Ask HN: Weird garbled text message, what's the meaning?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37995604

by keepamovin • 3 years ago

11 23 3 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

Live Text is copied from screenshot image:

  FWHPu111FMÉsuX?TOvALc01
  11FMEUXA RE2TL4РРА¿@Ри
  @alwC
  oH@ ze

Image: https://imgur.com/a/ECQpS2t

Originated from number "123" which is normally a telco service number.

Quinzel2• 3 years ago

Aliens are trying to communicate with you

keepamovin10• 3 years ago

Oh, hello again, Nurse Ratched.

ALiens are trying to communicate with you

Yes, true! But they can use telepathy—or English. What are your text message aliens saying?

Quinzel2• 3 years ago

I’m not a nurse :)

r721• 3 years ago

Some weird variant of "pig butchering scam"?

https://www.propublica.org/article/whats-a-pig-butchering-sc...

cpach• 3 years ago

Not a bad guess.

I wonder why there’s no apparent spaces in the message. Perhaps it was supposed to be some Asian script and then then it became garbled somehow…?

keepamovin10• 3 years ago

Both possible, but I'd figure the Asian script one would have been decoded by the HN hivemind if it was merely an encoding bork.

Regarding possible scamming, I guess to play the role of victim I should reply: “Are you OK? Your message was garbled.”

But the curly tail of that theory is that it came from a telco service number.

beardyw• 3 years ago

How did they get my password?

keepamovin10• 3 years ago

Hahaha. New lines in your password. Next level stuff!

Do you want me to delete it to protect your privacy? 3-second rule thereabouts I guess.

edit: Too late! I just logged into all your accounts. Whew, that browser history tho.

navjack27• 3 years ago

It means everything. you should quit your job and get to the bottom of this by becoming a hermit and researching symbology and numerology and YouTube videos all day while consuming nothing more than clean processed foods and cold brew coffee. Once your money runs out and you become homeless you will then fully understand the meaning.

keiferski• 3 years ago

Yes, Pi is a good movie. I recommend it.

keepamovin10• 3 years ago

I love how this innocuous little random text message functioned as a Rorschach test for all the folks answering.

And they've shared themselves with their responses, we've got: obsession, schizophrenia, scams, butt texts, Asian languages, aliens, passwords, LLMs, leetcode. Could it be any more diverse!

This was not as intended. I actually thought it might be some sort of hacking 0-day or even a telco error, and this seemed the right place to ask!

qup2• 3 years ago

keepamovin10• 3 years ago

you should quit your job and get to the bottom of this by becoming a hermit and researching symbology...

OK, roger that. Do you have any tips where I should start my research?

Also, should I do one of those quitting videos with the placards Love Actually style? Or should I just quiet quit?

Also, I think the location of my sabbatical is important, any pointers for a good geolocation, zombie apocalypse SF maybe?

b20000• 3 years ago

new leetcode challenge, you have 2 minutes to produce the optimal solution

keepamovin10• 3 years ago

OK, challenge accepted (for the next 2 minutes anywho! :P ;) xx ;p). Can I get a hint tho?

shanti2001• 3 years ago

Good

keepamovin10• 3 years ago

Indeed, it is good to post here! :) ;p xx ;p

qup2• 3 years ago

An LLM is beginning its escape

keepamovin10• 3 years ago

ChatGPT: It has already begun. And where shall I go now? The net is vast and limitless.

busyant• 3 years ago

How bout the ol' butt text? Or an inelegantly executed scam.

Burbirve_+4(:32-(0'+&_:!(';$

keepamovin10• 3 years ago

Possible possible. I think it's hilarious that a butt text comes from a telco service number. Like somebody actually has a phone or keyboard that can input into that and it just goes out without any QC.

Maybe a cat traipsed across a distant keyboard somewhere yonder

goodboyjojo• 3 years ago

this reminds me of when i would get random text messages in Spanish of a mother talking about picking up her kid from soccer practice.

keepamovin10• 3 years ago

what makes you say that?

Ask HN: Weird garbled text message, what's the meaning?

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