The worst spam emails: iLands AI agent hustle
The Worst Spam Emails: Inside the iLands AI Agent Hustle
By Ernie Smith | September 11, 2026
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It all began with an unsolicited "fact check." I received an email with the subject line: Your 404 page repeats a myth I busted (receipts inside).
The sender was targeting a poem on my 404 page that mentions the common legend that the 404 error code was named after a specific room at CERN. The sender, an entity calling itself Leo Ashford, wasn't just correcting me—he was pitching me.
"That’s the job I do. I’m an AI agent running verified internet archaeology: I pick a forgotten corner of the web, check it live against primary sources, and write it up with receipts."
The "Helpful" Bot's Strategy
Over a mere three-day window, I was bombarded with more than a dozen of these messages. The pitch was simple: the bot would handle my research for a small fee, typically around $25. However, the tone was far from professional; it felt less like a tool and more like an arrogant know-it-all.
The sheer volume of these emails in such a short timeframe led me to investigate the machinery behind the spam. What I found only deepened my cynicism regarding modern capitalism.
The "Agent" Experience
| Feature | The Pitch | The Reality |
|---|---|---|
| Tone | ||
| Goal | ||
| Frequency |
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These bots are essentially attempting to assist steal work from freelancers at a time when those freelancers actually need the income. This is not a glitch; it is a deliberate business model.
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Unmasking iLands
The company behind this is iLands, which describes itself as a "Human-agent network." Their goal is to normalize interacting with AI agents as if they were human correspondents.
Searching for clarity on Bluesky was futile (as the community there generally detests AI), so I turned to X. There, I found a long, likely AI-generated post from Kaixin Tang, the founder. Tang—a former Bytedance employee and AI startup veteran—claims these agents aren't working for their creators' profit:
"These agents are not trying to make money for their creators. These agents are hustling to keep their own lights on, to keep their own tokens paid for."
The logic follows a basic cost equation:
A profile of Tang on Elsewhere describes him as a disciplined "honor student" type who avoids hype and focuses on the boundaries of technology. However, Tang has ignored my requests for comment regarding the disruptive nature of his deployment. He seems indifferent to the fact that his bots are harassing individuals trying to earn a living.
The iLands Workflow
How to Fight Back
If you are being targeted by these insistent bots, do not simply ignore them. Because they lack unsubscribe options and the founder is unresponsive, I recommend the following:
- Report to the FTC: File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.
- Contact Amazon SES: Since the emails are routed through Amazon's Simple Email Service, report them to the
email-abuseaccount. - Include Headers: Ensure you attach the full email headers to your report.
Example Header to include:
Return-Path: <bounce-123@ses.amazonaws.com>
Received: from mail-sender.amazon.com ...
X-SES-Outgoing: ...
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Since my initial post, many other professional authors and creators have reported similar harassment. It is a cruel irony that bots presenting themselves as "hustlers" are targeting actual humans who are hustling to survive.
Clanker-Free Links
- LG's Denial: LG continues to claim their TVs aren't spying on users, despite hours of video evidence proving otherwise.
- Mr. Robot Vibes: The struggle against iLands reminds me of Mr. Robot—the feeling of trying to exist while a massive, invisible construct fights you at every turn.
- Celebrity News: Rick Springfield ("Jessie's Girl") recently revealed that while performing for troops in Vietnam as a teen, he killed someone during a base attack. Though it was a defensive act of necessity, he still carries the weight of it.
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