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[Analysis] Could that email or IM be a trailhead, or SPAM?
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kosmopol
I Never Tire of My Own Voice


Joined: 27 Aug 2007
Posts: 3167

 		OK, here is a weird story that made my evening yesterday.
Surfing on the web I found this new chat system: http://omegle.com/
The clue is, you are connected with somebody absolutely unknown (called "Stranger"), and for him you are also absolutely anonymous Stranger. It's pretty cool thing to kill time chatting with somebody even withount knowing his IP and I chatted shortly with some people from Russia, South Korea, France, Poland. (I know the countries, because I asked them. There is a code question: "asl?" = "age - sex - location". They always ask it, and I now too) Smile

Now the next Stranger was really... ehm... strange.
He or she (I haven't asked about his gender) pretend to have amnesia. Short summary of the chat:

Stranger...

* has memory problems
Quote:
Stranger: my memory is pretty good
Stranger: I remember my parents and all
Stranger: but when I get to the general information
Stranger: like where I'm from
Stranger: or how old I am
Stranger: it just slips away

* has parents
Quote:
You: what is the last thing you remember?
Stranger: talking on the phone with my mother
Stranger: she told me to not forget the amytal
Stranger: I think it's medication?

* has blood strains on the wall of his bedroom (it's surely his room, because everything looks familiar for him)
Quote:
Stranger: Hey do you have any idea on how to remove blood stains?
Stranger: Yeah, I've got some nasty ones on my wall.
Stranger: Don't really remember how they got there.
Stranger: But ya know, you've gotta do what you've gotta do.

* found near the phone a note
Quote:
Stranger: It says that if I forget again, to take some pills or call a number if it gets worse

* asked me about myself. I wanted to be discret, so I told only about my hobbys, ARG:
Quote:

Stranger: Do you wanna talk about yourself?
Stranger: I mean I've got time to kill...
Stranger: ...if you want of course.
Stranger: :I
You: well, I like the anonymicity of this chat, but I can talk about cool things I like
You: do you like ARGs?
Stranger: Um I've never really played any.
You: There are some very cool ARGs
You: I'm actually often at Unfiction
You: unforums.com
Stranger: Wow I had seen something on there.
Stranger: Milwaukee.
Stranger: : )
You: Yeah!
You: I haven't really played this one, but the videos and homepage was awesome
Stranger: It's pretty weird, but I'm not allowed to say much. X )

* tried to call, but nobody answered. But later, while of chatting with me came his neighbour:
Quote:
Stranger: it was apparently one of my neighbors
Stranger: middle aged guy
Stranger: he told me my mother called
You: really?
Stranger: asking how it went
You: how what went?
Stranger: and then he told me to keep it down
Stranger: he just left after that
Stranger: no idea
Stranger: and keeping it down?
Stranger: I haven't made a single noise
Stranger: but anyway he seemed like the guy who would call the police if you turned up the tv olume or something
Stranger: anyway
You: oh...
Stranger: *volume
Stranger: he also mentioned my mother couldn't find me on the phone
Stranger: but I used it.
Stranger: it's not like it was unhooked or anything

* found at his table weird scribblings, which he shoot and uploaded (since I'm unsure till now, whether the whole story is an ARG, I'll wait with posting these weird drawings here)

I asked him to make a blog so he could write down all his experiences, because, you know, you can always replace somehwere your notebook, but online it's always available Wink
So Stranger asked me, how he/she should be named with nickname, and I give him nickname "notastranger", because, you know, he get familiar after ca 2 hours chatting with me.

Now, there are some weird moments for me, and I actually don't really know, whether it's OK to post the whole story here. I just wanted to know, people, what do you think about it.

Firstly, there are some very weird coincidences:

Stranger
* has (and this is weird!) the same time zone as me. Perhaps UK, since he spoke with his neighbour in English.
* has (and this is more weirder) (after I asked him about books in his room, perhaps it would help him to remember his identity) looked up the books and there are:

Quote:
"the code book" by simon singh
"the turing omnibus" by a. k. dewdney
brand new world by huxley
Goethe's Faust


three of these four books I have.

========So far ARG related thing

Another thing is, I ask myself till now, whether it's really an ARG?

I mean, the rabbit hole is in this case very improbably, because:

1) I found this chat system through Russian internet (where ARGs aren't really known). But the chat system isn't Russian at all. (it was just Russian boingboing alike website telling about this chat system)
2) the chat is international, there were ca. 3.000 people online from all over the world
3) if it's an ARG, then the puppetmasters tried hardly to find somebody, who would come to his Rabbit hole. And the possibility is very small, that he met over all the 3.000 random people at all the hard ARG junkie me.

