Show HN: Trolling SMS spammers with Ollama

Nature of the spammers

• Several commenters think initial messages are automated scripts, with humans stepping in only after a few “gates” are passed.
• Others argue some operations are almost fully automated and highly parallel, so tying up one “conversation” may not cost them much.
• There is debate about who the human operators are: claims range from kidnapped/forced workers to office-style scam shops in certain countries.
• Multiple people note that spammers already use LLMs and other automation tools.

Value and Risks of Trolling Spammers

• Supporters see value in diverting scammers’ attention from real victims and view this as a fun hobby project with minimal marginal cost.
• Critics argue that engaging at all may help “warm up” numbers and create “legitimate” traffic signals that improve spammers’ deliverability.
• Some recommend instead: reporting to carriers (e.g., 7726 in the US), using STOP, and leveraging newer text regulations and TCPA lawsuits.
• There is disagreement over how much the ongoing compute/server cost matters for such a hobby.

Technical Implementation Discussion

• Response latency is on the order of seconds for LLM plus extra time for the Android gateway.
• MQTT is praised as convenient but commenters note WebSockets, ZeroMQ, long-polling, raw TCP, VoIP/SIP trunks, or SBCs could all work.
• Ideas include adding random reply delays to seem more human, using Tailscale for connectivity, and replacing Android+SIM with cheap VoIP DIDs.
• SMS length limitations ( ~155 chars ) caused messages to be split in the demo.

Legal and Contract Concerns

• Several commenters worry about bots accidentally agreeing to real estate or car deals, potentially forming enforceable contracts via SMS.
• Others counter that contracts still require intent, consideration, and clear terms; automated replies may lack “meeting of minds.”
• Examples are raised where courts treated chatbot promises as binding on the company that deployed them, suggesting legal risk is non-trivial.
• Jurisdiction matters: some say phone-only agreements are weaker or require later written confirmation in parts of Europe.

Broader AI Arms Race & Alternatives

• Many find it darkly comic or depressing that LLMs will soon be talking mainly to other LLMs, wasting energy in an arms race of spam vs. counter-spam.
• Some argue this reflects “scarcity mindset” misusing technologies of abundance, and suggest more constructive uses like helping scammers find better work.
• Alternatives proposed include religious or moral outreach to scammers, better caller-ID / new phone protocols, and non-trolling applications (e.g., farmers interacting with LLMs via SMS).