I was just contacted by the Department of Homeland Security

[RageAgainstTheirMachine]

I was playing hearts on Yahoo, and I was contacted by a member of Homeland Security through the messenger on the game site, asking me if I was Arab. My screenname suggests that I am white, which I am. Follows is the conversation:

yesssi812: i bet your not white
me: you think?
yesssi812: yep
yesssi812: are u an arab
me: why do u ask
yesssi812: i work for home security
me: well then i dont know if this question is legal
yesssi812: i sense foreign elements in your typing
me: good for you

The conversation ended there. Does anything else think this is absurd, that the Department of Homeland Security is on the Yahoo Games site, trying to identify Arabs? I find it ridiculous, useless and an example of blatant racial profiling. What do you all think?

For the record, I am a white American, currently living overseas.

[flamingyouth]

1. Maybe it was someone just messing with you?

:shrug:

[Paradise]

2. not being sarcastic but were you playing hearts in arabic??? n/t

[RageAgainstTheirMachine]

3. no, English

eom

[Paradise]

14. lol! :) n/t

[partygirl]

4. foreign elements

in your typing? Crazy.

[Maple]

5. Sounds like a hoax

'foreign elements' in your typing?

Watch that spelling eh? ;)

[faithnotgreed]

6. "home security"? i know our govt is ridiculous and racist - who knows

[The Backlash Cometh]

7. They might have caught elements of your non-arabness in your

choice of words. It's probably because you said, "Good for you" instead of, "May Allah bless your five wives with 5 strong sons."

[RageAgainstTheirMachine]

8. I was not an Arab room nor was I speaking in Arabic

He had no reason to believe I was anything. I wasn't even in the same "room" as he was. So he had no reason to message me at all.

[951]

9. This smells like a big hoax I wouldnt waste my time

Anyone else notice the similarities in lower case text?

I hope we're not dealing to a DU'er gone the way of the freepers.

[Tikki]

10. I have a different user name....

that is one letter away from spelling the word 'arab'....I use this name (and have for many years) on game boards....You can not imagine all the rude remarks that have been made to me over the internet.

By-the-way, the user name is a combination of mine and my husband's first names. I used to try to explain this...but, got answers like, 'you should change your names, then'.

I have learned, it's just better to hide all chat features on these sites.

[boxster]

11. No offense, but the chances that this person was really with HS are zero.

n/t

[HEIL PRESIDENT GOD]

33. Could be an airport screener off duty

or Tom Ridge's twelve-year-old male buttslave

[w4rma]

12. You've been conned. (nt)

[Trajan]

13. Yahoo is full of idiotic yahoo's ....

Typical behavior for the whackos in Yahoo chat ...

Ever been in the Yahoo political lobbies ? ...

Wanna see active psychosis ??? ....

You get the picture: .. it wasnt the Dept of HS .... it was a psychotic puke ....

[Eloriel]

15. Well, I remember some of YOUR antics right here at DU

and have NO sympathy for you whatsoever.

I only wish it had actually been Homeland Security.

[vduhr]

26. To: "Well, I remember some of YOUR antics right here at DU"

Can you explain your response because it doesn't sound very nice. The rest of us may not know why you sound like you're attacking this guy. Maybe I am misunderstanding you?

[RageAgainstTheirMachine]

28. For the Record

There's a reason I'm still on the message board and someone else is not, but thank you for supporting Bush's Patriot Act through your remark.

[radwriter0555]

16. Honey he wanted to sell you an alarm system.

He didn't say HOMELAND security, he was hitting on you.

[vetwife]

17. I think you were being had...What did the caller Id say?

[boxster]

18. Hehe. That was my first thought.

It's ADT! It's ADT!

:D

[Mr_Spock]

19. I think someone is just fucking with you

You shoulda palyed along for a while - perhaps ask him a question or two...

[LisaLynne]

27. Naw, then the guy would ...

have started talkin' dirty. Or typin' dirty. Whatever.

[PeaceProgProsp]

20. Hey, if you wire me 10,000 bucks I can use that $ to hire a lawyer

who will help me get 1,000,000 from my rich Nigerian aunt's estate...


(Psst. Don't believe everything you read on the internet.)

[Flammable Materials]

21. I'm hoping you've got an incredibly dry sense of humor.

Because otherwise I'd have to call you "gullible putz".

:D

(Just kidding)

[Pallas180]

22. Call up your senator and tell him. This is turning into gestapo land & we

need to stop it at every turn.

[newsguyatl]

23. well, seeing as how their grammar is bad

your instead of you're, i doubt they work for the gov't

with that said though, look at our pResident, so then again, who knows.

[vduhr]

24. "I was contacted by the Department of Homeland Security"

Sounds like someone is pulling your leg. They sound more ractist then ligitimate. Don't worry about it - there are a lot of nuts out there.

