I used to scrape craigslist for local offers. Many times I needed to be the first to call, so I wanted my script to get the numbers. In about five minutes I ca

I used to scrape craigslist for local offers. Many times I needed to be the first to call, so I wanted my script to get the numbers. In about five minutes I came up with an algorithm that defeated most of the obfuscation tricks of the time: Strip whitespace, convert "five" to 5, remove special characters, and look for ten consecutive digits in the body text. Maybe a couple of small tweaks after that like removing text between digits. Most people, when they invent their little unique scheme, invent one that is already defeated by the algorithm above. At least for phone numbers. Anyway, all that to say you're right, it never worked.