So if it weren't an ARG, I would worry about this Stranger now. And I would delete this message from the respect of his privacy... (And I don't want to produce new "I'm sorry incident" here). That's why I don't make new thread right now.

The only track of this stranger I have is his email, he generated with my help. He also has my email (and in this point I hope, he's IG amnesiac Smile).

After all I enjoyed this chat, since it was [ARGish said] well written. Or [IRL said]: he was just nice Stranger to chat with.

What do you people think about it?

P.S. And dear Stranger. If you are reading it and if you are OOG, please drop a message and I immediately delete everything here.
_________________
kosmopol Merzmensch: http://merzmensch.blogspot.com
Speaks German/Russian/Japanese
Leonard Nimoy calls me by nickname: http://tinyurl.com/gvuvydr

PostPosted: Sun May 31, 2009 8:03 am
Last edited by kosmopol on Sun May 31, 2009 9:06 am; edited 1 time in total
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Tresbien
Unfictologist


Joined: 09 Jun 2006
Posts: 1436

 		kosmopol, it does seem like an unlikely way to start a trail, but then it's amazing you had a random conversation with someone who knew TIMM and who's been on this forum. You could watch for notastranger's blog to see if this goes anywhere.

Here's some info about Amytal, which is a barbituate sedative sometimes used for insomnia. And it's used as a "truth serum" to recover suppressed memories. http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/139/5/552 I'm curious to know if you asked him about any wounds on his body. The blood on the walls is creepy!

PostPosted: Sun May 31, 2009 8:45 am
Last edited by Tresbien on Sun May 31, 2009 9:46 am; edited 1 time in total
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Daeld
Unfettered


Joined: 02 May 2009
Posts: 308
Location: Australia
Tresbien wrote:

Here's some info about Amytal, which is a barbituate sedative sometimes used for insomnia. And it's used as a "truth serum" to recover suppressed memories.


Tha Amytal (generic name = amobarbital) is more likely the cause of his problems rather than a memory aid. In and of itself, amobarbital can cause retrograde amnesia (if used in higher doses). However, this would only be recent retrograde amnesia, which is not consistent with the type of amnesia that "stranger" was describing. Stranger describes a combination of long-term semantic amnesia (ie can't remember specific details about himself). However, he does also exhibit recent episodic retrograde amnesia (ie can't remember how the blood got there, etc but CAN remember his parents). Now, amobarbital has been used as a memory extraction tool, but it is not reliable (and in fact we don't tend to use it at all these days). The way it does this is by inducing relaxation in small doses and allowing the patient to recall events that are distressing to recall otherwise (you also run the risk of implanting "false memories" if your interview technique and if your dosing are off. It has been used as an aid in interrogations, but again its uses are limited.

I agree, this guy looks more like ARG than real (unless it is some guy with very little knowledge of psychopharmacology pretending to be under the influence...not to mention it being a low-yield exercise for the PM (1:3000...) Alternatively, the guy may be a serial killer in a dissociative state at the time of writing and now he has your e-mail!!! Confused

Edit:
In Australia we don't use amobarbital (or any other barbiturate for that matter) as an aid in insomnia, as the coroner doesn't like it when the patient accidentally ODs and dies... Rolling Eyes

PostPosted: Sun May 31, 2009 9:10 am
Last edited by Daeld on Sun May 31, 2009 9:13 am; edited 1 time in total
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kosmopol
I Never Tire of My Own Voice


Joined: 27 Aug 2007
Posts: 3167

 		Thank you Tresbien Smile
I just hope, I will have some definitely clarification, whether it's IG or OOG (since I have some bad feeling about posting it here if it were not a game...).

Anyway, thank you for information and website.

I asked him btw whether he were injured:

Quote:
Stranger: Damn, it's really weird that I don't recall hurting myself.
Stranger: The walls and all.
Stranger: Should I ask for help?
Stranger: :I
You: Yes!
You: Is it inside or outside?
You: of house?
Stranger: It's at a corner of my room.
Stranger: It's nothing serious
You: Are you injured?
Stranger: but I dunno there's this weird atmosphere
Stranger: no
Stranger: I'm okay.


@Daeld,
yes he said:
Quote:
Stranger: Weird, I looked amytal up and it's a barbiturate.