[BrotherBuzz]

25. Throw these words at him and let he and his computer squirm

Waihopai, INFOSEC, Information Security, Information
Warfare, IW, IS, Priavacy, Information Terrorism,
Terrorism Defensive Information, Defense Information
Warfare, Offensive Information, Offensive Information
Warfare, National Information Infrastructure, InfoSec,
Reno, Compsec, Computer Terrorism, Firewalls, Secure
Internet Connections, ISS, Passwords, DefCon V,
Hackers, Encryption, Espionage, USDOJ, NSA, CIA,
S/Key, SSL, FBI, Secert Service, USSS, Defcon,
Military, White House, Undercover, NCCS, Mayfly, PGP,
PEM, RSA, Perl-RSA, MSNBC, bet, AOL, AOL TOS, CIS,
CBOT, AIMSX, STARLAN, 3B2, BITNET, COSMOS, DATTA,
E911, FCIC, HTCIA, IACIS, UT/RUS, JANET, JICC, ReMOB,
LEETAC, UTU, VNET, BRLO, BZ, CANSLO, CBNRC, CIDA,
JAVA, Active X, Compsec 97, LLC, DERA, Mavricks,
Meta-hackers, ^?, Steve Case, Tools, Telex, Military
Intelligence, Scully, Flame, Infowar, Bubba, Freeh,
Archives, Sundevil, jack, Investigation, ISACA, NCSA,
spook words, Verisign, Secure, ASIO, Lebed, ICE, NRO,
Lexis-Nexis, NSCT, SCIF, FLiR, Lacrosse, Flashbangs,
HRT, DIA, USCOI, CID, BOP, FINCEN, FLETC, NIJ, ACC,
AFSPC, BMDO, NAVWAN, NRL, RL, NAVWCWPNS, NSWC, USAFA,
AHPCRC, ARPA, LABLINK, USACIL, USCG, NRC, ~, CDC, DOE,
FMS, HPCC, NTIS, SEL, USCODE, CISE, SIRC, CIM, ISN,
DJC, SGC, UNCPCJ, CFC, DREO, CDA, DRA, SHAPE, SACLANT,
BECCA, DCJFTF, HALO, HAHO, FKS, 868, GCHQ, DITSA,
SORT, AMEMB, NSG, HIC, EDI, SAS, SBS, UDT, GOE, DOE,
GEO, Masuda, Forte, AT, GIGN, Exon Shell, CQB, CONUS,
CTU, RCMP, GRU, SASR, GSG-9, 22nd SAS, GEOS, EADA,
BBE, STEP,
Echelon, Dictionary, MD2, MD4, MDA, MYK, 747,777, 767,
MI5, 737, MI6, 757, Kh-11, Shayet-13, SADMS, Spetznaz,
Recce, 707, CIO, NOCS, Halcon, Duress, RAID, Psyops,
grom, D-11, SERT, VIP, ARC, S.E.T. Team, MP5k, DREC,
DEVGRP, DF, DSD, FDM, GRU, LRTS, SIGDEV, NACSI, PSAC,
PTT, RFI, SIGDASYS, TDM. SUKLO, SUSLO, TELINT, TEXTA.
ELF, LF, MF, VHF, UHF, SHF, SASP, WANK, Colonel,
domestic disruption, smuggle, 15kg, nitrate, Pretoria,
M-14, enigma, Bletchley Park, Clandestine, nkvd,
argus, afsatcom, CQB, NVD, Counter Terrorism Security,
Rapid Reaction, Corporate Security, Police, sniper,
PPS, ASIS, ASLET, TSCM, Security Consulting, High
Security, Security Evaluation, ElectronicSurveillance,
MI-17, Counterterrorism, spies, eavesdropping,
debugging, interception, COCOT, rhost, rhosts, SETA,
Amherst, Broadside, Capricorn, Gamma, Gorizont, Guppy,
Ionosphere, Mole, Keyhole, Kilderkin, Artichoke,
Badger, Cornflower, Daisy, Egret, Iris, Hollyhock,
Jasmine, Juile, Vinnell, B.D.M.,Sphinx, Stephanie,
Reflection, Spoke, Talent, Trump, FX, FXR, IMF,
POCSAG, Covert Video,Intiso, r00t, lock picking,
Beyond Hope, csystems, passwd, 2600 Magazine,
Competitor, EO, Chan, Alouette, executive, Event
Security, Mace, Cap-Stun, stakeout, ninja, ASIS, ISA,
EOD, Oscor, Merlin, NTT, SL-1, Rolm, TIE, Tie-fighter,
PBX, SLI, NTT, MSCJ, MIT, 69, RIT, Time, MSEE, Cable &
Wireless, CSE, Embassy, ETA, Porno, Fax, finks, Fax
encryption, white noise, pink noise, CRA, M.P.R.I.,
top secret, Mossberg, 50BMG, Macintosh Security,
Macintosh Internet Security, Macintosh Firewalls, Unix
Security, VIP Protection, SIG, sweep, Medco, TRD, TDR,
sweeping, TELINT, Audiotel, Harvard, 1080H, SWS,
Asset, Satellite imagery, force, Cypherpunks,
Coderpunks, TRW, remailers, replay, redheads, RX-7,
explicit, FLAME, Pornstars, AVN, Playboy, Anonymous,
Sex, chaining, codes, Nuclear, 20, subversives, SLIP,
toad, fish, data havens, unix, c, a, b, d, the, Elvis,
quiche, DES, 1*, NATIA, NATOA, sneakers,
counterintelligence, industrial espionage, PI, TSCI,
industrial intelligence, H.N.P., Juiliett Class
