Showing a Craigslist scammer who's boss using Python

3 min read 1 year ago
Published on Apr 23, 2024 This response is partially generated with the help of AI. It may contain inaccuracies.

Table of Contents

Step-by-Step Tutorial: How to Prank a Craigslist Scammer Using Python

1. Identify the Scam:

  • Watch out for suspicious text messages or emails claiming to be from Craigslist or similar platforms.

2. Access the URL:

  • If you receive a suspicious URL like craigslist.hotsfam.com, proceed with caution and avoid clicking on it.

3. Investigate the URL:

  • Use the Chrome console to inspect the URL and analyze its structure.

4. Gather Data:

  • Identify the form data fields such as email, password, and phone verification on the URL.

5. Prepare Chrome Console:

  • Open the Chrome console and click on "Preserve log" to track the requests.

6. Send Fake Data:

  • Enter fake email and password in the console and click login to see where the data is being sent.

7. Extract Necessary Information:

  • Note down the request URL and the required data fields for further manipulation.

8. Obtain a List of Names:

  • Search for a list of names online, such as names.json, and copy the names into a text file.

9. Format the Names List:

  • Remove any unnecessary characters and format the names into an array format for easy processing.

10. Start Building the Python Code:

  • Define variables for character list, random seed, and required data fields from the URL.

11. Load Names from File:

  • Load the names from the names.json file using Python's json module.

12. Generate Username and Password:

  • Create a loop to generate usernames and passwords based on the names extracted.

13. Structure the Username and Password:

  • Combine the lowercase name, additional digits, and domain (e.g., yahoo.com) to form the username and password.

14. Set Up the Request:

  • Construct the request to the scammer's URL with the fake username and password data.

15. Send Fake Data:

  • Send the fake username and password data to the scammer's form to confuse their system.

16. Execute the Python Script:

  • Run the Python script and observe as it sends fake emails and passwords to the scammer's form.

17. Conclusion:

  • Pranking scammers can be a fun way to waste their time and potentially prevent others from falling for their scams.

18. Feedback:

  • If you enjoyed the tutorial, leave a comment on the video and stay tuned for more content from Engineer Man.

By following these steps, you can prank a Craigslist scammer using Python and have some fun while staying safe online.