Wikipedia talk:Sockpuppet investigations

WT:SPI

This is the talk page for discussing Sockpuppet investigations and anything related to its purposes and tasks.

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Edit request[edit]

Please go to the WT:Sockpuppet investigations/SPI/header page to help with an edit request. Thank you in advance! P.I. Ellsworth , ed. ^{put'er there} 09:04, 15 September 2023 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Huge UPE sockfarm - help![edit]

Hello fellow CUs and SPI folk! I'm unravelling Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/Amansharma111 and will definitely need more hands on deck. This is a massive UPE sockfarm that is using proxies extensively to create multiple accounts and articles daily. Cross checks are going to be needed as every check I make, more socks fall out. I've been heavy handed with the G11 and G5 deletions and have now started protecting some targets in article space as they typically create a draft then move it themselves to article space. It may be a good idea to loop in WP:NPP and WP:AFC to catch them early (Wikishovel seems to have picked up on their pattern, which is helpful). Also, we'll need to shore up the proxy/P2P blocks. All of my checks will likely need to be rerun as I was unaware of the scope of the socking yesterday when I first starting checking the accounts. -- Ponyo^{bons mots} 17:02, 22 September 2023 (UTC)Reply[reply]

@Ponyo sounds like fun! *goes off to find my CheckUser goggles* firefly ( t · c ) 17:07, 22 September 2023 (UTC)Reply[reply]

If I can provide any advice it would be: don't approach it like I did (i.e. no method, all madness). -- Ponyo^{bons mots} 17:12, 22 September 2023 (UTC)Reply[reply]

I am usually all madness, all the time, Ponyo, so that is good advice :) firefly ( t · c ) 17:13, 22 September 2023 (UTC)Reply[reply]

(redacted) Uhai (talk) 18:50, 22 September 2023 (UTC)Reply[reply]

@Uhai: I'm deleting what you wrote so as to avoid giving our socks information about what we know so they can improve their game and help avoid detection. I'm going to revdel that in a moment. I know that's really pushing the limits of what revdel is for, but I plead WP:IAR and authorize any admin to revert my revdel if they feel I've overstepped my authority. RoySmith (talk) 23:24, 22 September 2023 (UTC)Reply[reply]

The individual(s) involved in this sockfarm do not seem to be particularly intelligent, so I wouldn't be too worried. If this was a more devious sockfarm or LTA, I wouldn't have said anything. Uhai (talk) 09:06, 23 September 2023 (UTC)Reply[reply]

I just filed a SPI prior to seeing this. I realize I have no tools to search like you do so just laying this out there. The SPI I filed involves a user with similar styled username. Not sure if this would part of the same group or not. --CNMall41 (talk) 22:34, 22 September 2023 (UTC)Reply[reply]

It turns out that it was the same person. Reaper Eternal (talk) 18:46, 23 September 2023 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Since it is a globally locked user, and there are cross-wiki creations (on simple wiki), global locks should be requested. I have no time to do that now though. MarioGom (talk) 08:36, 24 September 2023 (UTC)Reply[reply]