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Yes Man: Trolling Scammers With 'Yes'
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automaticdoor75 sopuli.xyz automaticdoor75@sopuli.xyz
Joined: 2023-06-12
Quote

I wrote this article. I can't take credit for the 'yes' idea, but some of these scammer's reactions were funny. I feel like I caught a few of them at the end of a long day.

47   Original
lucyph0r lemmy.world lucyph0r@lemmy.world
Joined: 2026-09-14
#2 · Quote Reply

This was great. Ty

6
sem piefed.blahaj.zone sem@piefed.blahaj.zone
Joined: 2025-09-04
#3 · Quote Reply

Yes

8
undefined lemmy.hogru.ch undefined@lemmy.hogru.ch
Joined: 2024-11-07
#4 · Quote Reply

They get violent really quickly don’t they?

12
automaticdoor75 sopuli.xyz automaticdoor75@sopuli.xyz
Joined: 2023-06-12
#5 · Quote Reply

This was great. Ty

Thank you as well!

4
automaticdoor75 sopuli.xyz automaticdoor75@sopuli.xyz
Joined: 2023-06-12
#6 · Quote Reply

They get violent really quickly don’t they?

Some of them went from 0 to 60 in the blink of an eye.

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kayzeekayzee lemmy.blahaj.zone kayzeekayzee@lemmy.blahaj.zone
Joined: 2024-10-19
#7 · Quote Reply

Why do they get so aggressive so suddenly?

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automaticdoor75 sopuli.xyz automaticdoor75@sopuli.xyz
Joined: 2023-06-12
#8 · Quote Reply

Why do they get so aggressive so suddenly?

This is purely my speculation, I don't have data to back this up.

There's an idea that these scammers are just working stiffs trying to make a living. While that is probably true for many, I think there is a sizable percentage who do their job with maliciousness. I think some of them enjoy the idea of scamming people.

If you have ever seen the streamer Kitboga, he plays elaborate, hours-long pranks on scammers. Many of the scammers who call him get pretty vicious when they lose their patience.

Anyway, to answer your question, I think they are caught off-guard when someone answers and is deliberately messing with them. They sense that the tables have turned, and the aggression comes out.

14
YouTalkinToMe lemmy.world YouTalkinToMe@lemmy.world
Joined: 2026-08-12
#9 · Quote Reply

You might choose another word to avoid they use your 'yes' to enter subscriptions or the like.

Maybe something like " Mmm.. donuts!"

7
IamMoonPie lemmy.world IamMoonPie@lemmy.world
Joined: 2026-09-09
#10 · Quote Reply

This is purely my speculation, I don't have data to back this up. There's an idea that these scammers are just working stiffs trying to make a living. While that is probably true for many, I think there is a sizable percentage who do their job with maliciousness. I think some of them enjoy the idea of scamming people. If you have ever seen the streamer Kitboga, he plays elaborate, hours-long pr...

A lot of these scammers are actually just indentured servants in the modern era. There’s a ton of different media reports on just how awful the industry is for these “workers”.

These people are literally trafficked, enslaved, and tortured by the modern era mafia basically. Their families are threatened, they’re threatened. It’s not great.

So when they think someone’s on the hook but it’s just someone fucking with them, I would imagine they get a bit angry.

14
fyzzlefry retrolemmy.com fyzzlefry@retrolemmy.com
Joined: 2025-03-16
#11 · Quote Reply

A lot of these scammers are actually just indentured servants in the modern era. There’s a ton of different media reports on just how awful the industry is for these “workers”. These people are literally trafficked, enslaved, and tortured by the modern era mafia basically. Their families are threatened, they’re threatened. It’s not great. So when they think someone’s on the hook but it’s just s...

You can't make me sympathize with them.

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IamMoonPie lemmy.world IamMoonPie@lemmy.world
Joined: 2026-09-09
#12 · Quote Reply

You can't make me sympathize with them.

I can’t make you be a decent human either. All I can do is give you the facts. Do with them as you will.

4
schnurrito discuss.tchncs.de schnurrito@discuss.tchncs.de
Joined: 2023-06-24
#13 · Quote Reply

I remember watching a YouTube video where someone tried the same thing with different strategies, like always replying "OK" or telling the scammer they already have the money.

