Ethical Question - Updated

"I Will Always Be The Honey Badger" (iwillalwaysbethehoneybadger) 07/20/2017 at 12:03 • Filed to: None

4

34

I’ve been messing with a scammer through a throwaway email address. Huge inheritance, same last name, yadda yadda. Anyway, he seems insistent on prying identifying information out of me. I’m contemplating crafting an email attachment or two that may contain something less pleasant then what he’s looking for. Perhaps something that would render his computer slightly less useful.

Update - Replied with two attachments. One to give his browser something to do, and one to have some fun with the cpu. Nicely labeled as word documents ( hopefully). Nothing permanently harmful just an annoyance.  Doubt I’ll hear from him again, but will update if i do.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > I Will Always Be The Honey Badger 07/19/2017 at 17:06

1

Sounds good to me! You have a go, fire for effect.

Slant6 > I Will Always Be The Honey Badger 07/19/2017 at 17:06

0

Do it.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > I Will Always Be The Honey Badger 07/19/2017 at 17:08

0

Absolutely.

Bryan doesn't drive a 1M > I Will Always Be The Honey Badger 07/19/2017 at 17:08

2

Ethically, you’re good. Legally? Ehhhhhh....

Die-Trying > I Will Always Be The Honey Badger 07/19/2017 at 17:09

1

ever been over to 419 eater ? its a good place to lose a few hours reading over people messing with scammers. they come up with some VERY creative ways to antagonize them........

HammerheadFistpunch > I Will Always Be The Honey Badger 07/19/2017 at 17:10

12

One the one hand, there are important ethical ramifications to consider on whether or not its morally acceptable to prey on predators.

On the other hand

benjrblant > I Will Always Be The Honey Badger 07/19/2017 at 17:10

10

Just to set the record straight, you’re asking about ethics in relation to a person whom is likely trying to steal your identity and empty your bank accounts?

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > I Will Always Be The Honey Badger 07/19/2017 at 17:13

0

Go for it.

Mercedes Streeter > I Will Always Be The Honey Badger 07/19/2017 at 17:15

0

I have a fun virus on a SD card somewhere in my boxes. When run (it’s triggered by opening a web browser) it uninstalls all networking drivers it can find, leaving the computer dead in the water and Windows confused as all heck.

I got it entirely by accident. 5+ years ago I was using my laptop when my network kept breaking. Well, I just kept reinstalling the drivers, only for them to immediately break. Okay. It frustrated me for all of about a week until I took out my SD card for something else and it stopped happening. Stupid virus installed itself to the SD.

I say do it!

Aremmes > I Will Always Be The Honey Badger 07/19/2017 at 17:22

2

It’s always fun to mess with scammers. As long as you don’t cause harm to the scammer (and having them waste their time doesn’t count as harm), you should be legally OK.

If you haven’t yet, have a look at the story of the P-p-p-powerbook . Long story short, a scammer thought that he was scamming an eBay seller out of a Mac PowerBook laptop through a fake escrow site, but instead got this:

Chariotoflove > I Will Always Be The Honey Badger 07/19/2017 at 17:24

5

In my mind, it’s not even a question. Nuke the bastard.

Full disclosure: I’m also the guy who wishes the super hero would just shoot the villain in the face. Chivalry is too damned inconvenient.

Chariotoflove > Mercedes Streeter 07/19/2017 at 17:27

1

So you’re patient zero.

CB > I Will Always Be The Honey Badger 07/19/2017 at 17:31

0

Legally, not a safe idea.

VajazzleMcDildertits - read carefully, respond politely > I Will Always Be The Honey Badger 07/19/2017 at 17:40

1

Some scammers seem to be under the impression that they have real jobs. A lot of them are paid shit to basically fuck people over, while their superiors rake in the criminal profits.

I’m not trying to discourage you from doing it. I think you should, in fact. But I would just keep in mind who you’re talking to is the bottom tier of an elaborate operation that rakes in millions in a country where the average dickhole makes a bag of fruit a day, or something.

It’s probably not his computer, either, so fuck it up. Scammers inevitably exist, but their lives SHOULD be harder to encourage them to go somewhere else. People who are known to push back don’t get messed with as often.

Mercedes Streeter > Chariotoflove 07/19/2017 at 17:43

1

What can I say? I’m infectious!

