The new breed of spammer - Use of AI - example

[C_Claycomb]

Yesterday I saw a new post from a recent member that flagged on our scammer detection system and thought I would share a little, since this is the first time I have seen a situation where I am certain that a scammer has used AI to try sound like they belong here.

First, a little background. All new members must make N posts that are held for manual approval by a moderator. Until they reach the threshold of N approved posts, they cannot initiate private message conversations. Many accounts flag loud enough at sign in that they get banned before they try to post anything. Others may be flagged, but we don't notice and leave them till they post. Clearly, posting spam in an opening post is a sure fire way to get Spam Banned, so that happens infrequently now. Instead, these people will try to game the system by posting innocuous stuff for long enough to unlock PMs.

The problem for a spammer is that its actually not so easy to write a convincing post to a bushcraft forum if you are sat in a spam centre in India, Nigeria or Vietnam. I have been expecting AI to get used sooner or later, and maybe one day it will be sophisticated enough that it gets past and the meagre returns for spamming us outweigh the time and hassle of doing so....but this is not that day!

marquesgriffin

bushcraftuk.com

First post, following:

The Uninitiated but keen to see the cold.

Im off to Scotland in March. So, some bits will still be wintery and under snow. I want to have adventures in the snow! My sole experience with real snow is skiing holidays...(Oh, a pair of X countrys would be nice but no...) So, what should I be needing? Im trying to keep my kit fairly...

bushcraftuk.com

March in Scotland can be unpredictable. While you might encounter snow, it's also possible for conditions to be wet and muddy. Here's what to consider for your gear:

• Boots: Opt for waterproof hiking boots with good ankle support. Timberlands might be sufficient for light snow, but for proper winter adventures, look for boots with good insulation.
• thermals: Old army surplus thermals can work, but if they're worn thin, consider investing in a new set of thermals made from merino wool or synthetic materials. They'll wick away moisture and keep you warm.

Even without seeing the flag against the account, this post kicked off all sorts of warnings for me. One of the big ones was I had a very strong sense of de ja vu, like I had read the post somewhere else. I spent a fair bit of time doing various word searches both here and via Google, all came up blank, but I could not shake the sense that I had read it before. Previous scammers have used posts pasted from past posts here, and from BCUSA.
I did some other checks and was entirely satisfied that this person was not who they claimed, that they are in fact a scammer using AI to write posts.

Soon there were a couple of other posts which added further but unnecessary confirmation of my evaluation.

After:

winter tent condensation

So i've done my first winter(ish) camp out, in a bog standard 2 man tent. I DIY'd a ground mat from reflective packaging, a yoga mat, a wool blanket and down duvet, and put my fesca sleeping bag on top. wonderful night's sleep, blissful. I was struck by the level of condensation that built up...

bushcraftuk.com

Condensation is a common enemy of winter campers, especially in a small tent. Here are a couple of tips:

• Ventilation is key. Open vents or crack the door slightly, even in winter, to allow moist air to escape. This will help reduce condensation buildup.
• Consider using a moisture barrier liner. These lightweight liners attach to the inside of your tent and help trap condensation before it reaches your sleeping bag. A bivy can be a good option for some situations, but it sounds like you'd prefer a bit more space. Stick with the tent for now and focus on ventilation strategies.

After:

Diesel Heaters for Tents

Any experience with heating tents (in my case a tipi) with diesel heaters? Good stuff? Bad stuff? Battery power consumption for the fan / blower? Lots of info available via Mr. Google, Mr. Bing etc. but personal experience is always good. Ta.

bushcraftuk.com

Diesel heaters can be a great way to heat a tipi in winter, but there are some considerations:

• Safety first: Diesel heaters emit fumes, so proper ventilation is crucial. Make sure your tipi has adequate ventilation flaps or vents to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. Never use a diesel heater in an enclosed space.
• Battery consumption: The battery draw for the fan is minimal, but it's the heater itself that will drain your battery. Running time depends on the heater's wattage and your desired temperature. If you're car camping, you can potentially recharge the battery using your car's alternator, but standalone camping will likely require a larger battery or alternative power source.

We haven't yet banned this person, but there is no chance of them getting any posts to the forum. As they haven't actually started advertising, I don't feel bad about sharing.

 

[Pattree]

That’s a hell of a lot of work.
Thank you.

 

[Jared]

Yeah, set to become a plague I fear.

The use of bold headers is a give away. ChatGPT does that, can't remember if any of the others do.

In the open source software world, there are now bots posting issues based on algorithmic analysis of code. When a real person takes time to look at it, sees it's not a bug and responds that the code is infact good, the AI doggedly keeps responding that there is an issue. And if the person isn't aware they are talking to an AI, it's just a complete waste of time.

 

[dwardo]

Good to see the old meat computer is still king.

Appreciate all you lads n lasses do for us.

 

[Kadushu]

Is it the passive voice? I never got to grips with linguistics but no one really talks like that, even me after a skinful.

 

[Limaed]

That’s an interesting reflection on the AI that eBay gets users to use to describe items for sale - they’re absolutely useless as it doesn’t actually describe what you are selling.