In the early days of the internet I was always surprised when people came up with interesting aliases. I was impressed that they took the time and care to create a unique username. Flip that coin. Now we see the dark side of handle creation. Not only are people attempting to hide their true identities,Continue reading “Explain Snapchat Names”
Tag Archives: scammer
Welcome to My Blog, AI Scum
I still don’t know if these “wrong number” texts are AI, bots, or real people just sitting behind a laptop somewhere in a Third World country… I guess it doesn’t really matter, but I’m getting a little tired of the rote responses. Improvising with them just isn’t as much fun anymore.
Dozens and Dozens
So I’ve gotten that many of those “wrong number” texts but, like the oysters in Alice in Wonderland, they keep coming quick and fast. Meanwhile, I keep trying to find ways to play with them and/or short circuit them with the weapon of improv. Here are the two latest examples. My last comment stopped theContinue reading “Dozens and Dozens”
It’s a Fix-Up, Not a Mix-Up
When I got this “wrong number” message on WhatsApp, I checked out the profile photo. My first thought was: online escort. (Sorry I didn’t screenshot that.) So I expressed that opinion early on. But by that last response of mine, she was already self-deported from WhatsApp—unless the system deleted “her.”
Noise!
This is my new favorite wrong number text. At least they’re trying something new. The account was frozen and deleted in record time, but luckily I got this screenshot.
No Improv?
Some days it’s a lot of fun to improvise with the wrong number callers. But there are times when they just don’t try hard enough.  I’m not sure if it’s posting a photograph, pretty much clearly from AI, it stopped the conversation or what.
Mr. Frreeeeze!
It’s like a cat toy that you put down, and the cat hits it under the dresser. No play! Where’s the fun in that? Spam, Scam, Telegram!
Lost With Translation
I need some help with this one. First of all, this wrong number texter is all over the place. Person, bot, or AI? It’s not really clear. You can see that it doesn’t really follow any kind of logical progression, and seems to be highly reactive, like the old ELIZA program that, if you answeredContinue reading “Lost With Translation”
Clueless?
Or just not trying hard enough? Or presuming too much? This is another wrong number attempt. I had done a screen shot earlier, but I like development on this one when I forgot to delete it. By way of explanation: the display name was “Douglas.” Also, at the top? “Deleted Account.” Of course, it’s likeContinue reading “Clueless?”
The Script That Keeps On Giving
One of the lessons of the modern online world is that, when you accuse a scammer of being a scammer, they try to convince you they’re not—and therefore confirm that they are. And they often do so by sticking to their script which is even less convincing.