🔎Scam Exam(ination)🔍 updated 7/25/26
Seen as: Verify your account / "Lurker Mode" / "visibility protection mode activated"
Scam type(s): Phishing URL / Credit card + info stealer
Hello everyone! This is a scam awareness post going over the ongoing scam on [tumblr] where users are receiving are being @ spammed in the comments on a blog claiming to be "tumblr staff" saying that there is an issue with your account, and you must go to a website to fix it.
These accounts take many forms, and the accounts running them have run blogs that have looked like this in the past:
account-update-####
notification-####
system-update-#####
system-updates-#####
account-bot-reply
account-updating-#######
<random string of 10-13 numbers> (7/25/26: the active trend)
support#######
What the scam typically looks like:
On the outside, these accounts are pretending to be [tumblr] staff or staff 'bots', often show up in waves making a post with a AI (disgustang) image and a long wall of text below it that goes into the scam. In the comments they will use other accounts to mass @ users, telling them that they need to click the link in the post above, otherwise their accounts will be terminated/banned within 24/48 hours.
Recent images of this scam:
First image is the newest as of 7/25/26 - 1:05pm EST
Note: The text in these posts can/will likely change!
These scammers are changing the text and images of these posts constantly, most likely to try and avoid [tumblr]'s spam detection filter and to try and make it believable. Past versions can be found here.
Here is the most recent (7/25/26) version of this scam, text versions can be found in the alt text.
The comments on these posts will stress urgency to look at the post and to click the link within it. Here is the most recent example of the comment they're using:
Warning: These accounts are not real staff accounts. Nor has [tumblr] or its staff ever used 'bots', 'automatic operators' or made posts to alert users of account issues like this.
Official [tumblr] accounts will have a badge! It looks like this:
The biggest part of this scam is this, taken from one of their posts:
In accordance with our Terms of Service for 2026 and enhanced security measures, we require mandatory verification of your account. This step has been initiated due to a recent increase in unauthorized access attempts from external sources.
🔍 Current Account Status: Visibility Protection Mode Activated
Here is an example from one of their older versions:
To safeguard your profile during this process, Lurker Mode has been activated:
Your posts remain fully visible to you.
Your profile is temporarily hidden from the global dashboard, search results, and discovery feeds.
Lurker Mode is not a real thing on [tumblr]. Nor is "visibility protection mode". These are not modes or 'features' that exists. Nor have they ever existed in the 14 years I've used tumblr.
These posts will also say things like:
Please note: This verification window is active for 48 hours from the time you receive this notification.
This is to imply urgency and to make you feel pressured into going to the link without thinking. To make you think that there is an issue with your account. Do not click the link and go to this website. It is a phishing website made to look like tumblr.
Here is an example of how it can/does usually look like:
update note: these scam websites can also look like a fake capcha website! Be careful, as running any code in the command prompt like this can seriously harm your computer! DO NOT DO THIS! The safest thing you can do if you accidentally copy this is to go to another website and copy that address to clear your clipboard.
First, look at the website address/url. It is not [tumblr] dot com, the website in which you are reading my post at right now. This means that the website is a phishing website made to look like tumblr.
Second, [tumblr] does not have a chat bot on their website, nor have they ever. And I can guarantee you they would never have one that tells you to pay money for account issues. Speaking as someone who's been here since 2013? [tumblr] has never had a chat bot like this. That's warning #2 that should tell you it's 100% fake.
Third, stop and think for a moment.
You clicked a link on a tumblr post that dozens of other users may have clicked. How does it become unique to your account? This website is not unique to you or your account. In fact since they moved from DM'ing users about this scam, the web page will say 'user' or 'tumblr user'. You did not sign in (never do this on a random website btw), so how can this be real?
Your account is safe. This is a phishing website. The best thing you can do is close the window and report the post that contains the link. Do not enter any information into the payment scream, do not give them your credit card information or your personal information! It will steal it!
Here are the dangers that come with giving them your information...
The phishing website, what does it do?
Now you may be asking: okay, what does this website do exactly?
It's really just a simple website made to look like tumblr at the start, and then it will have you click a button which takes you to a page where you pay money. That's it. There's a fake AI "helper bot" that gives you instructions on what to do next, but, again, the real [tumblr] website, where you are right now? Has never had that.
That alone should be a massive red flag that this is 100% fake. The appearance of this website may change with time, and I'll try to update these images if that happens.
Here is the page that appears once you click 'verify your account.'
If you notice- there's nothing here that asks you for anything related to your tumblr account. Nothing at all.
It's all just.. threatening words and 'hey give us money now pls'.
Now, pause and think a moment:
Did you give tumblr- the real tumblr- your credit card information when signing up?
The answer would be no. It's 100% free to sign up for tumblr, and costs users nothing to use the platform.
The only time you, a user, will ever have to pay for something is when you buy something from TumblrMart, [tumblr]'s official store. When you go to check out, the url for their payment page will always be: payment.tumblr.com/checkout/?token=<string>
See this post on how to read a url!
Any issue [tumblr] may have with your account, is handled via the email that's connected to your account. If you had randomly been terminated, gotten banned, or broke TOS and got a warning, you will usually get an email about it.
Not an ask from a user account, not a DM, and in the case of this scam, not a comment on a post telling you that 'if you don't go here and pay money you'll be terminated in 48 hours.'
Remember to report these accounts via the posts containing the links (not the ones @ tagging you!) as:
something else > unlawful use > phishing
Remember to say it's a staff impersonation account, and that you were tagged with others in the comments. :) Everything will be okay.
The DM Method: (likely outdated but keeping it here in case they do it again)
These fake accounts have also send users messages similar to the following via asks or DM's:
Your Tumblr account has been temporarily locked due to security measures. Verify your account within 24 hours to stop permanent suspension.
Suspicious activity has been detected on your account! Our team has begun an investigation. To continue using your account, you must complete user verification.
Visual examples of this can be seen here:
Image 1 taken from this post, image 2 taken from this one.
Take a deep breath, and remember:
[tumblr] staff will not contact users via asks, comments, or direct messages regarding any issues related to your account.
[tumblr] will only contact you on the account you used to register your account with, via their official email account that ends in tumblr.com.
[tumblr] will never ask you for money to 'verify' your account, to reactivate your account, to 'fix an issue', or anything similar to the sort.
[tumblr] staff does not use Discord, telegram, whatsapp, or any other social media account method to handle any kind of issue. Nor do they use any other website. If you need to contact them, use their support page!
[tumblr] staff will never, ever, threaten you that if you don't "pay someone money", your information will be sent to the police, FBI, ect and you will be arrested for xyz reason.
If you are contacted by any user who tries to get you to contact someone who is allegedly a [tumblr] staff member by showing you a report ticket and a 'staff card' showing their discord, whatsapp, telegram, or email, or they tell you to go to a website that isn't tumblr, that is likely the "I accidentally reported your account" scam.
You should report that DM, and go a step further and report a post the hacked account has made* as well for phishing.
(Note: this also works with reblogs, just please make sure you're reporting the hacked accounts reblog, not the original post..)
Providing screenshots is also always a good idea in these situations as well. :)
This is a very.. concerning and worrying phishing scam that can do a lot of damage if you're not careful.
This is honestly no different than those "you have a package from the UPS click here" or "you owe money from a toll both click here" scams you get in texts, and I would think people would know that- by looking at the URL alone, this is not owned nor operated by [tumblr] in any regard.
Please make sure to share this and help others become aware of scams, the more people who learn about scams, the less likely they are to fall for them. :)
Take care, stay safe, and keep helping others.
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