Taking into account that online scams are the bread of each day and are increasingly complex to identify and prevent them from sneaking, There is a curious way to counterattack: the scambaiting.
It is not about falling into the trap and becoming a victim, but of the opposite: give a tablespoon of their own medicine to the scammers, wasting time and resources.
He scambaiting It is a practice that mixes, so to speak, humor, creativity and a certain sense of justice. It consists of pretending interest in a scam, interacting with the scammers and making them believe that you are about to fall into their trap, but in reality you are playing with them, making them waste time and, in some cases, collecting information about their methods.
This technique has really become viral on the Internet, with entire communities in Reddit dedicated to sharing their experiences and strategies. But what exactly is the scambaiting? How does it work? Is it ethical? And what are the risks of facing the scammers on their own battlefield?
What is the ‘scambaiting’?
He scambaiting It is a word composed of scam (scam) and bait (bait). The main idea is to use bait to attract scammers, but instead of falling into their trap, scambaiter, what is The person who practices the scambaitingit becomes the predator.
The objective is not to obtain economic benefits or revenge personally from scammers, but rather expose their methods, to waste time and resources, and raise awareness of other people about the risks of online scams.
Los scambaiters They use all kinds of techniques to deceive scammers, from invent characters and ask absurd doubts to lengthening conversations for weeks or even months. The key is to maintain the interest of the scammer without revealing that you are aware of the scam.
A step by step guide, this is how the art of cheating the scammer works
- Identify a scam: receive an email from a Nigerian prince, a text message offering you an easy job with an incredible salary or a phone call from someone who claims to be from Microsoft’s technical support.
- Respond with interest: instead of ignoring or denouncing the scam, it responds to the message showing interest in the offer.
- Create a character: invent a false identity to interact with the scammer. You can be a naive old man, an eccentric millionaire or a student desperate for money.
- Ask absurd questions: questions that make no sense or that suggest your lack of knowledge on the subject. This will help confuse the scammer and extend the conversation.
- He extends the conversation: responds to the scammaker’s messages slowly and very little by little, making him believe that you are about to fall into the trap, but always putting excuses not to send money or private information about you.
- Share what has happened with everyone: publish screenshots or videos of your conversations with scammers in specialized forums or social networks. The idea is to raise awareness and notify people of what is happening.
The dark side of the ‘scambaiting’: is it always ethical?
Although it can be fun and in a certain way to rewarding, also care because there are some things you should know and, above all, take into account. Is it correct to deceive scammers, even if your goal is to deceive other people? Where is the limit between humor and humiliation? And what risks are the scambaiters When facing the scammers in their own game?
Some argue that the scambaiting You can cross ethical lines by resorting to tactics that touch harassment or public humiliation. In addition, there is a risk that scammers adapt their methods to become more difficult to identify and deceive.
It must also be taken into account that scammers are usually part of experiences organized with experience and that they can react violently if they feel threatened. In some cases, scambaiters They have received death threats or have been victims of computer attacks.
In addition, these, or not all of them, are silly. Cybercriminals know how long they can waste before moving on to their next victim.
As for you, doing so can give rise to legal and security risks because despite good intentions, by doing Robin Hood you can fall into the same illegality when trying to cheat the attacker. The Law on Frank and Computer Abuse punishes unauthorized access to computer systems, and this technique could cross that line, so you must be very careful to carry it out.
Although this method may sound interesting, Anyone cannot be carried out and should not be taken as a joke, only those who have the necessary knowledge in the matterso if you are not an ethical hacker, you can probably be putting your information, privacy and security at risk.
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Tags: Tips, video, scam, cybersecurity