligns me, as she manages to do about 300 times per week. ...).

 

Enjoy!

 

Vinny of Vinny & Sue Team (arch-enemy and arch-nemesis of the evil Sioneva, who stalks me mercilessly in my travels across the world and in cyberspace.)

 

.

 

[late edit to insert missing end parentheses in footnote. ...]

Edited by Vinny & Sue Team
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Due to the drastic rise in incidents of blatant cheating (largely by finders or putative finders) that I (and others) have witnessed in the geocaching world over the past 6 years as the sport has become more mainstream, I have, for years, joked on various geocaching-related forums that eventually people would form for-profit businesses that would offer their geocache cheating services via websites, including Ebay, etc.

 

Well, acting on a hunch, I have, over the past two weeks, visited some of the microjob sites (such as Fiverr.com, gigbucks.com, gigme5.com, tenrr.com, etc.) that are now plentiful on the web, and I discovered that something that the very thing that I have often joked about in the geocaching realm has come true:

 

There are now people on the above-mentioned microjob sites (there are hundreds of such sites to be found on the web. ...) who will, for a fee ranging from $5 to $25, perform any one of the following services (most of which I would consider cheating):

 

 


  •  
  • find and sign the logbook in your geo name on any cache in their region, enabling you to log the find online as if it were your own.
  • place a new cache, with a name of your choice, in their region, enabling you to increased your "caches owned" count.
  • place a new cache in their region with any name, container size, cache type and D/T rating that you might wish, so that you can later claim a fake find on it to complete requirements for various challenges.
  • visit the cache listing page of one of your caches that you feel is being neglected and post a fake find log replete with glowing praises for the cache and the cache hider (that would be yourself).
  • solve a puzzle cache for you, or provide help in solving a puzzle cache.
  • post a DNF (Did Not Find) or Needs Maintenance (NM) log on any cache that you specify.
     

 

To me, this phenomenon is quite amazing... it is as if my wildest jokes are slowly becoming manifest in the real world! It is almost as if an occult hand had reached down from above and moved the players like pawns upon some giant chessboard!

 

Footnote: Please note that I rarely post in the forums nowadays, and I posted this only because the whole matter is so funny, and so interesting (and it got a good reception when I posted it earlier today on my private FB page. Due to the fact that I am very busy with other commitments, there is very little chance that I will be responding via the forum to any replies that people may post below (unless Sioneva publicly maligns me, as she manages to do about 300 times per week. ...).

 

Enjoy!

 

Vinny of Vinny & Sue Team (arch-enemy and arch-nemesis of the evil Sioneva, who stalks me mercilessly in my travels across the world and in cyberspace.)

 

.

 

While i haven't, and will not, visit such sites, it's no surprise to me at all. People will do anything for a buck these days. On that same note, many people have no shame and will cheat to win, even if they have to pay. :rolleyes:

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Oops! Just found a typo in the subject header for this thread. The first word of the subject header should be "Various", not "Verious".

 

I thought that was a deliberate merging of "various" with "nefarious"

 

 

[OK, that wouldn't really work, would it? Use your imagination.]

Edited by knowschad
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I already posted this info nearly an hour ago in another thread. Some guy named Pinto put it on Facebook.

 

Well, on www.fiverr.com there is someone in Devon, UK that will sign you into any local geocache for $5. I've heard of similar posts on Craigslist.

 

This takes armchair caching to a new level. With your username in the logbook, it is completely legal, and would satisfy most Puritan Couchpotato loggers! :D

 

It really does help out the Puritan Couchpotato loggers who need to have an actual bona fide log in the logbook.

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Since Vinny says he won't be reading this I will address it to the general readership...

 

Having someone do any of those things for you is seriously warped.

 

Groundspeak has better things to do than examine accounts for this type of activity; still, if you are aware of it report it, maybe a PM telling the cacher (politely) that this is really lame.

