GoKawiilBruce Schneier flags mysterious spam wave replying to his newsletter confirmation emails
Security researcher Bruce Schneier reported receiving a flood of AI-generated, one-line 'thank you' replies to the confirmation emails his Crypto-Gram newsletter sends to verify subscriptions. The messages came from dozens of throwaway Gmail addresses that never actually completed the subscription process, and none of the senders responded when he replied back.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The incident highlights a puzzling new pattern of automated engagement that doesn't fit familiar scam templates like pig-butchering or phishing, since there's no follow-up contact or monetary ask. It underscores how AI-generated text is being used at scale for purposes that even security experts can't immediately decode, raising questions about bot farming, engagement fraud, or reputation manipulation schemes.
- Schneier received numerous fake AI-written replies to his newsletter's confirmation emails.
- The sender addresses never actually subscribed and used disposable Gmail accounts.
- The motive remains unclear since no scammer followed up after his responses.
Bruce Schneier's "A Hacker's Mind" (book) — If this puzzling AI-generated email scam has you wondering how people game systems, Schneier's own book digs into exactly that: how clever actors find and exploit loopholes in everything from tech to finance. It's a natural companion for anyone who follows his newsletter and enjoys unraveling mysteries like "what's the scam?
See Bruce Schneier's "A Hacker's Mind" (book) on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: schneier.com — Bruce Schneier, 2026-09-01
Published there as: “What's the Scam?”
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