#Potential scams

[strangechildproductions]

HEADS UP

I looked into this website that supposedly helped you start being a freelance writer.

I'll be honest I don't know much about this website. It seemed legit as far as I can tell, and to be honest, I have no proof that it is not.

But I did look into it as best as I could. First off it asks for roughly 50 USD to gain access to all it's features. These features supposedly include training and resources to help you reach clients. This was described as a one time payment cool right?

now there was a timer that said " This deal expires in: ( Insert countdown timer here) " after that it was roughly 100 USD. Still not bad if it had all the features it claimed.

BUT it did not allow for Paypal payment. Only debit/Credit cards. So still wanting to give this a try I took a gamble held off for a week. I got a second checking account so I would have a second card with the 100 USD on it so that way if this website wasn't safe it wouldn't be able to drain my entire bank account.

When I went back, wouldn't you know it? The timer for the 50 USD deal had reset? ( Kinda expected it to, that's a common sales tactic) Then I put in my second debit card that only had 125 USD on it.

It declined my card.

It declined my card twice. And the only option past that point was a blue button that read " Use another card".

SO please keep in mind I am not a great scam detector so take this with a grain of salt but given that there was more than enough money on the card I used. ( that was a perfectly functioning card I might add) Roughly 2.5 times the amount the website was asking for and it still declined my card? I dunno... seems shady. and I'm not messing with it further.

I linked it here so you can be aware of it and either:

Avoid it

Try it yourself ( SAFELY)

Correct me ( Not a scam detector. So I could be wrong but usually if something is too good to be true that's because it is)

It is a bummer I was hoping to start shifting into working from home, I have a backup plan so I can still try to do that, but this would have been awesome. All well....

That being said Eight Parents AU will just proceed uninterrupted ( this would have interrupted it if it worked out.)

Edit: I got a fraud alert email just a little bit ago, gonna go to the bank Monday morning and look into it, will update you guys if it turns out I'm mistaken and it's silly card issues

[autistic-katara]

Hello! I need medication for life to prevent my lungs from collapsing, this implies permanent treatment with steroids, oxygen therapy, control of oxygen in the blood and antibiotics to prevent the development of bacteria in the lungs.

I'm afraid I have to insist on this because it may be the only way to get my treatment.

I need medication for life to keep my lungs from collapsing, this costs around $700 per month.

Things are really tough on me,I can’t afford. Please donate🖤

this one seems less like a scam than the usual ones but ehhh still if this isn’t one don’t go into the inboxes of random ppl and ask them to donate/share it’s sus as hell (hope u get treatment tho nd maybe out of a country that forces u to pay for this) + if u are a scammer fuck off

[supremechancellorrex]

Honestly, it's kinda hard to determine what's real and what's a scam on here. All I know is that I'm nobody's saviour, nor will I be pushed to action by someone telling me I'm "ignoring" and "don't care" about their alleged situation in my messenger and I "must" do something.

[chulip-blossoms]

Hi, just wanted to let you know that the post asking for aid you reblogged from foggyblizzardharmony is a scam. The blog was made this month, reblogged some Palestine-related posts and immediately started begging for aid. These kinds of scam blogs are extremely common now and send out inbox spam, which is how I found it.

Thank you so much nonny for the heads up 🙏🏿 Terrible that in such a time of deep need all some can think to do is steal. I checked the post after seeing your message and yep their acct is dead :/

[serioussideblog]

I just wanted to put an alert out there about some ads I have been seeing while playing mobile games. These are ADVERTISEMENTS. Do NOT mistake them for real warnings. I don’t know for sure what would happen if you were to download the VPN they are advertising but I do know that this is a common tactic used by scammers and phishers and the like. Here are screenshots:

(Image description: first image is a screenshot of an advertisement disguised as a warning from Apple Security, with text stating that the user’s iPhone is infected with three viruses, and that the battery of the device has been infected and damaged. It further says that if the user doesn’t remove the malware now, it may cause more damage to the phone, and that the way to remove the malware is to press a button below and install the recommended virus protection from the AppStore. Note the lack of space between “App” and “Store”. Second image adds a false System Notification along with the logo for the VPN being advertised, as well as a download button.)

While this is shown, the text is usually read aloud by a robotic-sounding voice that resembles Siri. It is clearly made to trick people into believing that their phone has been damaged by viruses.

Just to be clear, your phone’s battery CANNOT be damaged by viruses. The battery is a PHYSICAL item inside your phone, and there is NO SUCH THING as a virus that can damage the battery. The battery is the power supply for your phone. Viruses and other malware cannot do anything to your battery.

These ads are designed to scare you into installing an app, which purports to be a VPN with virus protection. This is an ADVERTISEMENT. This is NOT a security notification.

[sclappin]

A Note About Scams and Commissions:

(This post is brought to you by a weird conversation that just happened in my DMs.)

I know that it's easy to get excited about receiving messages about potential commissions, and you may feel pressure, socially and/or financially, to take whatever you can get, and look past red flags if someone says they're willing to pay money for your art.

I want to remind you that if a client seems off to you, and the request raises red flags, you are allowed to say no to a commission request. (Hell, you can say no for any reason! Too complicated, too tight a turnaround for your liking, you simply do not want to draw what they're asking for! But especially if the request seems like there's something wrong with it).

I've encountered this most frequently with pet portraits, but I'm sure they can take other forms. Things I've seen in messages that raise red flags for me:

The potential client doesn't seem to know anything about you. They do not follow you, they do not know your commission rates or if you even have any. They are asking for subject matter you don't really do.