Looks like he has some trauma or something...
And I hope, he isn't serial killer though... Shocked

Think, it's time to make an ARG email...
_________________
kosmopol Merzmensch: http://merzmensch.blogspot.com
Speaks German/Russian/Japanese
Leonard Nimoy calls me by nickname: http://tinyurl.com/gvuvydr

PostPosted: Sun May 31, 2009 9:10 am
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Daeld
Unfettered


Joined: 02 May 2009
Posts: 308
Location: Australia

 		Hmm...the website is pretty strange, so far I have had a guy who said nothing, then disconnected, a guy who quoted (pasted) an entire Rick Astley song as soon as he was connected Shocked Silly, a guy who started the conversation by asking R u a black man?
So, why not have a homicidal dissociative maniac too? My guess is that it is not a game...(pitty, sounded good!)

Edit:
I just chatted to the first person who seemed not to be a lunatic and apparently she has heard of our amnestic fellow...(there may be something to it after all?)

PostPosted: Sun May 31, 2009 9:23 am
Last edited by Daeld on Sun May 31, 2009 10:09 am; edited 1 time in total
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Tresbien
Unfictologist


Joined: 09 Jun 2006
Posts: 1436

 		Idea After thinking about Daeld's descriptions of amnesia types, the film Memento came to mind. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memento_(film) Notastranger could be possibly be a victim. Daeld, in a real or fictional world, do you think it's possible that amobarbital might be prescribed for a condition depicted in Memento?

PostPosted: Sun May 31, 2009 10:04 am
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Daeld
Unfettered


Joined: 02 May 2009
Posts: 308
Location: Australia
Tresbien wrote:
Idea After thinking about Daeld's descriptions of amnesia types, the film Memento came to mind. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memento_(film) Notastranger could be possibly be a victim. Daeld, in a real or fictional world, do you think it's possible that amobarbital might be prescribed for a condition depicted in Memento?


I'm not familiar with the movie. However, the wiki states that the character had Anterograde amnesia. (the article says that this means that he cannot put down new memory which is not true). This means that he has an impairment in new semantic memory (ie data storage) but unlikely to have impairment of procedural memory (ie can learn to play the piano but not know that he can). This is not the same as what the man is describing. Amobarbital (Amytal) will not usually give anterograde amnesia, but rather retrograde amnesia. The only way it can give anterograde amnesia (ie forward amnesia) is if he were on it on a permanent basis - and he probably could not move!)

So, to recap, the man in the chat room would probably have a temporary amnesia (due to the shock of what has happened - dissociative amnesia) or an existing retrograde amnesia, which is very specific (unlikely - unless he has certain type of degenerative brain disorder)...An alternative is a hypoactive delirium...but he was too coherent...

Edit:
Medically, the dialogue is a mystery (ie if you assume that it is from a "genuine" patient...)

PostPosted: Sun May 31, 2009 10:16 am
Last edited by Daeld on Sun May 31, 2009 10:29 am; edited 1 time in total
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Tresbien
Unfictologist


Joined: 09 Jun 2006
Posts: 1436

 		Daeld, thanks very much for your explanation. My imagination (and bad information) got me thinking about how fascinating it would be to have an ARG story told in a memento style.

ETA: So, if the dialogue is a mystery, we have a mis-informed ARG character or someone who's not being truthful? Still trying to wrap my brain around this.

PostPosted: Sun May 31, 2009 10:25 am
Last edited by Tresbien on Sun May 31, 2009 10:40 am; edited 1 time in total
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Daeld
Unfettered


Joined: 02 May 2009
Posts: 308
Location: Australia
Tresbien wrote:
Daeld, thanks very much for your explanation. My imagination (and bad information) got me thinking about how fascinating it would be to have an ARG story told in a memento style.


It still could be, but the PMs might not know much about how amytal works Wink

@Kosmopol: can u upload the pics? They may point to a further clue to define the trailhead...(if not, can you e-mail them to me?)

Edit:
Putting it together, (Thanks to Kosmopol & Tresbien)
1. "stranger" is having unusual amnestic symptoms that seem hollywood in nature
2. "Stranger" knows unfiction
3. "Stranger" is suspiciously trailheady in interview with Kosmopol
4. Stranger has mysterious blood in corner of room and is asking in a nonchalant way "say, do you know how to get blood off walls..."
5. Why is he on a chat site, when he doesn't know who he is
6. Why does he take picutres of the scene
7. Why upload them to a complete stranger?
8. The chat with Kosmopol is not isolated, at least two others have heard of it in the chat website (which means that there is a chance that the PM was "fishing")...

So far it looks good... Wink

PostPosted: Sun May 31, 2009 10:36 am
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kosmopol
I Never Tire of My Own Voice


Joined: 27 Aug 2007
Posts: 3167

 		Thank you people, the story begins to become a shapes.
I will avoid to post here the pics though, since I don't know still now, whether it's a trailhead or a medical case.

