Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/Brett Cox/Archive

Suspected sockpuppets



 * Tools: Editor interaction utility • Interaction Timeline • User compare report Auto-generated every hour.

I came across this series of accounts following my efforts to improve the Korean melon article. I did not notice what I now think is a direct relationship until today. All of these accounts edit food-related articles. All of them have edited Korean melon, or participated in RM discussions there, skewing those discussion. One of the overlaps I noticed was their unique participation in articles related to both Turkish and Korean cuisines, which seems too unique to exist naturally. The best example I found are the articles vine leaf roll and sarma (food). Manduco started an RM at Talk:Vine leaf roll, and Joyakdol supported that RM. Malgalmang today moved content from vine leaf roll to sarma (food). Maumivi also edited both the Korean melon article, and an article related to Turkish cuisine, Yayla çorbası, as did Gomuragi, who edited Tripe soup (işkembe çorbası) article. Malgalmang also removed content related to Japanese cultivation of Japonica rice, an article previously edited by Manduco, today, with the edit summary 'paraphrasing'. This matches Elissinha's removal of content related to a Chinese form of doenjang with edit summary 'summarising'. Basically, all these accounts edit only food articles...all of them have similar user pages, all of them attempt to promote the 'Korean-ness' of multi-ethnic foods through removal of content, all but one of them have edited Turkish-cuisine related articles as well. The weekly succession of these accounts appearing at the Korean melon article, promoting the same exact point of view, made me look into this, and I think its clear we have a group of socks promoting a point of view and stuffing discussions with opinions contrary to policy/guidelines. I know my SPI request is a bit of a mess, but please do me a favour and take a look into it. If you need anything else from me, feel free to ask. RGloucester — ☎ 04:29, 6 November 2018 (UTC)

Comments by other users
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 * Thank you for your assistance. I have one more suspicious account. That'd be . My suspicion derives from their insertion of pictures related to Korean melon uploaded by into articles on other language Wikipedias. I'm not sure if such evidence is valid here...let me know.  RGloucester  — ☎ 01:13, 9 November 2018 (UTC)
 * Interesting... I recognize Manduco on kowiki, I'll check their behaviors locally. &mdash; regards, Revi 05:39, 9 November 2018 (UTC)
 * I'm not sure that there is a connection, but I have a feeling this group of accounts may be related to ...most of that account's edits were deleted, but it seems that it is the one that originally created Korean melon here, before the page was deleted and later recreated...and it also seems to be connected to some sort of giant mess of socks at Sockpuppet investigations/Paul Bedson. I might be wrong, of course, and I'm not capable of doing the necessary research, given the deletion of the relevant account's edits. RGloucester  — ☎ 17:34, 9 November 2018 (UTC)

Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

 * ✅ plus:
 * . Please move to Howff.  Per my Talk page, if you know of more accounts, you should add them to the list with comments in the other users section why. Don't assume I'll find them.--Bbb23 (talk) 01:04, 9 November 2018 (UTC)
 * Spiritbibber is . Blocked and tagged.--Bbb23 (talk) 02:17, 9 November 2018 (UTC)
 * Moved to Howff. Best, Kevin ( aka L235 ·&#32; t ·&#32; c) 09:15, 10 November 2018 (UTC)
 * . Please move to Howff.  Per my Talk page, if you know of more accounts, you should add them to the list with comments in the other users section why. Don't assume I'll find them.--Bbb23 (talk) 01:04, 9 November 2018 (UTC)
 * Spiritbibber is . Blocked and tagged.--Bbb23 (talk) 02:17, 9 November 2018 (UTC)
 * Moved to Howff. Best, Kevin ( aka L235 ·&#32; t ·&#32; c) 09:15, 10 November 2018 (UTC)
 * Moved to Howff. Best, Kevin ( aka L235 ·&#32; t ·&#32; c) 09:15, 10 November 2018 (UTC)

Suspected sockpuppets



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✅ on Korean Wikipedia.

(Damnag is also confirmed but no contribs on enwiki) &mdash; regards, Revi 16:27, 9 November 2018 (UTC)

Comments by other users
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Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

 * . Closing. TonyBallioni (talk) 16:34, 9 November 2018 (UTC)
 * It looks to me like all of these accounts should be globally locked.--Bbb23 (talk) 16:35, 9 November 2018 (UTC)
 * I haven't blocked them on kowiki as there was no sock abusing per se on kowiki (I checked the socks' interactions, and only overlap was editing overlap without discussion) and therefore I don't think it is lockable as of now. Maybe their non-main account can be locked, but I will consult with local CU first. &mdash; regards, Revi 16:53, 9 November 2018 (UTC)
 * There are other projects that the master/socks edit besides ko.wiki, most notably Commons.--Bbb23 (talk) 17:01, 9 November 2018 (UTC)
 * Uh, forgot there. Will check there tomorrow. &mdash; regards, Revi 17:19, 9 November 2018 (UTC)
 * Commons and wikidata - I am not sure about the abuses ongoing here. If you or someone else can point me the abuse going on other wikis, I am more than happy to lock them all. &mdash; regards, Revi 09:09, 10 November 2018 (UTC)

Suspected sockpuppets



 * Tools: Editor interaction utility • Interaction Timeline • User compare report Auto-generated every hour.

