Have you ever visited a rather sketchy website to do whatever activity and accidentally clicked on a link? Did you get bombarded by pop-ups saying things like “You have a virus in your computer! Contact tech support now!” or similar alarming threats?
Many of you can probably easily tell that it’s just a scam. Unfortunately, not everyone is as aware and alert as you are.
When a victim falls for these scams, they may lose a huge amount of money, depending on how much the scammer presses them.
In the first half of 2023 alone, the Singapore Police Force reported that more than S$330 million was lost to scams in Singapore. 😱
So, is anyone doing anything to stop these scammers or will they continue to rob more and more internet users out of their hard-earned money?
Well, governments and NGOs have certainly been trying to raise awareness.
However, there are individuals around the internet taking a more.. “proactive” way of fighting against scams.
Jim Browning here, is one of them.
Jim Browning – The Online Vigilante
Jim Browning’s YouTube Channel
Just like how Batman 🦇 is the vigilante of Gotham City, Jim Browning is one of the most well-known vigilantes of the internet fighting against scammers under the guise of anonymity.
Who Is Jim Browning And Why Did He Start His Fight Against Scammers?
Hailing from Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, Jim Browning works as a software engineer as his full-time job.
With his knowledge in computer science and information technology, he decided to be more than just a software engineer.
Frustrated by witnessing many victims falling to scams, Jim Browning decided to use his expertise to fight back against scammers using his impressive IT knowledge.
Let’s take a look at how Jim Browning fights against scammers while generating content for his YouTube channel for both entertainment and to raise awareness of online scams.
What is Scam Baiting And How Does Jim Browning Do It?
Scam baiting is the act of pretending to fall for scams while being fully aware of what is happening and wasting the scammer’s time while not really falling for the scams.
However, Jim Browning takes it a step further and he does not simply just waste the scammers’ time. He wastes the scammers themselves too. 😎
Jim Browning – Spying on the Scammers [Part 1/5]
After baiting the scammers into thinking that he is a gullible victim, Jim Browning would let the scammers try to connect to his computer.
Normally, this is where it gets dangerous as this is how scammers lock your computer or steal your data.
However, with his expertise, Jim Browning would pull out an UNO reverse card and gain access to the scammers’ computer instead.
In the video above, Jim was able to gain access not only to the scammer’s computer, but he gained access to their whole local area network.
With this access, he dug up the scammer’s real identity and details, then in the video, you can see the scammer’s reaction upon hearing Jim read out the scammer’s real name. 😆
That’s not all though. On top of simply gaining digital information, he even accessed the scam call centre’s CCTV network, where he was able to see the whole call centre and the faces of the scammers. 😯
The Vigilante Brings Justice To Scammers
Jim Browning terrorising the scammers is surely impressive and commendable for giving the scammers a taste of their own medicine.
However, he does not stop there.
While scaring scammers and wasting their time definitely contributes to the fight against scams, these scammers tend to continue to be free to scam more and more victims.
That would certainly not be the case when these scammers are put behind bars. 👮
Jim Browning – Scammers Arrested!
In some cases, after gaining access to the scam call centre’s network, Jim Browning decides to keep a low profile and observe them for up to months while gathering evidence of their acts and verifying their true identity.
After all, despite scammers being the kind of scum they are, evidence will still be needed to convict anyone for their crimes. 🦹
In the video above, Jim Browning, together with fellow scam baiters, played a major role in assisting the Interpol and Delhi police to arrest operators of a Delhi-based scam call centre.
Thanks to the efforts of Jim Browning and the other vigilantes, the victims of this call centre’s scams can at least know that their scammers are now behind bars.
The Vigilante’s Heroic Acts
Jim Browning – Scam stopped in the nick of time
Although hearing the acts of hacking into a scammers’ computer and scaring them might sound more thrilling, Jim Browning does not do only that.
In fact, he also stops scammers in the act and saves potential victims before they lose their hard-earned money.
In this instance, Jim Browning was able to tag along an ongoing scam attempt and just in time, was able to warn the victim to make the victim aware of what was going on. 👼
Can Vigilantes Do Enough To Stop Scams?
Anyone can fall for scams, from young children to elderly people. It is unfortunate as the losses they bear may range from their monthly pay to even their life savings!
We are lucky that our heroic vigilantes 🦸 like Jim Browning are actively keeping a lookout for potential victims.
Despite all the best efforts of Jim Browning and other online vigilantes, it seems as though scams keep going on the rise.
Because of that, it is really up to individuals like us to educate others about scams.
While noble vigilantes like Jim Browning may inspire more people to take up the cape of being an online vigilante, we cannot expect them to save the whole world from scams.
Carefulness, awareness, and vigilance are ultimately what each individual should have when browsing the internet. 💪
Knowing when a deal is too good to be true, how your computer does not have a virus despite a pop-up from some shady website saying otherwise, or not trusting your “long lost Nigerian prince brother” is crucial as bad actors are everywhere.
As the internet grows, it helps scammers hide better. So we’ll just have to be better at spotting them.
Related to:
‘He’s a 10 But’ Meme Explained: Origin, Examples, Tiktok
Influencer Simulator: Parallel Live – Your Ticket to Virtual Fame!