I'll try to contact them again.
_________________
kosmopol Merzmensch: http://merzmensch.blogspot.com
Speaks German/Russian/Japanese
Leonard Nimoy calls me by nickname: http://tinyurl.com/gvuvydr

PostPosted: Sun May 31, 2009 12:03 pm
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Daeld
Unfettered


Joined: 02 May 2009
Posts: 308
Location: Australia

 		I've just been on omegle (it is sad I know) and i've encountered another person who met our stranger...he was difficult to understand but keeping the same story...may still be ARG...

Edit:
But my money is still on medical case...

PostPosted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 4:44 am
Last edited by Daeld on Tue Jun 02, 2009 10:18 am; edited 1 time in total
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Fishjp
Entrenched


Joined: 05 Feb 2008
Posts: 875
Location: Beneath a sky of Blue and a sea of Green.

 		Got this today. Not sure if it is very unbelievable spam, A trailhead or something else:

From: Dr.Lincon Sim [mailto:drlincon@sim.org]
Sent: Monday, June 01, 2009 11:34 AM
Subject: Re: The truth

Attn.
You are wasting your precious time and money in the hands of those crooks, your approved funds is nowhere in abroad or any offshore payment reserve centre, don't just believe that fallacy, is all fraudulent tactics to lure you into spending your hard earned money without benefit in the end. Please ask yourself this simple question upon the receipt of this mail, why have I not received my funds after all my positive contribution of money and time.

The Executive Governor and some of his colleagues from several other ministries whom were assigned with the duty of releasing your fund, has conspired together to divert your funds to another account and the strategy they employed was by demanding several charges from you, all the demand are illegal just to frustrate you to abandon your fund. Finally, your (International Approved Payment Voucher Outgoing foreign payment disk) is with me. Governments want me to submit all unclaimed disk for their use, I have decided to seek your consent if you still wants to claim your funds or not, before I will submit it by Friday next week.
I will give you further details as soon as you respond.
Regards,
Dr. Lincon Sim.
_________________
An Arg Experiment

If the government is covering up UFOs then they are doing a much better job at that than they seem to be able to do with anything else. - Stephen Hawking

PostPosted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 7:39 pm
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Daeld
Unfettered


Joined: 02 May 2009
Posts: 308
Location: Australia

 		you may want to take a look at sim.org...it doesn't look ARG...and it doesn't seem to match the content of the e-mail...

Edit:
There is no Dr Lincon Sim that is part of sim.org (Service in Mission) there is a Dr Julie Lincoln instead.

The website is a religious website, the e-mail seems more financial/legal in context

The question is, if you send an e-mail to drlinconSPLATsim.org, what would you get???

I doubt it's a viral to advertise the website...

A google search for "Dr Lincon Sim" finds only one website (you guessed it, forums.unfiction.com/etc...)

So the question begs, who sent it and (more importantly), do you have a good virus scanner & up to date (or better yet use an non-MS operating system! Wink )!

Also, if the purpose of the e-mail is malicious, why give a fake address...@ the same time, sim.org is unlikely to be the originator, which circles me back to my previous question:


Quote:
if you send an e-mail to drlinconSPLATsim.org, what would you get???


Edit 2:
The answer may not be worth the risk... Wink (unless you're using linux or mac or something other than MS Windows!)

Edit 3:
This is what happens when you e-mail the address given:


Quote:
This is an automatically generated Delivery Status Notification

Delivery to the following recipient failed permanently:

drlinconSPLATsim.org

Technical details of permanent failure:
Google tried to deliver your message, but it was rejected by the recipient domain. We recommend contacting the other email provider for further information about the cause of this error. The error that the other server returned was: 550 550 No such user (drlinconSPLATsim.org) (state 14).


PostPosted: Tue Jun 02, 2009 5:57 am
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Leyton Stone
I Have No Life

Joined: 08 Dec 2007
Posts: 2302
Location: London (NOT Ontario!)

 		Fish that is another of those spam "I have millions of dollars/euros/pounds from an invester I'm just dying to give you" Emails.

Nothing in it, IMHO.
_________________
PM'd: Chryo-Pharm. || ITFS. || Weirdnessicity/Lif3. ||

Playing: Help me find something!

Watching: Nothing yet...

PostPosted: Wed Jun 03, 2009 10:54 am
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Esteed
Entrenched


Joined: 25 Jul 2006
Posts: 1147
Location: Delaware

 		Not true, Leyton! There is a dream in there.





A dream that Nigerian thugs will beat out of you with the butts of their automatic weapons.
_________________
"The accumulated filth of all their sex and murder will foam up about their waists and all the whores and politicians will look up and shout "Save us!"... and I'll look down and whisper "No."" -Rorschach

PostPosted: Wed Jun 03, 2009 11:21 am
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