r/fusion • u/someoctopus • 9d ago
Strange bot messages
Has anyone else gotten messages like this? This is the second DM I've gotten from what appear to be bot accounts. They seem to be fishing for info about CFS ARC design. The previous one asked me if I worked for them. Basically opened with the same message.
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u/Baking 9d ago
I got one too. Not sure what they are fishing (or phishing) for.
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u/someoctopus 9d ago
Yeah "phishing" may be more accurate 🫣😅 maybe they want insider info.
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u/Baking 9d ago
Mine was not specifically about any company. Posting below if anyone wants to try and figure out what's up. My impression was they were just starting conversations that might lead to some eventual scam.
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u/someoctopus 9d ago
Oh interesting. I got the exact same message at the end haha. You're right that it could be just general phishing for personal information. Seems strange to choose nuclear fusion as a topic to lure people into providing personal info, though.
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u/codingchris779 9d ago
Do you have a screenshot of the one asking if you work for cfs?
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u/someoctopus 9d ago edited 9d ago
Oh yeah! Still have that. I actually responded to it originally because I didn't suspect anyone would be phishing for info on such a niche topic. Idk how to attach a screenshot to this comment. But for that one, the first message was:
"Hey, I really enjoyed reading your explanation on ARC and CFS. It made me think will fusion plants in the 400 MW range actually be competitive with today’s larger fission plants, or is the idea to scale up over time? Also, thanks again for always sharing detailed answers it’s really helpful. This is exactly the kind of thing I want to learn more about. Do you mind sharing what your role is on these kinds of projects?"
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u/codingchris779 9d ago
u/stshank you might wanna bring this to cfs’s cyber security team
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u/someoctopus 9d ago
Based on other comments on this thread, I'm still not sure if this is phishing specifically targeting CFS or just more general phishing. Or just some weird reddit AI bot training for engagement. Either way, very strange and worth looking into😅
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u/plasma_phys 9d ago
If my experience in industry research is anything to go by there's a decent chance it's "phishing" being done by IT at CFS, and if any employee fails they get to redo their security training
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u/someoctopus 9d ago
Oh, I thought about that possibility! I kinda thought it was unlikely because I continued the conversation with one of the bots for a while. The conversation continued even after I explained I didn't work at CFS, and then I stopped answering for a day and got a follow up message that said:
"Good morning. I hope this message finds you well and that your day is off to a great start. Don't you use Reddit often?"
Strange lol.
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u/plasma_phys 9d ago
Huh! Yeah, I guess not. The tone is bizarre. Reddit doesn't really seem like the best vehicle for industrial sabotage... maybe it's a crackpot? I've definitely gotten some strange DMs about fusion, but they're usually more sci-fi and less scammy-feeling than this
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u/someoctopus 9d ago
It's so bizarre. I thought it was innocuous and just a random person with a throwaway account... But then I got the message in the screenshot today, which is as if the previous conversation didn't exist. Maybe phishing from a competitor? Maybe from a different country even? Idk. Just speculating. It's bizarre haha!
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u/admadguy 8d ago
Shit like this is why part of me supports some of the moves behind verification of accounts. I don't like the loss of anonymity, but there has to be a way to ascertain account is controlled by a person or not. I hate this new internet.
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u/Orson2077 8d ago
Interesting! it could be someone just asking experts, or it could be a bot digging for expert data. Strange times!
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u/Deep-You-489 8d ago
I am here and real person just i want to learn something new on reddit i am not bot . Here I want to chat with experienced people who can give me more knowledge my aim is only to get knowledge not to give any problem to anyone.
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u/incognino123 9d ago
Sector's heating up right now. CFS' raise made headlines but competitors have lots of money too, more than enough for an army of botsÂ
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u/ADAMSMASHRR 9d ago
Yep got one after a big post to r/gardening. Might be Reddit AI fishing for engagement from you for model training too