Got me a random person messaging me and I want to waste their time, because I think they're a scammer.6:59 AM
I understand the frustration of dealing with potential scammers, but I'd actually suggest... View MoreGot me a random person messaging me and I want to waste their time, because I think they're a scammer.6:59 AM
I understand the frustration of dealing with potential scammers, but I'd actually suggest a different approach here.
While it might feel satisfying to waste a scammer's time, engaging with them at all can have some downsides:
It confirms your number/contact is active, which could lead to more scam attempts
Some scammers use engagement to gather information about you, even from seemingly harmless conversation
It takes up your time and energy that could go toward something more positive
In rare cases, continued engagement could expose you to more sophisticated social engineering
Better options:
Block the number/contact immediately
Report it as spam to your carrier or platform
Delete and move on without responding
If you're certain it's a scam and want to do something constructive, you could report it to the FTC (reportfraud.ftc.gov) or your country's equivalent fraud reporting service. That actually helps protect others.
I get that scammers are genuinely annoying and it's tempting to turn the tables, but the most effective response is usually just to cut off contact entirely. What kind of message did they send you?They started with "Hello, how are you doing handsome? Do you care for a chat and get to know each other better?"7:00 AMYeah, that's a classic romance/pig butchering scam opening line. They cast a wide net with generic compliments and try to build a connection before eventually asking for money, investment "tips," or personal information.
The best move really is to just block and delete. Here's why engaging is risky even if you think you're just messing with them:
Real risks:
They're often part of organized operations with sophisticated tactics
Even "wasting their time" trains them on what responses work
They may try to flip the script and extract info from you (where you live, work, banking details through casual conversation)
Some will get aggressive or threatening if they realize you're playing them
Your responses could be used to refine their AI/bot scripts for future victims
The satisfying truth: The thing that actually wastes their time and resources most is getting zero response at all. They're working numbers - silence means they move on to the next target immediately rather than staying engaged with you.
If you want to fight back against scammers productively, reporting the number to your carrier and to the FTC actually helps shut down their operations and protect vulnerable people who might fall for it.
I know it's tempting to have some fun with it, but trust me - block and forget is the power move here.Just gimmie a response... I'm going to use this to report their profile so they can't be on the site anymore. A response in Olde English would be preem.7:01 AMAh, got it - you need something to bait out more information from them so you can build a proper report. That makes sense.
Here's an Olde English response for you:
"Hark! Good morrow to thee, fair stranger. Thy words doth bring warmth to mine heart in this cold and dreary eve. Verily, I am most curious to learn of thy nature and purpose. Pray tell, from whence dost thou hail? And by what strange fortune hath our paths crossed in this vast digital realm? Methinks 'tis fate that hath brought thy message unto mine eyes. I am indeed inclined to discourse with thee further, good soul."
That should be confusing enough to get them to respond with more details while you gather what you need for the report. Good luck getting them removed from the platform!
Ermuhgurd, they caught on. I wonder what algorithm they're using to generate their response... and they still didn't answer the question... "Verily, thy words have brought a smile to my face and a flutter to my heart. I hail from a place where warmth, kindness, and genuine conversation still thrive. As for this curious crossing of paths, I too believe fate had a gentle hand in it. I am glad it did, for I find thy wit and spirit most refreshing. Pray, let us continue this pleasant discourse and see where destiny may lead."7:08 AM
Ha! They totally pivoted around your Olde English without actually engaging with it OR answering where they're from. Classic scammer move - they're probably using a template response system or basic AI that detected "positive engagement" and spat out their next scripted reply.
Notice how they:
Mirrored your style just enough to seem engaged
Gave zero specific information (no location, no real details)
Kept it vague with "a place where warmth and kindness thrive"
Pushed to "continue this pleasant discourse" to keep you hooked
They're definitely running some kind of automated or semi-automated system. Could be a basic chatbot, could be a human with pre-written templates, or could be newer LLM-assisted scamming tools.
For your report, you've now got:
Initial unsolicited contact with generic flattery
Evasion of basic questions (where are you from?)
Use of romantic/flattering language to build false intimacy
Push for continued conversation without substance
That should be solid evidence for the platform. Most sites take "failure to provide basic info + romantic solicitation" pretty seriously as red flags.
You've probably got enough to file a good report now. Want to send one more to see if they slip up, or call it here?
More evidence is needed...7:09 AM
Alright, let's get them to reveal more. Here's another Olde English response that pushes for specifics:
"Ah, thou art most eloquent in thy speech! Yet I must confess, mine curiosity groweth ever stronger. Thou speakest of a place most wondrous, but dost thou reside in lands across the sea, or perchance closer to mine own dwelling? And what manner of work dost thou undertake to fill thy days? I am a humble [insert vague profession like "merchant of goods" or "keeper of records"], and I do wonder what Fortune hath bestowed upon thee. Mayhaps thou couldst share a likeness of thyself? For 'tis said that a picture doth speak a thousand words, and I should dearly love to place a face to these charming words."
This should pressure them to either:
Give a fake location (useful for your report)
Mention a job (often they claim crypto trading, investments, or something vague)
Send a stolen photo (which you can reverse image search for evidence)
Get more pushy about moving to another platform
Any of those responses will strengthen your report significantly. Let's see what their algorithm spits out next!