 

I don't know if Groundspeak can or will do anything, my guess is that TPTB would greet this behavior with a yawn, but what the heck, the folks doing such stupid things should be made aware that they are not playing the game as it was intended.

 

If they then continue, hey, there's always a percentage of losers in any population. Sometimes it's best to just let them be. They're only hurting themselves, unless your numbers are important to you as a public statement of your awesome geocacherness, in which case this behavior makes everyone's numbers suspicious. Since I believe numbers should just be for the cacher's enjoyment anyone else shouldn't worry about them.

 

ETA: On the other hand, for the one-time low-low non-refundable fee of $100/year I will add your name to any caches I find. :blink:

 

 

(kidding) B)

Edited by TheAlabamaRambler
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Ha! Next thing, you'll tell me there are services that'll come to your house to pick up the dog poop from your lawn. :)

There's already services like that. I know of one that's been in business for at least 4 years now in Milton, Ontario. True story. You make an appointment with the guy and he'll come by with his pickup truck, clean the dog poop from your yard, toss it in the back of his truck and leave. No idea what the cost is.

 

http://www.dogdooty.com/

Edited by Husky_Patrol
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Ha! Next thing, you'll tell me there are services that'll come to your house to pick up the dog poop from your lawn. :)

There's already services like that. I know of one that's been in business for at least 4 years now in Milton, Ontario. True story. You make an appointment with the guy and he'll come by with his pickup truck, clean the dog poop from your yard, toss it in the back of his truck and leave. No idea what the cost is.

 

http://www.dogdooty.com/

 

(From one dog to another (regarding a post by yet another)... I somehow suspect he knew that when he made the post.)

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Ha! Next thing, you'll tell me there are services that'll come to your house to pick up the dog poop from your lawn. :)

There's already services like that. I know of one that's been in business for at least 4 years now in Milton, Ontario. True story. You make an appointment with the guy and he'll come by with his pickup truck, clean the dog poop from your yard, toss it in the back of his truck and leave. No idea what the cost is.

 

http://www.dogdooty.com/

 

(From one dog to another (regarding a post by yet another)... I somehow suspect he knew that when he made the post.)

Now that I re-read it... you're right. :anibad:

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What I find surprising is that anybody would pay to have someone do most of those "jobs." Even without a signature in the physical log book, I could claim an online find for caches around the world and for various D/T combinations, and there's a good chance the cache owners won't delete them. So, why pay for the signature?

 

If I want to bump my hide numbers, it would be much cheaper to toss out 100 film canisters and create a power trail. Need help with a puzzle? Most cache owners are happy to provide hints or even solutions for free, as are many previous finders.

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This brings the maintenance chore of deleting bogus logs to a whole new high. I mean, do I now have to check signatures in my logs with other logs to determine if the person claiming the find is really them or a $5 a pop surrogate? I think we need a guideline for this. Groundspeak?

 

Edit: Good to hear from you again Vinny, drop around more often.

Edited by jholly
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This brings the maintenance chore of deleting bogus logs to a whole new high. I mean, do I now have to check signatures in my logs with other logs to determine if the person claiming the find is really them or a $5 a pop surrogate? I think we need a guideline for this. Groundspeak?

 

Edit: Good to hear from you again Vinny, drop around more often.

 

For $5 per log, I will go through your logs for you and delete any that look like they came from a $5 a pop surrogate.

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I already posted this info nearly an hour ago in another thread. Some guy named Pinto put it on Facebook.

 

Well, on www.fiverr.com there is someone in Devon, UK that will sign you into any local geocache for $5. I've heard of similar posts on Craigslist.

 

This takes armchair caching to a new level. With your username in the logbook, it is completely legal, and would satisfy most Puritan Couchpotato loggers! :D

 

It really does help out the Puritan Couchpotato loggers who need to have an actual bona fide log in the logbook.

 

Oh wowwwwww :blink:

 

Thank you for alerting me to such nefarious practices being offered in our lovely county of Devon, UK!

