Operation ‘Avenge Bessie’: YouTubers Pull Off Elaborate Operation To Shut Down Scam Call Centres, Ha
American youtuber, Mark Rober, recently shared a video about his joint effort with fellow YouTubers, Jim Browning and Trilogy Media, in avenging an elderly woman named Bessie. She had lost her life savings of USD$20,000 to scam call centres in India. This was achieved through detailed planning which lasted for a period of 1.5 years along with various pranks. One of the most provocative ones include the “Viagra” labelled Sudafed pill box.
Source: Mark Rober
They targeted 4 organisations, though they named only 3: Met Technologies, VRM Business Solutions, and ANSH Info Solutions. These companies hid behind a small team of legitimate call centre operators to run much larger scam operations.
Mark and his team dispatched 10 private investigators to these centres to carry out operation “Avenge Bessie”. Some of the pranks include:
1) “Stinky” Waterbottle
(A generous amount of military-grade putricant is hidden in the water bottle cap and the revolting odour is released through the small vents on that cap.)
2) “Dye” in Hand Soap
(Food colouring is mixed with regular hand soap and upon application, the dye will stain the user’s hands for some time.)
3) “Viagra” labels on Sudafed Pill Container
(This is a satirical way of revealing the scammers’ “intimate” lifestyle in the office.)
4) “Cockroach” Container
(Pretty much everyone’s worst nightmare. These pests are hidden in a custom-built box and will be periodically released after a set time.)
5) Helmet Smoke Bomb
(Micro foggers [or smoke emission devices] are hidden in a motorcycle helmet. Similarly to the cockroach trap, the smoke will be emitted after a set amount of time.)
6) Fart cum Glitter Bomb
(This trap alternately releases glitter and fart spray which leaves the scammer with glitter residue and a pungent stench.)
To gain the trust of the organisations, the PIs had to really scam innocent victims, but they noted down the victims’ identities so Mark and his team could refund them twofold after the prank.
After gaining their trust, the PIs began the series of pranks with items they sneaked onto the premises.
Mark’s acts of “social vigilantism” earned praise from netizens, with many seeing him as a modern day superhero, which is akin to a “Robin Hood” figure.
There were also some who commented on the victims’ naivety towards these scam callers who impersonated Amazon or Microsoft employees.
Nonetheless, the entire plan was particularly successful as it incited panic and caused other numerous centres to shut down. To top it off, the duo from Trilogy Media managed to compile the contact details of the remaining scammers and taunted them about releasing it to the relevant authorities.
According to Mark, only the unnamed centre has been shut down while the other 3 centres are still operational. At this juncture, he is appealing for the public’s attention to assist in bringing them down for good by sharing the video and raising awareness regarding such scams.
Reporter’s Opinions: I feel that these pranks are not enough. These scammers deserve much more than just smelling like shit or getting a cockroach infestation. Bruh, Bessie probably took almost a decade of her life to save up that amount. Can you just hear how devastated she sounded in that video?
And that bonehead scammer on the line with her can even say that she reminds him of his grandmother. Bro, scamming is one thing. Deceiving and manipulating an elderly woman who needs that money for her to retire and live comfortably in her remaining years which can potentially scar her for the rest of her life is just repulsive. I’m surprised I can still maintain my resolve and not curse while typing this…
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