Pricing doesn't seem to matter to them. Details of the finished piece do not seem to matter to them. (This is because they do not want the piece and have no intention of paying you. I believe these are planned to be overpayment scams).

The blog they're contacting you from is very new, and has like one post.

They get very, very defensive and angry if you question the legitimacy of the business transaction. Like if you tell them you don't accept e-checks, or require partial payment up front because you worry about getting scammed, they lose their minds.

They try to make you feel insecure about your art, or remind you that you need the money. This is an attempt to pressure you into accepting the shady commission. I've never had a legit client do this.

I've never had a scam client get as far as getting any money from me, but I've fallen for one long enough that I put several hours into a drawing that I'll never get back before the "client" got really pushy about e-checks. I've had others that seem like they're trying to phish for my personal info. But mostly, it appears that the plan is to overpay the artist, demand the extra amount be returned, and then cancel the original transaction (or have the check bounce) after the artist has sent the "return" payment, so the artist no longer has the original payment AND is short whatever "surplus" amount they "returned" to the client/scammer.

Having this sort of thing happen can be really embarrassing on top of the monetary/labor loss, so people don't always speak out about it, but I feel like it's important to!

(And on that note, if you for some reason want me, an illustrator who mostly draws old-timey riffraff, video game people, and professional wrestlers, to do a picture of your cat: you gotta be normal in my DMs.)

[popcornkwantum]

"Jerry is Lincoln's and Scary's biological son, which means teen pregnancy" or "Jerry is adopted"

NO.

It's Scam Likely again

What's the one good thing that Grant and Marco got out of Scams shitty wedding gift? Their son Lincoln. So Scam has learned that the best gift at a wedding is giving someone a child of course

[seduce-me-with-coffee]

**Beware of Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss scam!!**

I've gotten now 4 HH and HB "artists" reaching out, and I hope no one else is getting these and falling for it.

- Random new follower who messages immediately

- New follower has a HH and HB blog with a description that pretty much says they're a fan, commissions are open, and minors dni

- New follower ask almost immediately if you're a fan of HH/HB and if you like art

- Said art looks like the following with similar backgrounds, styles, and watermarks

EDIT: The goal is to offer you an HH/HB commission. I can only assume the don't intend to make good on that commission or they plan to send some AI trash. Always double-check when your money is involved, y'all! You can never be too careful.

[khaire-traveler]

I reiterate that if you're going to ask people for donations, you will come across as extremely suspicious if you spam their inbox. People are likely to report and/or block you, thinking you're a bot. If you need donations, I do not recommend going about like this. I really, REALLY do not recommend it.

[ganondoodle]

totk made me feel like i got scammed so badly i dont think i want to get any new zelda on release and instead wait until i know its worth it

im afraid zelda will turn into half baked games with flashy imagery to distract you from its shitty writing and superficial references to older games to catch your nostalgia, that the name alone will sell anyway so why try

[screecherofthenight]

Guys. GUYS. I was thinking about a Wolf 359 social media au and I came to an earth shattering realization. Kepler is a story time youtuber. he’s a fucking STORYTIME YOUTUBER. I’m having a moment.

[lover-of-skellies]

Heyyyyyyyy guys, I uh

-coughs-

I think I found a possible scam to be on the lookout for

Idk what this person's intentions were, but I found it odd that they offered to pay me money and then said they didn't need my bank information (then when I asked how they intended to pay me without my bank info, they sidestepped the question and switched subjects). They also asked for my age and location, and when I said I wasn't comfortable telling them, they ignored that and repeated their questions

I had no intention of giving them any information about myself whatsoever. Just,, for the record. Long screenshot under the cut, so you guys know what to keep an eye out for ^^"

Note: the first two messages were apparently sent twice by tumblr?? Idk why that happened, since I only sent one message initially to say hi. Them repeating their age and location questions could've been a glitch or something too, but idk about that one, since there was at least a full minute between the first try asking and the second try

[idkmanwtfishumanityanymore]

guys is this authentic or nah.

like is this gonna steal my ip or my account or something or is this actually from tumblr support.

@madcatdaderpydrawer-blog @chocolix76 @h-didanart @bumble-the-sun-bee @achickennamedcheese can y’all help? Have you guys gotten this? Is it a trick?

edit: Checked my email, absolutely zilch from Tumblr- I’m deleting the ask. Thanks for y’all’s help <3

[sherlock-is-ace]

I need to make one thing clear and I know this post won't change anything but I still feel the need to clarify

I won't ever reply to asks about donations (unless they come from my friends or people I know).

In this site you can never be sure if they're bots or real people, and that breaks my heart, but even then, as a rule, I will just delete the ask.

[wild-at-mind]

Maybe it is bad and terribly sinful of me to not donate my every spare penny. It must be because people on tumblr say that it is. However I can say after several back and forth messages today with the organiser of one of the GFM campaigns, I'm nowhere near confident enough that it is real.

[leatherbookmark]

Also I've been in this fandom for like 2.5 seconds approximately and I don't respect a single one of y'all BUT cmiiw the girlypop high femme lesbian mommy etcetc whatever PSH is a fairly new development isn't it. Like my first bias was Sanini but then I realized HJ is a diversely creative fairy prince who wears half-skirts, paints his nails and talks about fashion for men AND women and I was like O YES HI HELLO THIS ONE'S MINE HI. It's fascinating that apparently there's a whole genre of fans who see Joongie as the masculine dom to Hwa's willow-waisted femme omega bottom when like... They both have "masculine" and "feminine" traits. Above all that they're cool fun guys and I like them a lot (assigning gender to personality trait is finest grade dumbassery, not to mention gender essentialism. I don't recommend doing that)