Replying "yes" to questions that can't be answered yes will always remind me of the guy in Pacifdlog Town in the Pokémon games who asks where we are from and we have the option to answer yes or no.

4
toynbee lemmy.world toynbee@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-08-02
#14 · Quote Reply

I remember watching a YouTube video where someone tried the same thing with different strategies, like always replying "OK" or telling the scammer they already have the money. Replying "yes" to questions that can't be answered yes will always remind me of the guy in Pacifdlog Town in the Pokémon games who asks where we are from and we have the option to answer yes or no.

In the game Starship Titanic, the game asks you a series of questions at the beginning. The last of them is simply "Fish?" with the only options for answering being yes or no.

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schnurrito discuss.tchncs.de schnurrito@discuss.tchncs.de
Joined: 2023-06-24
#15 · Quote Reply

In the game Starship Titanic, the game asks you a series of questions at the beginning. The last of them is simply "Fish?" with the only options for answering being yes or no.

Without context, I'd understand that as asking whether I like to eat fish.

2
Zarobi aussie.zone Zarobi@aussie.zone
Joined: 2026-06-23
#16 · Quote Reply

I can’t make you be a decent human either. All I can do is give you the facts. Do with them as you will.

You've convinced me. Next time a scammer calls me, I'll willingly give them the money. They need it more than I do

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toynbee lemmy.world toynbee@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-08-02
#17 · Quote Reply

Without context, I'd understand that as asking whether I like to eat fish.

Well, in this case, the lack of context is the joke. I agree that, if someone asked me this in real life, that is also how I would interpret it.

Unfortunately, I can't find a video of the specific part I'm referencing, but this video claims to be a full walkthrough. I believe the interview part starts about eight minutes in.

3
dan1101 lemmy.world dan1101@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-06-12
#18 · Quote Reply

No.

I think no would work too.

4
athatet lemmy.zip athatet@lemmy.zip
Joined: 2025-09-12
#19 · Quote Reply

You might choose another word to avoid they use your 'yes' to enter subscriptions or the like. Maybe something like " Mmm.. donuts!"

If they don’t have any payment info they can’t very well subscribe you to anything.

4
bitjunkie lemmy.world bitjunkie@lemmy.world
Joined: 2024-06-19
#20 · Quote Reply

I'd like to think dnsl would handle them on a steep enough commission.

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automaticdoor75 sopuli.xyz automaticdoor75@sopuli.xyz
Joined: 2023-06-12
#21 · Quote Reply

You might choose another word to avoid they use your 'yes' to enter subscriptions or the like. Maybe something like " Mmm.. donuts!"

Good idea.

3
YouTalkinToMe lemmy.world YouTalkinToMe@lemmy.world
Joined: 2026-08-12
#22 · (edited) Quote Reply

If they don’t have any payment info they can’t very well subscribe you to anything.

As soon as they have your address they can start billing you, then the burden is on you.

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Someonelol lemmy.dbzer0.com Someonelol@lemmy.dbzer0.com
Joined: 2023-06-16
#23 · Quote Reply

Yes is an excellent prog rock band. I don't know why the scammers won't appreciate it.

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athatet lemmy.zip athatet@lemmy.zip
Joined: 2025-09-12
#24 · Quote Reply

As soon as they have your address they can start billing you, then the burden is on you.

Is yes your address?

3
YouTalkinToMe lemmy.world YouTalkinToMe@lemmy.world
Joined: 2026-08-12
#25 · Quote Reply

Is yes your address?

You have no idea about spammer databases, have you?

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CedricWhaley lemmy.dbzer0.com CedricWhaley@lemmy.dbzer0.com
Joined: 2026-09-13
#26 · Quote Reply

Without context, I'd understand that as asking whether I like to eat fish.

Since it's based on a Douglas Adams work I would assume it's asking if I want a babel fish.

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RQG lemmy.world RQG@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-06-12
#27 · Quote Reply

You have no idea about spammer databases, have you?

Yes

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YouTalkinToMe lemmy.world YouTalkinToMe@lemmy.world
Joined: 2026-08-12
#28 · Quote Reply

Yes

Mmm.. donuts!

2
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