Few things are more frustrating than scam calls. As well as being annoying, they can be seriously bad news for anyone who falls for the scam, with would-be scammers often deliberately targeting the elderly and vulnerable.
If you know anyone who has been scammed, you'll know the devastating impact it can have on them. It's more than just the money, it can shake their trust in the world and make them feel ashamed for falling for it.
And so to the US where one genius computer programmer and security developer has created some code that turns the tables on potential scammers by calling them 28 times per second.
The programmer, known as Project Mayhem on YouTube, decided to fight back against a couple of dodgy call centres running scams in the US.
One was related to a fake advert, which pops up online warning Internet users their Microsoft licence is about to expire. The guy then starts warning that his computer has a bug (it doesn't) and telling the programmer he needs to buy a $200 (£155) iTunes card.
Deciding against that cause of action, Project Mayhem opts to completely flood the call centre's phone lines, making it impossible for them to receive any other calls and totally ruining its operations. Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of people, eh?
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The scammers were even sent friendly messaging, warning them this wouldn't stop until they stop. It also tells the call centre operators to take off their headphones, and go home.
Even more worryingly, as the calls go on, one call handler can be heard answering with the greeting 'Thank you for calling the IRS. How can I help you?'.
For some reason, the scammers don't take kindly to the intrusion, and you can hear them swearing in the background. Strange that.
Credit: YouTube/Project Mayhem
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This isn't the first time Project Mayhem has waged war on scammers. In fact, they've got a whole YouTube channel dedicated to it.
Whoever is behind Project Mayhem has set up a patreon, where people can donate to this pretty excellent cause. And, after setting it up just a few days ago, they've already got pledges for $795 (£615) a month. Not bad.
Featured Image Credit: The Simpsons/Fox