 

Have posted it on our facebook Geocaching UK page for "discussion". :D

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This brings the maintenance chore of deleting bogus logs to a whole new high. I mean, do I now have to check signatures in my logs with other logs to determine if the person claiming the find is really them or a $5 a pop surrogate? I think we need a guideline for this. Groundspeak?

Or we could quit comparing cache logs to online logs. Let them cheat if that's how they get their jollies.

 

Here's a guideline suggestion: Enjoy the game and don't worry about other people. :)

Edited by TheAlabamaRambler
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This brings the maintenance chore of deleting bogus logs to a whole new high. I mean, do I now have to check signatures in my logs with other logs to determine if the person claiming the find is really them or a $5 a pop surrogate? I think we need a guideline for this. Groundspeak?

 

Edit: Good to hear from you again Vinny, drop around more often.

 

What we need is a new app, where users can upload photos of logs and input them into a database. Next, the app will scan the photos to determine the likelyhood of them being valid!

 

Verious app development is the worlds first marketplace for mobile application components, enabling iOS, Android, Windows Phone, and HTML5 developers to license pre-built, pre-tested apps! :D

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HEY! This is great!!!

 

There's a tough boat cache I've had on my list I could pay someone to do, so I could sit at home and watch TV!

 

So this guy will take my boat, and go to this really nice beautiful park with a lake in it, and paddle out to the cache. On the way, he may stop in the middle of the lake and eat lunch, like I always do, and while doing that, he may watch Bald Eagles feed their children out of the lake, like I often have.

 

Then he'll paddle up to the beautiful trees surrounding the lake and spend some time searching for the cache, which generally I really enjoy doing.

 

He'll bask in the sun, which we haven't had much of this year yet, and then paddle back, although I've been working on my AB's lately, so I could really use that paddle too I guess.

 

He'll get back to his car, and delight in having found the cache and had the satisfaction of a great day on the lake and had a lot of fun...

 

Oh wait.

You mean I'm paying someone to have my fun?

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... still, if you are aware of it report it, maybe a PM telling the cacher (politely) that this is really lame...

 

Or if you don't want to PM the cacher yourself send me $5 and I'll do it for you :lol:

 

I honestly cannot imagine why anyone would pay someone else to go out and find a cache for them, I wonder if these 'service providers' get any takers?

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HEY! This is great!!!

 

There's a tough boat cache I've had on my list I could pay someone to do, so I could sit at home and watch TV!

 

So this guy will take my boat, and go to this really nice beautiful park with a lake in it, and paddle out to the cache. On the way, he may stop in the middle of the lake and eat lunch, like I always do, and while doing that, he may watch Bald Eagles feed their children out of the lake, like I often have.

 

Then he'll paddle up to the beautiful trees surrounding the lake and spend some time searching for the cache, which generally I really enjoy doing.

 

He'll bask in the sun, which we haven't had much of this year yet, and then paddle back, although I've been working on my AB's lately, so I could really use that paddle too I guess.

 

He'll get back to his car, and delight in having found the cache and had the satisfaction of a great day on the lake and had a lot of fun...

 

Oh wait.

You mean I'm paying someone to have my fun?

 

he is a professional, he supplies his own boat...and gas, and bandaids, and bug spray, and all his GPS equipment, and all his hiking gear, and mountain climbing rappeling. For a few bucks, we could make him so miserable he'd want to apply to be a Walmart greeter.

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>You mean I'm paying someone to have my fun?

