PSA to all writers, I am told that there’s a new influx of spam bots on AO3 (and also other fanfic posting platforms) where authors get comments from guest users or empty accounts and these comments express their interest in “making comics” from their fics. before proceeding to invite authors to “discuss with them over discord”.
apparently that is 95% a scam.
the easiest way to spot a scam bot is that nowhere in their comment will they mention anything specific about your works. there will be no mention of the characters’ names, no mention of any specific scene from your work. instead their comments will be something vague about how they “see potential” in your work and how they “would like to draw a comic panel about your work” and then they ask to “discuss this over on discord”
they have been mass leaving the exact same copied and pasted comment on various authors’ works at random. but they will make you commission/pay for “the comics” of your own fics (and you probably can guess where this is going, yes, you’ll never get your comics).
but they don’t just scam you into giving them money. I’m also told these bots are trying to hack your password, personal data, credit card information, etc.
report these types of comments then delete them when/if you get them.
it’s disgusting these pathetic losers are doing this, but also, scammers keeping coming up with a new way to scam people is sadly nothing new. stay safe, y’all
got one too, they now start a conversation