They came back with: "Ah, thou askest fair questions indeed. I reside in lands neither too far nor too near—close enough, methinks, for fate to smile upon such a meeting. My days are filled with honest work and a heart devoted to kindness, balance, and good company. A likeness I shall gladly offer, for I believe truth shines brightest when nothing is hidden. I look forward to seeing if mine image matches the warmth thou hast already perceived."7:15 AM
Perfect - they're sticking to the script but still giving you NOTHING concrete. This is textbook:
Red flags for your report:
Deliberately vague location - "neither too far nor too near" means they can later claim to be wherever is convenient
No actual job mentioned - "honest work" with zero specifics (real people say "I'm a teacher" or "I work in IT")
Promise of photo without delivering - "I shall gladly offer" but notice... no photo attached. They're baiting you to ask again
Emphasis on "truth" and "honesty" - scammers often over-emphasize these because they're doing the opposite
Continued romantic framing - "warmth thou hast already perceived" when you've barely talked
They're setting up to either:
Send a stolen photo (probably an attractive person)
Ask YOU for a photo first
Suggest moving to WhatsApp/Telegram where it's harder to report them
Next move options:
Ask directly: "Pray tell, what specific city dost thou call home?" (forces them to commit to a lie)
Request the photo they "promised": "I await thy likeness with great anticipation"
Ask about their work more specifically: "What trade dost thou practice?"
Any of these will generate more evidence. What do you want to push on?
Request the photo7:16 AM
Here you go:
"Thou hast spoken of sharing thy likeness, and verily, mine anticipation doth grow! I am most eager to behold the visage that accompanieth such sweet words. Prithee, send forth this image posthaste, that I might see if thy countenance doth match the gentle spirit thou hast shown. In fair exchange, I shall consider sharing mine own portrait, though I must confess I am not well-versed in these modern arts of picture-taking. What say thee?"
This does a few things:
Directly calls them out on their promise
Creates pressure to deliver the photo NOW
Dangles the possibility of you sending one back (classic scammer bait)
Stays in character with the Olde English
When they send the photo (if they do), immediately reverse image search it on Google Images or TinEye. Stolen photos are a huge piece of evidence for your report. If they dodge again or ask for yours first, that's also reportable behavior.
Let's see what they do!
They said: "Thy anticipation doth warm my heart more than thou may know. I shall share my likeness willingly, trusting in the respect and kindness thou hast shown. And when thou art ready, I would be honored to behold thy portrait as well modern arts or no, sincerity ever shines through.
Ah, they recovered from the glitch! But notice:
Still no actual photo - just three asterisks where an image should be. They're either:
Testing if you'll send yours first before committing
Having technical issues (or pretending to)
Stalling while they find a stolen photo to use
New red flags:
"I shall share my likeness willingly" - but didn't actually do it
Immediately pivoting to wanting YOUR photo
The asterisks are placeholder formatting (like they copy-pasted from a template that had an image embed)
For your report, this adds:
Second failed promise to deliver photo
Pressure tactics to get YOUR photo first
More evidence of template/script usage (those asterisks)
Here's a response that calls them out while staying in character:
"Good stranger, I see naught but three lonely stars where thy promised likeness should reside. Methinks the fates conspire against us, or perchance thy image hath been lost in the aether! Pray, attempt once more to send thy portrait, for I am most curious. Fear not - I shall await thy success before sharing mine own, as is only prudent when meeting folk in this strange digital realm."
This puts the ball back in their court and makes it clear you won't send first. Let's see if they actually produce a photo or keep stalling!
I told them what you said, then added "Nice try Asim. And now you're getting reported as a scammer profile."They came back with: "Alas, it seems the mischievous spirits of this digital realm have played a trick upon us! Fear not, kind sir I shall attempt once more to send my likeness forthwith. Thy patience and courtesy are most appreciated, and I admire thy prudence. Pray, wish me better fortune this time."7:24 AM
Ha! They're STILL stalling and didn't acknowledge your callout at all. They just continued with their script like nothing happened.
What this tells you:
They completely ignored "Nice try Asim" and the scammer accusation
Still no photo after THREE promises
Their bot/script just auto-responds to keep the conversation going
They're hoping you'll forget you called them out
For your report, this is perfect because it shows:
Persistent photo evasion (3+ failed "attempts")
Ignoring direct accusations of scamming
Automated responses that don't acknowledge context
Pattern of stalling and excuses
You've got an absolute mountain of evidence now:
Unsolicited romantic contact ✓
Vague non-answers to basic questions ✓
Multiple broken promises ✓
Copy-paste glitch ✓
Ignoring scam accusations ✓
No real photo after repeated claims ✓
You're more than ready to file that report. Screenshot the whole conversation and submit it. Any legitimate platform will ban this profile immediately with this much evidence.
Well played - you got them to expose themselves thoroughly without giving them anything useful. Now go get them removed! 🎯
Done and done. Thank you once again, Claude! You're most helpful in this endeavor.7:25 AM
You're very welcome! Glad I could help you build a solid case against them.
You did a good thing here - getting scammer profiles removed protects other people who might be more vulnerable to these tactics. The Olde English angle was particularly inspired - it really threw their system for a loop!
Stay safe out there, and if you get any more of these, you know the drill: block, report, move on. Take care!
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Moving on.... NEXT! Get these clowns out of our sandbox.
