What’s All the Fuss About? Re:scam

Get your own back on scammers for wasting your time… by wasting theirs instead

What is it?

It’s an artificially intelligent chatbot that has been set up by New Zealand security firm Netsafe ( www.netsafe. org.nz) to reply to scam emails automatically.

What’s the point of that?

The idea is that the chatbot’s replies look like they’re coming from an actual flesh-and-blood person – complete with typing mistakes, lame jokes and so on – stringing the scammers along by fooling them into thinking you’re falling for their con trick. By wasting their time with a series of back-and-forth emails that never go anywhere, the theory is that the scammers have less time to spend on scamming actual people. Plus, you’ll get a a satisfying sense of turning the tables on the bad guys.

How does it work?

When you next receive a suspicious email promising you a miraculous and unexpected inheritance or an unmissable overseas investment opportunity (or similar), forward it to me@rescam.org before dropping it into your junk folder. The email will be analysed and, if it’s found to be a phishing scam, you’ll receive a confirmation email, along with an invitation to view the hilarious conversation between the chatbot and the scammer.

Re:scam’s chatbot will then assume one of its human personalities and begin communicating with the scammer, under the guise of someone that’s been duped by the phishing email. In order to seem convincing, Re:scam will sometimes set your email aside for a period of time before replying.

You can read some brilliantly funny example conversations by clicking ‘Can you show me?’ at www.rescam.org.

Is it safe?

Yes. We always advise never to reply to scam emails but, technically speaking, you’re not the one replying – the Re:scam chatbot is. Your personal email is never used to contact the scammers – all communication is done via a proxy account. When you view the email conversation online, you may see your name, email address and your own comments in the message thread, but all of this information is stripped from the emails before Re:scam contacts the scammer. You might still see it, but the scammer can’t.

How effective is it?

Re:scam is never going to bring an end to phishing scams, but that’s not the intention. It’s all about sending the scammers on a wild goose chase and disrupting their operations. So far, Re:scam’s chatbots have sent almost half a million emails to scammers (see screenshot below left), which Netsafe estimates would equate to wasting around four and a half years’ worth of scammers’ time. Netsafe also believes that by communicating with scammers, it can learn more about their activities, locations and methods.

Can it be used to check whether an email is fake?

Re:scam doesn’t recommend this, admitting that its own systems aren’t 100 per cent foolproof. If you’re ever in any doubt as to whether an email you receive from your bank or any other service you’re registered with is legitimate, it’s best to contact the relevant company directly.

Can I unsubscribe?

You don’t need to sign up to use Re:scam, but if you forward a scam to the service, you will continue to receive emails from it, unless you opt out. This is done by clicking the Unsubscribe link at the bottom of the email. Even after you’ve unsubscribed, you can continue forwarding phishing emails to the service.

You’ll get a satisfying sense of turning the tables on the bad guys