This account hit me on commons watchlist when they have used "cat-a-lot" on the file I uploaded, and then I found something suspicious here as well.


 * 1) all the socks have gender set as female, this one as well.
 * 2) Common interest in Korean food (see archive for RGloucester's analysis)
 * 3) first ever contribs is a complete, proper Wikipedia article, suggesting they are not really new to Wikipedia
 * 4) I don't think no new users make use of  sort of stuff that is not usually used by newbies nor educated during edit-a-thon stuff.
 * 5) uses Cat-a-lot on Commons, and Cat-a-lot is not a tool known or used by newbies.

They had some sleepers in the past so I expect them to have more sleeper. &mdash; regards, Revi 13:11, 27 November 2018 (UTC)

Comments by other users
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Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments
✅, blocked and tagged. Although I saw no other unblocked accounts, did not get globally locked. Please lock it and the new account.--Bbb23 (talk) 15:46, 27 November 2018 (UTC)
 * Locked both. &mdash; regards, Revi 15:58, 27 November 2018 (UTC)


 * Thanks. Closing. Bbb23 (talk) 16:17, 27 November 2018 (UTC)

Suspected sockpuppets



 * Tools: Editor interaction utility • Interaction Timeline • User compare report Auto-generated every hour.

G-locked as the behavioral match (addiction of Korean food on kowiki) and technically on login.wikimedia. I think there would be a sleeper here. &mdash; regards, Revi 21:49, 6 February 2019 (UTC)

Comments by other users
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Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments

 * ✅ +, who is a significantly older account than Howff (with a large gap in their edits that explains why they haven't been spotted technically). Blocked and tagged. Please move case to Brett Cox and retag as needed.  This was a surprise. Please globally lock Brett Cox.--Bbb23 (talk) 22:14, 6 February 2019 (UTC)
 * Locked. &mdash; regards, Revi 22:17, 6 February 2019 (UTC)
 * ✅ Sir Sputnik (talk) 01:01, 7 February 2019 (UTC)

Suspected sockpuppets



 * Tools: Editor interaction utility • Interaction Timeline • User compare report Auto-generated every hour.

kowiki CU has confirmed this account with Brett Cox and Ajumeoni (and likely-ed on Sulkkun). This has not enough edits to be sufficient, but leaving to you, to decide what to do. &mdash; regards, Revi 17:04, 9 February 2019 (UTC)

Comments by other users
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Clerk, CheckUser, and/or patrolling admin comments
, unless you want me to run a check, which I would be happy to do, the global lock is enough for me. Closing.--Bbb23 (talk) 18:24, 9 February 2019 (UTC)

Suspected sockpuppets



 * Tools: Editor interaction utility • Interaction Timeline • User compare report Auto-generated every hour.

Using on the first date of joining, using HotCat on second day of their edit, their interest in the foods (some (or majority of) the supports on the talk namespace regarding the RM is food-related) makes this account very suspicious that this may be Howff AKA Brett Cox. (See also Wikidata edits) &mdash; regards, Revi 15:07, 5 March 2019 (UTC)
 * Also note that they have an extensive knowledge of HotCat, proven at Sockpuppet investigations/Brett Cox/Archive. &mdash; regards, Revi 15:08, 5 March 2019 (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
✅, blocked and tagged. , please globally lock. Thanks.--Bbb23 (talk) 15:45, 5 March 2019 (UTC)
 * Done. &mdash; regards, Revi 15:53, 5 March 2019 (UTC)

Suspected sockpuppets



 * Tools: Editor interaction utility • Interaction Timeline • User compare report Auto-generated every hour.

who knows how to use CropTool (which is not a tool for newbie) and knows how to put a number of categories on their first date makes it super suspicious, let alone a match of interests. &mdash; regards, Revi 01:50, 1 April 2019 (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
✅/ – the account is using nothing but proxies. . Please globally lock.--Bbb23 (talk) 16:10, 1 April 2019 (UTC)
 * Done. &mdash; regards, Revi 00:50, 2 April 2019 (UTC)


 * Thanks. Closing. Bbb23 (talk) 01:33, 2 April 2019 (UTC)