DucST3-Red-1Liter-Standing-By > I Will Always Be The Honey Badger 07/19/2017 at 17:48

1

Three words, giant gummy lizard

https://www.ted.com/talks/james_veitch_this_is_what_happens_when_you_reply_to_spam_email

Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief > I Will Always Be The Honey Badger 07/19/2017 at 18:06

8

I caught a man trying to break into my apartment one Sunday morning. Interestingly he already had one black eye. I punched him directly in the face and made it a set. That’s when I noticed he had a skateboard and I picked it up abed proceeded to beat him with it until the police arrived.

Never once have I thought back and wondered if I made the ethical decision.

I Will Always Be The Honey Badger > HammerheadFistpunch 07/19/2017 at 18:35

0

I’m so tempted.

I Will Always Be The Honey Badger > benjrblant 07/19/2017 at 18:36

1

I know, I know. Most of me just wants to set his hard drive on fire.

ranwhenparked > I Will Always Be The Honey Badger 07/19/2017 at 19:40

1

You’re asking is it ethical to toy with a scammer and possibly disable his ability to scam others, at least temporarily? I don’t know what the legal considerations are, but, what the hell, go for it.

And maybe consider sharing the results at 419eater - hilarious site.

pip bip - choose Corrour > I Will Always Be The Honey Badger 07/20/2017 at 06:29

0

DO IT!

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > I Will Always Be The Honey Badger 07/20/2017 at 10:49

4

I think the alternate ID you’re using to mess with the scammer should include personal address and phone information that mysteriously matches the local FBI office....

Nibby > I Will Always Be The Honey Badger 07/20/2017 at 12:10

1

Honestly, not worth your time

I Will Always Be The Honey Badger > Nibby 07/20/2017 at 12:11

4

You know, you’re right. But you could say that about more of my hobbies.

Wacko > Nibby 07/20/2017 at 12:16

1

hey we don’t judge you with your shady YouTube history

valis86 > I Will Always Be The Honey Badger 07/20/2017 at 12:32

0

Hey, if they are opening your attachments, and you are certain this is a spammer, send them a zip bomb. Should be the last you hear of them.

CalzoneGolem > Wacko 07/20/2017 at 12:38

2

Well I do.

I Will Always Be The Honey Badger > valis86 07/20/2017 at 12:40

0

Well he wants to give me 15 million dollars if i send him a copy of my Drivers licence and full contact information.

valis86 > I Will Always Be The Honey Badger 07/20/2017 at 12:47

1

I don’t like to be ‘that guy’, but I really don’t like spammers. Or telemarketers. There’s a special ring in Hell for all of them. So yeah, I’d send them that.

That said, I’m a known jerk; this is validated frequently by my son. So take my advice with an entire shaker of salt.

OPPOsaurus WRX > Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief 07/20/2017 at 12:54

0

yea.. if i caught someone trying to break into my house I would probably lose control. I’d be in the mindset of its either you or me, and there is no fucking way i’m going to let it be me.

DAWRX - The Herb Strikes Back > I Will Always Be The Honey Badger 07/20/2017 at 13:33

0

I think its perfectly fine if you’re preventing them from screwing with others, like this guy did. These people are totally at ease with what they do. Least we can do is make their life harder.

Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief > OPPOsaurus WRX 07/20/2017 at 14:12

0

That was the situation. He was a lot bigger than I was and I was scared. He was actually actually trying to steal my dog’s collar and leash for his pitbull and once he had climbed over a metal gate to do so found the key for my trash enclosure. It had my house number on the key and I heard a bunch of noise and opened the door to see what it was and it was him trying to unlock my front door with the trash key. Luckily it took him longer to take stock of the situation and the first pop in the face was essentially the deciding factor.

Also good luck: his pitbull was around the corner with his girlfriend. As he had jumped a gate the dog wouldn’t have gotten to me but it would have ratcheted the situation up that much more.

AfromanGTO > I Will Always Be The Honey Badger 07/20/2017 at 14:14

0

So has he responded back to you???? lol

Funktheduck > valis86 07/20/2017 at 15:43

1

My business and personal phone are the same. I get robo calls almost daily. Often if I suffer through the recorded message until I hear what number to push to stop the calls (temporarily). One daily (sometimes multiple per day) call didn’t give me that option. It was either “talk to a representative” or it’d hang up. Finally frustrated with the harassment I chose to talk to a person. As soon as the person answered I screamed into the phone as loudly as I could using choice words and hung up. Calls stopped for 2 days. Then I got the same recording from a different number but this time I got the option to be taken off the list. It’s been a little over a week so I expect it’ll be another week or two before they start up again from a new number and the cycle continues