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

20 September 2021

Suspected sockpuppets

• Thaiboy43 ( 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)
• Saple244 ( talk ⁺ · tag · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · filter log · block user · spi block · block log · CA · CheckUser( log) · investigate · cuwiki)
• Pads43 ( talk ⁺ · tag · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · filter log · block user · spi block · block log · CA · CheckUser( log) · investigate · cuwiki)
• Andcentra ( talk ⁺ · tag · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · filter log · block user · spi block · block log · CA · CheckUser( log) · investigate · cuwiki)
• Vegitaboss ( 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 • User compare report Auto-generated every hour.

This is very likely the same sockfarm as Alok433 SPI. Also could be related to Ramskq SPI, 125BOP SPI. But I didn't follow the full trail through all stale accounts.

Primarily, but not exclusively, Mon-Fri editing.

• Andcentra:
  • and Vegitaboss have significant overlap ( EIA). They share common edit summary style ( [1] [2], [3] [4]). Ping me for full comparison.
  • and Pads43 too ( EIA), also share edit summary style ( [5] [6]). Also see Vegitaboss and Pads43 ( [7] [8]).
  • and Saple244 too ( EIA), also share edit summary style ( [9] [10])
• Thaiboy43 has a quite similar name to Malaysianboy3 ( talk ⁺ · tag · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · filter log · block user · spi block · block log · CA · CheckUser( log) · investigate · cuwiki) (see Alok433). Disclosed paid work for Gary R. Epler (  | talk | history | protect | delete | links | watch | logs | views) [11], which was also edited by Ramskq.
• Also note the numbering pattern in Pads43, Thaiboy43, Malaysianboy3, Alok433.

-- MarioGom ( talk) 19:46, 20 September 2021 (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

This case is being reviewed by Spicy as part of the clerk training process. Please allow him to process the entire case without interference, and pose any questions or concerns either on his talk page or on this page if more appropriate.

• CheckUser requested and endorsed by clerk - I'm pretty sure, based on the overlap on very obscure pages and edit summary quirks noted above, that Andcentra/Vegitaboss/Pads43/Saple244 are related to each other, and at least two of them are not stale. Since this appears to be fairly sophisticated UPE, a sleeper check for other accounts would be worthwhile. If possible, it would also be useful to compare the CU results to log data for the Alok433 sockfarm, to help determine whether these cases should be merged; there is some overlap in subject matter and edit summaries, but technical comparison would be helpful as another data point if there's anything usable there.
  I will note that I'm less confident about Thaiboy43's relationship to the other accounts, as they have no page overlap and not much behavioural evidence to go on, but since they haven't edited in several months it's not as much of a priority to figure out whether or not they are a sock. Thanks, Spicy ( talk) 21:12, 23 September 2021 (UTC) reply
•  In progress - ~ TNT (she/they • talk) 04:18, 30 September 2021 (UTC) reply
• All I can personally go with here is  Possible on Andcentra and Vegitaboss, everything else is  Stale. Would suggest behavioural evidence only ~ TNT (she/they • talk) 04:22, 30 September 2021 (UTC) reply
• Behaviourally, Andcentra and Vegitaboss look related to me. There is overlap on very obscure pages which doesn't seem to be explained by a shared interest in a given field of research, institution, etc. In addition to the edit summary similarities documented above, there's another odd quirk that both of these accounts do ( [12] [13] [14] [15]), and Vegitaboss has uploaded a number of photos of article subjects to Commons as "own work" [16] which furthers the impression that this is undisclosed paid editing. I am leaning towards blocking Andcentra and Vegitaboss, but would appreciate a second opinion. The similarities to previous sockfarms are interesting, and I note some apparent logged-out editing by Andcentra/Vegitaboss [17] on the same range as an IP reported in the Alok433 SPI [18] (though it's a massive range), but I don't think there is quite enough evidence for a merge at this point. Thanks, Spicy ( talk) 12:01, 5 October 2021 (UTC) reply
• There's an additional formatting quirk that convinces me that those two accounts are operated by the same person. I blocked them both without tags for socking and likely UPE, that's all I have time for right now. -- Blablubbs ( talk) 09:06, 12 October 2021 (UTC) reply
• I've tagged Andcentra and Vegitaboss as suspected to each other. I think the other accounts in the filing are likely related but they are stale, so there's nothing to do for now. Feel free to re-report if they reactivate. Closing. Spicy ( talk) 17:41, 13 October 2021 (UTC) reply

21 January 2022

Suspected sockpuppets

• Thaiboy43 ( 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)
• Captainoatmeal ( 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 • User compare report Auto-generated every hour.

Captainoatmeal registered soon after Andcentra block, similar timecard, identical edit summary style (ping me for a full analysis on this), same kind of academic bio creations (UPE), colored signature. MarioGom ( talk) 14:17, 21 January 2022 (UTC) reply

Functionaries may also check the paid queue. MarioGom ( talk) 14:27, 23 January 2022 (UTC) reply

@ MarioGom Why is a colored signature a clue that they're socking? -- RoySmith (talk) 15:27, 27 January 2022 (UTC) reply

RoySmith: It's not (in isolation), it's just an additional behavioral similarity combined with the rest. In any case, there's conclusive evidence in the ticket I sent to paid-en-wp@. MarioGom ( talk) 16:37, 27 January 2022 (UTC) reply

Can you point out some diffs showing the similar signatures with other socks? I'm not on paid-en-wp. -- RoySmith (talk) 16:45, 27 January 2022 (UTC) reply

RoySmith: Sure: [19] [20]. Sorry, I should have posted that in the original report. Here's also the edit summary comparison:

MarioGom ( talk) 20:11, 27 January 2022 (UTC) reply

Comments by other users

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Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

• It's pretty clear from my examination of the Captainoatmeal's editing history that they're an experienced UPE, and it seems from the evidence here that they're probably the same person as Andcentra. I can't draw a line back to Thaiboy43, but I didn't try very hard. I'm just going to block them as a Andcentra sock and move on. Possibly this case needs splitting or renaming, but I'll let somebody else figure out if that's the case. -- RoySmith (talk) 21:10, 27 January 2022 (UTC) reply

14 April 2022

Suspected sockpuppets

• Thaiboy43 ( 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)

• Hectorname ( 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

Near identical recreation of Captainoatmeal's Thirumalaisamy P. Velavan CUPIDICAE💕 13:57, 14 April 2022 (UTC) reply

Comments by other users

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Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

• Procedural close. Since Captainoatmeal was never linked directly to Thaiboy43, this is better handled at Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/Andcentra. Sir Sputnik ( talk) 23:34, 14 April 2022 (UTC) reply

14 April 2022

Suspected sockpuppets

• Hectorname ( 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

Initially reported at Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/Thaiboy43 with the rationale bellow. Sir Sputnik ( talk) 23:33, 14 April 2022 (UTC) reply

Near identical recreation of Captainoatmeal's Thirumalaisamy P. Velavan CUPIDICAE💕 13:57, 14 April 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

•  Blocked and tagged. Sir Sputnik ( talk) 23:35, 14 April 2022 (UTC) reply