Terence EdenI've found that replying to unsolicited messages with "杀猪盘?" is a remarkably effective way of flushing out scammers 😆
Martin Quinson ⏚@Edent https://www.inc.com/bruce-crumley/4-ways-to-stop-fake-applicants-and-remote-employees-in-this-north-korean-job-scam/91189693 gives other ways to achieve the same magic in a different but close context
Nick Phillips@Edent Curious to know meaning - Google translate gives different responses depending on input language selected...
Antho or Whatever 🏳️🌈🇦🇺🇯🇵
xinit ☕
Su_G
Fazal Majid@Edent the guy (or gal) on the other side was probably kidnapped to Myanmar and Cambodia, enslaved there and forced to work in those pig-butchering mills in horrendous conditions, whose ringleader is presumably under some form of protection from the incredibly corrupt local governments:
https://time.com/6344077/pig-butchering-scam-trafficking-victims-trauma/
For Trafficking Victims Forced to Scam Others, the Nightmare Continues Even After Escape
After escaping the multinational criminal industry known as pig-butchering, formerly trafficked scammers are often crippled by physical and mental trauma, guilt and shame, and debt—with little official support.
Fionor@fazalmajid @Edent So? People should willingly fall for the scam to help kidnapped person make more money for mafia?
The best way to stop this is to make it unprofitable.
The best way to stop this is to make it unprofitable.
Patrick Morris Miller@kentenmakto @fionor @Edent clearly, some people are incapable of demonstrating empathy for the people on the other end who are just as much victims, and endure horrific violence at the hands of the ringleaders.
ocdtrekkie@fazalmajid @kentenmakto @fionor @Edent You can not fall for the scam while not being a jerk to the scammer. Sometimes I like to ask them if their (seemingly implausibly bad prompt) is working on anyone today.
@fazalmajid @kentenmakto @Edent This feels less like empathy and more like virtue signaling.
Situation of those people is dire but as person on the other side of world, the best I can do is to not provide incentives to those who caused the situation.
As Jan Palach said: "People must fight against the evil they feel equal to at that moment."
(It's butchered translation but it stands.)
Phogna Bologna@fazalmajid @kentenmakto @fionor @Edent I guess I'm lost here: how is asking "Are you pig butchering?" anything more than asking "Are you pig butchering?". Someone who replied with all expletives was looking for empathy?
Anne Ominousagreed. when i get scam texts, i reply with a link to the propublica article about pigbutchering scams and ask if they are safe.
no one has ever replied after that, either.
Bandar Baru@fazalmajid @Edent yes, this is whats happened with few Indonesians too. that peoples are struggles with their lives, & they see an offering of opportunity to work in Cambodia or Myanmar (or even Thailand or Singapore) with fantastic benefit, yet less or even no requirement to apply.
so they applied, without knowing they'll got sent into the scam center slavery.
some of them already rescued by Indonesia gov, some of them is already too late to be rescued (already died from poor conditions).
MidgePhoto@fazalmajid @Edent and ...?
mikoto@Edent Hi. I don't mean to rude, but I have concerns about the risk of promoting
negative prejudice against Chinese people. Scammers are not limited to Chinese speakers, of course. I wonder why you don't recommend to reply in the very language spoken to you: "Are you a scammer?"
negative prejudice against Chinese people. Scammers are not limited to Chinese speakers, of course. I wonder why you don't recommend to reply in the very language spoken to you: "Are you a scammer?"
@kentenmakto @Edent I appreciate your advice about English usage.
And, do you think that overlooking the discrimination is the best attitude?
And, do you think that overlooking the discrimination is the best attitude?
memo@kentenmakto you expect manners from others yet refuse to practice manners yourself.
plonk
plonk
T Jones NoKings FilmICE@mikoto
Firstly, it came from a +86 phone number. I appreciate not everyone from China speaks Mandarin, bit I felt it was a safe bet.
Secondly, if the person I reply to doesn't understand the Chinese language, they'll ask for clarification. So no risk of offence there.
Thank you for your concern though.
Sharp Leaves
Ibi
PeteWhy not? Aren't we tired of telling people how to be people in interesting times yet?
@FrozenPeach @Edent Never feed a bad monkey.
@philpetree@mastodon.social @Edent
Apparently, I fed you.
Edit: Oh wow, a religious person telling people how to be. I'm shocked.
vitor
The Frog
Andrew Drake
Aylen
Uens@Edent I mean, very cute, I get it, but think a step further.
You're not talking to the 'scammer', you're talking to a Chinese or Taiwanese citizen who's been kidnapped and forced to do this on behalf of the scammers.
This isn't the old telemarketer boiler rooms (although you should be nice to them too), this is organised crime abusing the breakdown of law in SE Asia to kidnap and run scams.
These people get beaten and starved if they don't make quotas. Laugh, but not at their expense.
@BoysenberryCider @Edent so what are you proposing? Should I fall for the scam and send money so they make their quota and don't get beaten?
@nicolas17 @Edent 'Laugh, but not at their expense'.
There are many choices you can make that aren't 'pay scammers money' and 'google translate Chinese-simplified and post it on social media where everyone can laugh at them' - you probably didn't mean it that way, because no-one has told you how these criminals operate.
Instant block and ignore is the way - no one in that interaction wants to be there, end it quickly.
millennial falcon@Edent 🤣🤣💀 good lord!
that is hard out, well played Terence.
that is hard out, well played Terence.
Mastokarl 🇺🇦@Edent maybe a dumb question. As much as I would like to have fun with scammers, I never answer because I believe an account that is active is worth more on the scammer market than one that isn’t and might be flooded with more shit… true or false?
@Mastokarl mostly false. They can see whether a message has been received or not, which is good enough for a liveness check.
Similarly, they can see if they've been blocked - which also shows your account is active.
At the scale they're working at, they're not likely to care though.
I haven't seen a significant uptick in spam since doing this.
Similarly, they can see if they've been blocked - which also shows your account is active.
At the scale they're working at, they're not likely to care though.
I haven't seen a significant uptick in spam since doing this.
Scott Michaud@Edent @Mastokarl I used to block read receipts for this reason. I think I still do with email, although it's been a while since I checked that setting.
Never bothered trying for text messages, though.
@Edent @Mastokarl There was actually a fun time in college (~2009) where a prof called a meeting. At the end, he asked how I knew to show up because I didn't read the email.
"Oh. I block those."
feliks@feliks I don't know what that means, sorry.
Melroy van den Berg
WG@Edent I like replying with מה שמך? (mah shame-kah) which is Hebrew for "what is your name?". If I get back שמי הוא (shmei hu) followed by their name in Hebrew, then either they are legit or understood the question. That is also great for answering the phone when they don't expect a non-English response.
Cris.Q