 

I had a blast reading your post, you saved me 10 mins writing exactly what I had in mind

now I owe you 5$

---

you know people actually also pay other people to walk their dog,

and to care for their kids,

so why not to find caches for them ?

it is a wierd world.. too much money stuff and too little brain stuff

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$5.00 for the International Space Station? :huh: That would be tempting :laughing:

 

The steal of the century in fact. It cost Lord British 30 m-m-MILLION to get there and place that cache. :blink:

 

On September 28, 2007, Space Adventures announced that Garriott would fly to the International Space Station in October 2008 as the sixth space tourist, reportedly paying $30 million USD

 

During his spaceflight, Garriott took part in several education outreach efforts. He is an Amateur Radio Operator (callsign W5KWQ), and during his stay on the International Space Station (ISS), communicated with students and other Amateur Radio operators using Amateur Radio. Garriott also transmitted photographs using the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) slow-scan television system. Garriott also placed a geocache while aboard the ISS.

 

I'll sign your name for free next time I have an extry 30M burning a hole in my pocket. :laughing:

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$5.00 for the International Space Station? :huh: That would be tempting :laughing:

 

The steal of the century in fact. It cost Lord British 30 m-m-MILLION to get there and place that cache. :blink:

 

On September 28, 2007, Space Adventures announced that Garriott would fly to the International Space Station in October 2008 as the sixth space tourist, reportedly paying $30 million USD

 

During his spaceflight, Garriott took part in several education outreach efforts. He is an Amateur Radio Operator (callsign W5KWQ), and during his stay on the International Space Station (ISS), communicated with students and other Amateur Radio operators using Amateur Radio. Garriott also transmitted photographs using the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) slow-scan television system. Garriott also placed a geocache while aboard the ISS.

 

I'll sign your name for free next time I have an extry 30M burning a hole in my pocket. :laughing:

 

I believe the correct way to do this is to bring the cache down for everyone to sign. Then replace it. At least that seems to be the way for tree climbing caches. :DB)

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$5.00 for the International Space Station? :huh: That would be tempting :laughing:

 

The steal of the century in fact. It cost Lord British 30 m-m-MILLION to get there and place that cache. :blink:

 

On September 28, 2007, Space Adventures announced that Garriott would fly to the International Space Station in October 2008 as the sixth space tourist, reportedly paying $30 million USD

 

During his spaceflight, Garriott took part in several education outreach efforts. He is an Amateur Radio Operator (callsign W5KWQ), and during his stay on the International Space Station (ISS), communicated with students and other Amateur Radio operators using Amateur Radio. Garriott also transmitted photographs using the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) slow-scan television system. Garriott also placed a geocache while aboard the ISS.

 

I'll sign your name for free next time I have an extry 30M burning a hole in my pocket. :laughing:

 

I believe the correct way to do this is to bring the cache down for everyone to sign. Then replace it. At least that seems to be the way for tree climbing caches. :DB)

 

OHL Hockey Guy could probably arrange that if the CO can't. :anibad: He is a local friend of mine and the same guy that got an astronaut to carry his picture up to the ISS and take a pic of it next to the cache to claim a find. I believe there was some hubub about it, but I didn't pay much attention. I chalked it up to sour grapes.

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If anyone do that to my caches, I would let it stand. As long the log sheet is signed, there's nothing I can do about it. I know friends do it for friends. It happens more often then most people realize.

 

If I want to color up USA. 50+1 states. 51 x 5 =255 bucks. That way cheaper than to do it urself.

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If anyone do that to my caches, I would let it stand. As long the log sheet is signed, there's nothing I can do about it. I know friends do it for friends. It happens more often then most people realize.

 

If I want to color up USA. 50+1 states. 51 x 5 =255 bucks. That way cheaper than to do it urself.

 

I must be a little slow but why would anyone want to color up USA, by having someone else sign. What would be the point?? It would be meaningless.

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I must be a little slow but why would anyone want to color up USA, by having someone else sign. What would be the point?? It would be meaningless.

Why would anyone pay someone to sign the log for them so that they can claim a cache?

 

If it makes sense to the person to do that, then being able to color the map that way probably makes sense to them too.