Submarine, Locks, loch, Ingram Mac-10, sigvoice, ssa,
E.O.D., SEMTEX, penrep, racal, OTP, OSS, Blowpipe,
CCS, GSA, Kilo Class, squib, primacord, RSP, Becker,
Nerd, fangs, Austin, Comirex, GPMG, Speakeasy, humint,
GEODSS, SORO, M5, ANC, zone, SBI, DSS, S.A.I.C.,
Minox, Keyhole, SAR, Rand Corporation, Wackenhutt, EO,
Wackendude, mol, Hillal, GGL, CTU, botux, Virii, CCC,
Blacklisted 411,
Internet Underground, XS4ALL, Retinal Fetish, Fetish,
Yobie, CTP, CATO, Phon-e, Chicago Posse, l0ck, spook
keywords, PLA, TDYC, W3, CUD, CdC, Weekly World News,
Zen, World Domination, Dead, GRU, M72750, Salsa, 7,
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Indigo, wire transfer, e-cash,
Bubba the Love Sponge,
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AT&T, SGI, SUN, MCI, Blacknet, Middleman, KLM,
Blackbird, plutonium, Texas, jihad, SDI, Uzi, Fort
Meade, supercomputer, bullion, 3, Blackmednet,
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cryptanalysis, nuclear, FBI,
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SEAL, virtual, Dolch, secure shell, screws, Black-Ops,
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TEMPSET, Goodwin, rebels, ID, MD5, IDEA, garbage,
market, beef, Stego, unclassified, utopia, orthodox,
Alica, SHA, Global, gorilla, Bob, Pseudonyms, MITM,
Gray Data, VLSI, mega, Leitrim, Yakima, Sugar Grove,
Cowboy, Gist, 8182, Gatt, Platform, 1911, Geraldton,
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Gap, Menwith, Mantis, DSD, BVD, 1984, Flintlock,
cybercash, government, hate, speedbump, illuminati,
president, freedom, cocaine, $, Roswell, ESN, COS,
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anarchy, rogue, mailbomb, 888, Chelsea, 1997,
Whitewater, MOD, York, plutonium, William Gates,
clone, BATF, SGDN, Nike, Atlas, Delta, TWA, Kiwi, PGP
2.6.2., PGP 5.0i, PGP 5.1, siliconpimp, Lynch, 414,
Face, Pixar, IRIDF, eternity server, Skytel, Yukon,
Templeton, LUK, Cohiba, Soros, Standford, niche, 51,
H&K, USP, ^, sardine, bank, EUB, USP, PCS, NRO, Red
Cell, Glock 26, snuffle, Patel, package, ISI, INR,
INS, IRS,
GRU, RUOP, GSS, NSP, SRI, Ronco, Armani, BOSS,
Chobetsu, FBIS, BND, SISDE, FSB, BfV, IB, froglegs,
JITEM, SADF, advise, TUSA, HoHoCon, SISMI, FIS, MSW,
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SAP, OAU, PFS, Aladdin, chameleon man, Hutsul, CESID,
Bess, rail gun, Peering, 17, 312, NB, CBM, CTP,
Sardine, SBIRS, SGDN, ADIU, DEADBEEF, IDP, IDF,
Halibut, SONANGOL, Flu, &, Loin, PGP 5.53, EG&G,
AIEWS, AMW, WORM, MP5K-SD, 1071, WINGS, cdi, DynCorp,
UXO, Ti, THAAD, package, chosen, PRIME, SURVIAC,UFO.

;)

[area51]

29. Heh,

you forgot PROMIS & Danny Casolaro.

[strategery blunder]

31. Now YOU'RE being monitored by Fatherland Security

although I sincerely hope the above statement isn't true:scared:

[BrotherBuzz]

32. Everybody's got something to hide except for me and my monkey

I've been monitored by the Fatherland Security and even have a pair of caseworkers. We don't seem to be on the same page. I'm waxing enthusiastic about Henry Waxman, and they want to discuss some dead man, but I made some progress when I mentioned the pending draft.

[Ms. Clio]

30. Yes, I do think this is absurd n/t

[Uzybone]

34. Most likely someone messing with you

even Home land security is not that inept.

[skygazer]

35. Can I interest you in a bridge?

It's a beaut, crosses from Manhattan to Brooklyn, with walkway for your convenience.

Or perhaps you'd like to invest in a Nigerian oil well?

[kimchi]

36. Home security? He installs burglar alarms.

An hee cant spel neether

[unfrigginreal]

37. It's a fucking shame that it sounds like a hoax

maybe next time.