I get the humanist angle here, but I think it is incredibly difficult to rationalize this behavior just because of point of origin.
I get things are tough in 3rd world countries - but we can not legitimize illegal or immoral behavior just because people have ‘mouths to feed’. I would argue these countries need stronger countermeasures to dissuade people from starting/joining such practices, as it is self-perpetuating.
So - if that means using scripts like those described, phone services like Jolly Roger to clog up and render the scammers useless - great! At some point the business model will die (or be replaced) setting up the opportunity for something that actually helps vs harms others co-habiting the planet.
