She doesn’t wait for scammers to call her. She calls them.
It’s April Fools’ Day, and honestly, there may be no better target for a prank than a scammer.
That’s exactly what Rosie Okomura does.
Known online as IRL Rosie, she’s part of a growing group of creators who spend their time calling scammers, wasting their time, and exposing how these schemes work. But what started as entertainment came from something much more personal.
“I started scam baiting because my mom was scammed,” Okomura told me.
Her mother fell for a common pop-up scam that claimed her computer had a virus and needed to be fixed. She paid hundreds of dollars before realizing it was fake.
“So I called the number… just to mess with them and waste their time so they couldn’t call anyone else’s mom.”
full YouTube interview behind the scenes
What Is “Scam Baiting”?
Instead of waiting for scam calls, Okomura goes looking for them.
She works with a network of scam baiters who share phone numbers and information about new scams. They call in pretending to be victims.
“We all call saying, ‘I just got disconnected,’ or ‘I had a missed call from this number.’”
The goal is simple. Keep scammers busy so they’re not targeting someone else.
And she’s very good at it.
The Voices That Keep Scammers Hooked
Okomura is a voice actor, and it shows.
She uses multiple characters to confuse and frustrate scammers, sometimes keeping them on the phone for over an hour.
“Mostly the old lady voice… sometimes an automated voice… a Karen… a valley girl.”
Here are a few moments from her calls:
“Do not tell anyone about your winnings…”
“Hi, my name is Courtney and I’m calling to upgrade…”
“Siri, shut up… would you like me to search the web for the lyrics to ‘shut up’?”
“Why are you typing ‘u u’? You said double-u…”
“This is Roger McRobbit, I’m the floor manager.”
“Oh… you manage floors?”
It’s funny. That’s why people watch.
But there’s a bigger reason her videos have millions of views.
“It feels like a little bit of justice,” she said.
Why This Matters More Than Ever
Behind the humor is a serious warning.
Scams are evolving fast, and they’re not just targeting older adults anymore.
“Millennials are actually one of the biggest targets depending on the scam.”
Job scams. Rental scams. Fake purchase alerts. Text messages pretending to be from Amazon or your bank.
And now, artificial intelligence is making scams even harder to detect.
“Voice cloning… deepfake videos… it’s getting better every day.”
Scammers are also getting better at something else: manipulating emotions.
“They create urgency. Fear. Or even loneliness.”
That’s especially true in romance scams and fake emergency calls involving family members.
Even Experts Almost Fall for It
Okomura admits she’s come close to being fooled herself.
One of the most convincing scams she encountered didn’t come through a phone call or email.
It came in the mail.
“It looked completely real. Same fonts, same layout. I almost paid it.”
That’s a reminder that scams aren’t just digital anymore. Some of the most convincing ones are old school.
How to Protect Yourself
Okomura says the best defense is simple, but it requires discipline.
Slow down.
Verify everything.
And don’t act on emotion.
She also recommends something more families are starting to adopt:
A family password.
With AI voice cloning on the rise, scammers can now mimic a loved one’s voice. A shared password can help verify whether a call or message is real.
Why People Love Watching
There’s another reason scam baiting videos are exploding in popularity.
“I think it just feels good to watch someone… get ‘em.”
Scams are everywhere. And chances are, you or someone you know has been targeted.
Watching someone turn the tables gives people a sense of control in a space where most feel powerless.
Where to Find Her
If you want to see how it works, Okomura posts regularly as IRL Rosie on YouTube and social media.
Just know this going in:
She’s not answering scam calls.
She’s calling them.
And keeping them busy long enough to protect someone else from picking up.
