Taking on the scammers and wasting their time seems like a good idea, but is it worth the time and effort? Cyber Insider enjoys a bit of schadenfreude and finds out
THERE’S NOTHING QUITE like the schadenfreude derived from an email scammer getting their comeuppance. Remember that spate of comedy postings a while back, such as the one where the would-be victim convinced his scammers to go to extraordinary lengths, such as carving a Commodore 64 out of wood?
As fun as these were to watch, the work that went into pulling them off was not insubstantial. But what if you could take yourself out of the equation and get AI to take over the role of harassing the fraudsters?
CHATTY MAN
The good news is that you can. All you have to do is forward a scam email to Re:scam (me@ rescam.org), powered by New Zealand-based security firm Netsafe. A chatbot picks up the email, uses a proxy email address (not yours) and starts sending realistic-looking replies back to the scammers in an attempt to waste their time and resources.
For example, when sent a ‘beneficiary scam’ email (you know the ones, where you have to help someone in a foreign land recover their late husband’s fortune for a cut of the millions of dollars), the chatbot replies with something like this: “Thanks for getting in touch. I’m sorry to hear about your late husband. I struggle with punctuality myself, and I know how irritating it can be. This sounds like new territory for me aye. Before we get the lawyers involved, would it be a good idea for me to get some legal advice?”
Denne historien er fra February 2018-utgaven av Computer Shopper.
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Denne historien er fra February 2018-utgaven av Computer Shopper.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
XIAOMI Mi Mix 3 5G
VERDICT This is the most affordable of the first 5G smartphones, but even with great hardware, the service isn’t yet worth the expense
RHA T20 Wireless
VERDICT They’re not cheap, but these well-designed earphones deliver superb sound quality
Protect And Preserve
Data might be A Valuable Commodity, But It’s Remarkably Easy To Lose Or For Others To Get Their Hands On. Mike Bedford Provides Guidance On How To Preserve, Recover And Destroy Data, And Looks At The Technologies Involved
NZXT H510i
VERDICT Some qualities shine through, but this is an underwhelming case from a maker we know can do better
Kicking Off A New Era Of Football?
With the new football season well and truly under way, David Crookes talks to Jon Hare about reviving the spirit of Sensible Soccer with a new, more sociable offering that he hopes will avoid an own goal
NAIM Mu-so 2
VERDICT A luxurious and fine-sounding slab of metal, but for most homes it won’t be worth the expense
Motorola One Vision
VERDICT The One Vision comes close to being a brilliant mishmash of tech – shame about the camera
JBL Xtreme 2
VERDICT With top-quality sound and a versatile design, this is a great – if expensive – rugged Bluetooth speaker
HUAWEI MateBook 13
VERDICT What the MateBook 13 lacks in flourish, it makes up for in value and performance
GIGABYTE X570 Aorus Master
VERDICT A loaded and forward-thinking motherboard, but not one that fully justifies its high price
