#scam asks

[tired-and-triggered]

PSA: 📢

Recently, I've noticed an upsurge in fraudulent scammers/bots pretending to be Palestinian and asking for donations. What's really interesting is that these scammers/bots generally target blogs that are active, post frequently and get a lot of engagement. So, if you've been inactive or on hiatus for a while, you may feel that the Palestinian bot problem has subsided and the worthless @tumblr @staff has done something about it. But in reality, it seems these scammers/bots actively seek out blogs that are regularly posting and interacting with other blogs. I'm speaking from personal experience. Until last December, I wasn't too active here on Tumblr; I just lurked and scrolled. Back then, I didn't receive any asks, comments or DMs from scammers/bots. I genuinely thought the bots had been exterminated. But ever since I started posting again, (around the beginning of this month) I've been receiving 5+ DMs and asks almost every day from scammers/bots. Some of them are anonymous. Most of them are pretending to be the same person with different blogs and usernames, copying and pasting almost identical ChatGPT-sounding messages pleading for donations. They're also tagging me in the replies of random posts I've never interacted with. I'd like to request y'all NOT TO FALL FOR THESE BOTS/SCAMMERS. They may seem like actual, real people but THEY ARE NOT. Multiple bloggers have already debunked and exposed these scammers/bots. So PLEASE BE CAREFUL WHILE INTERACTING WITH THESE FRAUDULENT BLOGS AND THINK TWICE BEFORE DONATING. ALWAYS VERIFY THE BACKGROUND AND CREDENTIALS OF THE BLOGS ASKING FOR DONATIONS.

I'd like to make it clear that I WILL NOT BE INTERACTING WITH/DONATING TO ANY BLOG THAT SENDS ME ASKS, DMs, AND TAGS ME IN RANDOM POSTS. I WILL BE REBLOGGING ONLY VERIFIED, PEER-REVIEWED POSTS WHICH HAVE COMPILED A LIST OF VETTED BLOGS AND DONATION REQUESTS. ANY ASKS, DMs AND REPLIES TAGGING ME WILL BE DELETED, BLOCKED AND REPORTED.

[manilovescp166]

I wish all the spam asks pretending to be Palestinians and using the images of real Palestinians in need a very well fuck you.

[scam-alerts]

Seems like there might be a new scam, got a DM asking to donate to help people affected by the fires in LA by helpvictimsfiresinusa2, they also followed me.

Didn't see anything about scams using the LA fires so thought I'd point it out.

I am (under good faith) calling helpvictimsfiresinusa2 / helpvictimsfiresinusa a scam.

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Reason(s) why I came to this conclusion:

1 - The images of tents used in the chuffed campaign are not from the effects of the wildfire. They're from old news articles.

The first image was taken from this article published Jan. 26, 2016.

California needs statewide approach to homelessness

There are parts of Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego that have become offensive and unhealthy due to their widespread use by the home

The second taken from this article made on May 25, 2021.

High Cost Of Los Angeles Homeless Camp Raises Eyebrows And Questions

Los Angeles has opened a sanctioned tent encampment to help provide services amid an ongoing homelessness crisis. Some are concerned about t

The third taken from this article made on June 26, 2019.

California’s homeless crisis is not performance art: John Phillips

The next time L.A. or the state passes another bond measure demanding yet more money for homelessness, they should be required to collect th

2 - This is not a verified/vetted or known organization hosting this campaign, it's just a person. Meaning that this person, 'mohamed hazem‬' could just be raising money and then they will be using it for whatever they want once they've raised enough money.

Join us today in supporting the victims of the Los Angeles wildfires.

Who is "us?"

Again, they don't say what organization is is hosting this.

It's just a person making a campaign and saying it's for something.

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Do NOT donate to this fundraiser or any one like it.

ONLY donate to help with the wildfire through organizations like this:

Wildfire & Disaster Relief

notice the .org? Yeah, THAT is a real organization.

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Here's a post on some tips and tricks on spotting scam blogs.

Helpful guides on how to spot scams. (by @kyra45)

Current list of documented scammers: Part 3

[write-with-will]

Hello dear fellow author, it’s wonderful to meet you in this circle of writers. How is your writing journey going, and which genre fuels your passion the most?

BOT

[springacres]

Greetings, I understand this might be a difficult request, but I am a Palestinian citizen facing an urgent and critical situation. I have type 1 diabetes, and due to the ongoing crisis in Gaza, I am unable to access my necessary insulin (Humalog) injection. I am reaching out in desperation for assistance, hoping to secure just one injection today, which is vital for my survival. To cover the cost of the insulin I require for the week, I still need $263. I sincerely apologize if I’ve already sent this message before, but any donation, no matter how small, would mean the world to me at this moment. You can find my donation link in my pinned post. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, and may you be blessed for your kindness and support. ❤️🇵🇸

Let's see here...

Blog is empty except for pinned post

Claiming to be vetted and verified yet has no links to the accounts who supposedly vetted them

"Type 1 diabetic asking for money to cover [specific brand of insulin]" is a ridiculously common scam tactic on here

I call scam. @kyra45 we've got another one.

[hollifo]

I'm sorry, but if you send me an ask begging for money, you don't follow me, I don't follow you, we've never interacted in the slightest... I'm not going to repost it. I have no way to verify whether or not the sob story you're copy-pasting to hundreds of others is a scam, and after decades online I sadly don't believe any of them.

Also, I'm unemployed, you're VERY MUCH barking up the wrong tree.

[pnkhalo]

Can I cash app you some money for bills if yes? Message me with your cash app tag or PayPal I wanna spoil you with my money 💵

Usually ignore these, but saw a bit of traction on their blog. So, PSA - stating the obvious: generosity to complete strangers like this is rare, unfortunately.

In this person’s case, it’s a scam. Ignore the photos of girls showing “proof” they got this bloggers money. Scammers have gotten trickier these days. Those are either Edited/AI OR someone helping them scam.

REMEMBER: you NEVER need to send someone money first in order for them to send money to YOU. Report and Block.

[doctor--malpractice]

Cant check right now if only one is a scam or if its both