 

And to really get down to it, why would someone run around looking for containers so that they can leave their name on it? I know many of us try to justify it by saying it brings us to new places and all that, but for many of us, geocaching is an end in itself. We do it because we find it fun. If someone finds it fun to pay someone to geocache for them, hey, let them knock themselves out. If anyone wants to pay me $5 to eat a donut, let me know.

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If anyone do that to my caches, I would let it stand. As long the log sheet is signed, there's nothing I can do about it. I know friends do it for friends. It happens more often then most people realize.

 

If I want to color up USA. 50+1 states. 51 x 5 =255 bucks. That way cheaper than to do it urself.

 

I must be a little slow but why would anyone want to color up USA, by having someone else sign. What would be the point?? It would be meaningless.

I been in 38 states(plus DC) before I was a geocacher and there are a few states that I dont really wanna go back to visit. Fla is one of them. BLAH...so flat! To color up USA, I will have to go back to each state again. make more sense to pay someone 5 bucks to sign the log of the states I been in. <_<

 

I got a friend thats in Fla right now and she is a cacher as well. She told me that she wanna find a few caches in Fla before she heads back home. I just about ask her to sign my name in a few of the caches she find. :lol:

Edited by SwineFlew
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If anyone do that to my caches, I would let it stand. As long the log sheet is signed, there's nothing I can do about it. I know friends do it for friends. It happens more often then most people realize.

 

If I want to color up USA. 50+1 states. 51 x 5 =255 bucks. That way cheaper than to do it urself.

 

I must be a little slow but why would anyone want to color up USA, by having someone else sign. What would be the point?? It would be meaningless.

I been in 38 states(plus DC) before I was a geocacher and there are a few states that I dont really wanna go back to visit. Fla is one of them. BLAH...so flat! To color up USA, I will have to go back to each state again. make more sense to pay someone 5 bucks to sign the log of the states I been in. <_<

 

I got a friend thats in Fla right now and she is a cacher as well. She told me that she wanna find a few caches in Fla before she heads back home. I just about ask her to sign my name in a few of the caches she find. :lol:

 

If that floats your boat, I guess that's ok, but don't think you will be fooling anyone but yourself.

 

Before Geocaching, I was in the Navy, and I drove truck for a summer. (both of those were many many years ago.) However, that doesn't mean I should have someone sign a log for me in any of the foreign ports I visited, nor for any place I went when driving truck. To think otherwise is just silly.

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If anyone do that to my caches, I would let it stand. As long the log sheet is signed, there's nothing I can do about it. I know friends do it for friends. It happens more often then most people realize.

 

If I want to color up USA. 50+1 states. 51 x 5 =255 bucks. That way cheaper than to do it urself.

 

I must be a little slow but why would anyone want to color up USA, by having someone else sign. What would be the point?? It would be meaningless.

I been in 38 states(plus DC) before I was a geocacher and there are a few states that I dont really wanna go back to visit. Fla is one of them. BLAH...so flat! To color up USA, I will have to go back to each state again. make more sense to pay someone 5 bucks to sign the log of the states I been in. <_<

 

I got a friend thats in Fla right now and she is a cacher as well. She told me that she wanna find a few caches in Fla before she heads back home. I just about ask her to sign my name in a few of the caches she find. :lol:

 

If that floats your boat, I guess that's ok, but don't think you will be fooling anyone but yourself.

 

Before Geocaching, I was in the Navy, and I drove truck for a summer. (both of those were many many years ago.) However, that doesn't mean I should have someone sign a log for me in any of the foreign ports I visited, nor for any place I went when driving truck. To think otherwise is just silly.

 

How are you set for Minnesota? I'll "light it up" for you for only $5. :lol:

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To me if I ever even thought of doing something like that, I am sure I would be caught. Most of my friends know where I am, and for anyone else to try it, even the ET HWY or other states wouldn't their friends know they didn't really do it or go there? Or maybe they just don't have friends and they think this is the way to make friends. I would say, look in the mirror because to cheat like that, that would be the only friend you will truly have.

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