Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/USZSI/Archive

USZSI

USZSI (talk⁺ · tag · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · filter log · block user · spi block · block log · CA · CheckUser(log) · investigate · cuwiki)

04 May 2022

Suspected sockpuppets

Kiptoo05 (talk⁺ · tag · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · filter log · block user · spi block · block log · CA · CheckUser(log) · investigate · cuwiki) ( Clerk note: originally filed under this user)

Cast1234 (talk⁺ · tag · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · filter log · block user · spi block · block log · CA · CheckUser(log) · investigate · cuwiki)
Tools: Editor interaction utility · Interaction Timeline · SPI Tools

[1] Yet another. May need a checkuser to look for sleepers. ScottishFinnishRadish (talk) 13:30, 4 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Yamla, did RHDavis720 come up in your check at all? Same kind of basic name, recently created an article, Robert Michael Smith that had been deleted multiple times before, and had been created by Cast1234 at one point. ScottishFinnishRadish (talk) 15:03, 4 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Nope, they didn't come up at all. Keep in mind that at least some of the deleted articles were the result of undisclosed paid editing from freelancer.com. I have no particular insight into whether or not RHDavis720 is part of that, though. --Yamla (talk) 16:30, 4 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Comments by other users

Accused parties may also comment/discuss in this section below. See Defending yourself against claims.

Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

CheckUser requested and endorsed by clerk per general spamminess, unimaginative username and [2][3], all of which match this farm. Noting that ISUZU1 (talk⁺ · tag · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · filter log · block user · spi block · block log · CA · CheckUser(log) · investigate · cuwiki) may also be connected (cc @Yamla: FYI). --Blablubbs (talk) 13:55, 4 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]
I'll also note overlap with USZSI at [4][5][6]. --Blablubbs (talk) 14:02, 4 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]
These are incredibly noisy ranges filled with P2P proxies and shared IPs. Okay, biggest surprise is Unrelated for Cast1234 and ISUZU1 and USZSI to the original sockmaster, Kiptoo05. I can't rule out WP:MEAT, particularly as we know with certainty there's been some paid editing here, both disclosed and undisclosed. Just looking at the three accounts and not considering the sockmaster, it's hard to be certain because of all the noise. I'm going with Possible (so, between Cast1234 and ISUZU1 and USZSI). Given the IPs in question and avoiding WP:BEANS, this is the strongest we'd likely expect from the technical data in this case. I think there are very strong behavioural overlaps established here, but checkuser evidence doesn't deal with that. Sorry I couldn't find a smoking gun, one way or another. --Yamla (talk) 14:31, 4 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks, Yamla. The gnoming pattern and overlap of the three possible accounts is too similar to be coincidental (plus the ISUZU1<->USZI naming similarity), so I've blocked ISUZU1 and Cast1234 as suspected to USZSI. --Blablubbs (talk) 15:06, 4 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Also paging Joe Roe, who blocked USZI for socking and UPE: Are you aware of any other (or prior) accounts? I've provisionally tagged USZI and the two socks I just blocked, but I don't want to move this case section to the wrong place. Thanks, --Blablubbs (talk) 15:26, 4 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]
We've got compelling off-wiki, non-CU evidence that USZI isn't their first account, but since they're using a proxy I couldn't find any others, no. – Joe (talk) 21:10, 4 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks – I've moved this section to USZSI; closing. --Blablubbs (talk) 22:06, 6 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]