Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/BBB76/Archive

22 April 2014

 * Suspected sockpuppets




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This user mostly edits articles about TV shows. One of the user's characteristics is a persistent pattern of removing reference citations from descriptions of episodes that have aired (including edit warring to keep references out of articles). Another characteristic activity is removing a statement of the absence of multiple births in the family featured in United Bates of America. Yet another pattern is changing the color schemes of tables.

The BBB76 account seems to have been abandoned after being blocked several times. Many IPs have been used over time -- 74.58.112.66 is in current use, and 24.203.254.49 was being used a couple of months ago. Most recent edits are by that 74.58 IP, but the DC788 account is also being used concurrently, primarily to edit articles that are semi-protected.

The concurrent use of the logged-in user account and the IPs, with the logged-in account used mostly to get around semi-protection, is the abuse that causes me to report this as sockpuppetry.

Some characteristic diffs:
 * ,, , -- citation removals from List of Murdoch Mysteries episodes, by 74.58.112.66
 * , - citation removals from List of Murdoch Mysteries episodes, by BBB76
 * citation removals from List of 19 Kids and Counting episodes, by DC788 (after article was semiprotected)
 * ,, , , - citation removals from List of 19 Kids and Counting episodes, by 74.58.112.66 (before article was semiprotected)
 * - DC788 changing color scheme for "19 Kids" episodes article
 * BBB76 removing ref citations from List of 19 Kids and Counting episodes
 * , - DC788 removing multiple births content from United Bates of America
 * - 24.203.254.49 removing multiple births content from United Bates
 * an anon not listed in this case removing content from United Bates of America (this was last year)
 * ,, - BBB76 removing multiple births content from United Bates (this was last year)
 * DC788 recent edit to 19 Kids and Counting
 * a BBB76 edit to 19 Kids and Counting Orlady (talk) 04:44, 22 April 2014 (UTC)

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
If you're looking for confirmation of your suspicions, I'll give it to you. Similar behavior (disruptive removal of references) at the same articles, the names are very close (3 initials and 2 numerals vs 2 initials and 3 numerals), even their user pages are nearly identical (it looks like this editor hates having a blank user page so puts anything on it to create one). Normally I'd say that there is no violation if an editor drops an old account and starts with a new one and doesn't overlap their editing history, but the old account had a ton of baggage and you don't have the right to a clean start when you're that dirty, especially if you're repeating the behavior that caused you to be blocked six times for the same offense (with the latest block being for two months).

If you want advice, I'd say block both accounts indefinitely. This person has been disruptive for more than a year and hasn't shown any sign they'll ever change, and this latest attempt to avoid scrutiny is just the icing on the cake. The IPs all geolocate to Montreal so it possible for them to be the same person, and based on behavior I'd expect them to be this person. They might warrant short blocks.

If you don't want to do the blocking yourself, I can, but I don't see any reason why you shouldn't be allowed to. Your past interactions with this editor have been as an admin, so I don't see that you're involved. But I can if you want. --  At am a  頭 02:19, 30 April 2014 (UTC)
 * I assume Orlady is too busy to respond, but that's fine. I'll just take the actions I recommended. I'm going to actually block both accounts indefinitely; DC788 as a sockpuppet used to evade scrutiny and to continue the prohibited behavior that led to the previous six blocks, and BBB76 for continuing the behavior that they were blocked for in the past, and for this new abuse of multiple accounts.


 * Interestingly enough, looking at the IPs, I see that 38.108.87.20 has a block log almost as extensive as that of BBB76. But not always for the same behavior. In 2012, this was identified as an IP being used to evade a block by CRINJ who was blocked as a spam-only account. And in 2011, this IP was blocked as a CheckUser block. It wasn't obvious who this was supposedly a sockpuppet of, but I saw that on June 27, 2011 at 5:50 (UTN) they were blocked by MuZemike. Looking at the IP's edits just prior to that block, I see this edit to History of HIV/AIDS. And I see that the block happened just after MuZemike made this edit, confirming through CheckUser that KBlott was the sockmaster for some problematic edits at HIV. I think it's reasonable to conclude that MuZemike had discovered using CheckUser that KBlott was using this IP.


 * So, does that mean that KBlott, CRINJ, and BBB76 are all the same person? I don't think so. While all of these accounts were disruptive, they were disruptive in different topic areas, and BBB76 has been pretty consistent. So I think that it's safe to say that 38.108.87.20 isn't a static address, just one that has been misused by various people over the years. It was blocked on January 5th of this year for 3 months, and after the block expired there have only been a few edits to articles completely outside of BBB76's interests. The IP was probably being used by BBB76 since February 21, 2013, when that IP was first used to edit 19 Kids and Counting (one of BBB76's favorite targets). Prior to that date all of the IP's edits were to articles that seem totally unrelated. I'll also note that February 21, 2013 just happens to be the date that the BBB76 account was created, which is clearly not a coincidence. That supports the idea that this editor started their career on Wikipedia (as both an IP and a registered user) on that date and any activity earlier than that was a different person, and I believe that BBB76 is no longer using it so I won't take action against it.


 * Following the January 5th block, 24.203.254.49 began editing, from the 28th of January through the 27th of February. It then stopped completely, being abandoned for 74.58.112.66. You'll see that the next IP began editing on March 3rd until the IP was blocked on March 11th for 48 hours for edit-warring, which also happens to be the day that DC788 was created. (Although I think that is a coincidence, since DC788 was created many hours before the block occurred, and didn't actually edit until March 24th.) The IP was also blocked on April 9th, for the same thing (edit-warring on the same page) but for 72 hours this time. But by that point, the IP had been abandoned.


 * DC788 has been editing actively from March 24th and only stopped a few days ago. I think it's safe to assume that they are still active, just taking a break. I'll also note that a new IP has appeared, 74.58.106.65, making the same edits to two of BBB76's favorite topics. It's also from Montreal, and it's editing from the same 74.58.64.0/18 range as 74.58.112.66 according to this page. I'm going to block this most recent IP, but given this editor's history of abandoning one IP after another I think it's safe to conclude that (1) they won't (or can't) return to the IPs they used in the past (so blocking them is pointless) and (2) they will return in the future with another IP and/or account. After blocking that IP and the two accounts, I'm ready to close this case. --  At am a  頭 19:50, 2 May 2014 (UTC)
 * I forgot to mention, since BBB76 is clearly the older (and original account) I've changed them as the identified sockmaster and I'm recommending that it be archived under that username. --  At am a  頭 19:52, 2 May 2014 (UTC)

08 May 2014

 * Suspected sockpuppets




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Making the exact same types of edits to List of Murdoch Mysteries episodes and List of 19 Kids and Counting episodes, favorite targets of BBB76 and their socks. Also, the username is similar to previous sock usernames. --  At am a  頭 21:44, 8 May 2014 (UTC)

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
I've already blocked and tagged this one per WP:DUCK, I'm adding it here for the archive. --  At am a  頭 21:44, 8 May 2014 (UTC)