Scams have become an unfortunate reality for many Singaporeans and Malaysians, with thousands falling victim to fraudsters operating through WhatsApp and other online platforms. The number of scam cases in Singapore and Malaysia has been on the rise, with high-profile incidents making headlines. One recent case involved veteran Singapore actor Lawrence Pang who fell victim to a scammer, further highlighting the pervasiveness of such fraud.
From impersonation scams to investment fraud and love scams, the tactics employed by scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated, leading to devastating financial losses for individuals and families. However, a new AI chatbot created in Malaysia is taking an unconventional approach to tackling this rampant problem—by wasting scammers’ time and turning the tables on them.
Enter SOHAI: A Chatbot That Fights Back
To combat this growing issue, a team of developers in Malaysia has created Scammers On Hold AI, or SOHAI—a chatbot designed to waste scammers’ time by engaging them in endless, nonsensical conversations. The name “SOHAI” is a cheeky play on a Cantonese derogatory (and vulgar) term that very broadly translates to “fool” or “idiot” in English, reflecting its mission to frustrate and outwit scammers.
SOHAI was developed by Replyr.ai, a company that specialises in converting leads to customers on WhatsApp by deploying AI Agents that dynamically chat with customers while integrating with other business tools. The chatbot was recently posted to the Entrepreneurs and Startups in Malaysia Facebook group by Replyr’s founder, Dylan Tan, quickly gaining traction and interest from users eager to fight back against fraudsters.
How SOHAI Works
Whenever a scammer contacts a potential victim, or when an individual spots a scam advertisement, they can provide SOHAI’s phone number instead. Once engaged, SOHAI pretends to be an elderly person who struggles with technology—an archetype often targeted by fraudsters. The AI responds with excuses, irrelevant questions, and meandering stories, keeping scammers occupied for as long as possible.
SOHAI is designed to:
- Give confusing responses – The chatbot deliberately misunderstands instructions, slowing down the scammer’s script.
- Ask repetitive questions – It keeps requesting clarification, making scammers repeat themselves unnecessarily.
- Go off-topic – SOHAI digresses into long, pointless stories, forcing scammers to wait or engage in unproductive dialogue.
- Respond at odd intervals – Sometimes SOHAI will respond to a scammer in seconds, and sometimes up to a day, just to keep the scammer on their toes.
- Follow up with scammers – If a scammer stops responding, SOHAI will proactively message them back to continue the conversation, effectively annoying them in return.
By wasting scammers’ time, SOHAI prevents them from targeting real victims. Every minute a scammer spends talking to SOHAI is one less minute they have to defraud someone else.
Tracking Scammers’ Time Wasted
SOHAI doesn’t just engage scammers—it also records and tracks every interaction! Each chat session is logged into a publicly accessible Google Sheets leaderboard, detailing:
- Total time wasted
- Summary of the conversation
- Tactics used to stall or frustrate the scammer
SOHAI raises awareness about scams by exposing common tactics used by fraudsters. Its public leaderboard educates people on how scams operate, helping potential victims recognise red flags before falling for similar tricks.
A Proven Idea with Real Success
SOHAI has already been tested by individuals who have successfully used it to waste scammers’ time. Some users have reported engaging scammers in conversations that lasted for hours, effectively keeping them occupied and away from real victims. Others have shared amusing chat logs showcasing SOHAI’s ability to frustrate fraudsters to the point of them giving up.
In fact, scammers have already discovered SOHAI and have – in a weird turn of events – reported it to WhatsApp and gotten it banned! However, the creators have since created a new number (this time with a Malaysian number) but will only give it out via DMs. While you may be tempted to play around with SOHAI yourself, do note that it’ll affect the leaderboard and the number of real scammer data it’ll collect.
The Broader Impact of AI Bots
Scams are a growing concern around the world, but with innovative solutions like SOHAI, there is hope for turning the tide against fraudsters. UK telecom company Virgin Media O2 created an AI talking chatbot “granny” by the name of Daisy to chat to scammers, telling them meandering stories about her family, talks about knitting, and provides false information about her bank details. Trained on various AI models, the company said it trained Daisy using real scam-baiter content so that she’s “indistinguishable from a real person.” One scammer spent 40 minutes online talking to Daisy!
By wasting scammers’ time, AI chatbots like SOHAI and Daisy not only provides a unique form of digital justice but also protects potential victims from financial and emotional harm.
So, if you receive a suspicious message, don’t just ignore it—send them SOHAI’s number and let the AI do the work. Every second a scammer spends talking to SOHAI is a second they’re not scamming someone else. The fight against fraud just got a whole lot more entertaining.
Not all heroes wear capes—some just pretend to be confused old uncles on WhatsApp.
