#this is a scam and they will steal your money

[silcoitus]

WordStream is stealing fanfics and using AI text-to-speech to make audiobooks, AI art covers

I'm still trying to dig into this as much as I can, short of making an account and poking around in it. But it appears WordStream monetizes via premium accounts, though I have no idea what these tiers offer. It also looks like you're able to upload works to be made into audiobooks, but I highly doubt there is any vetting process, so someone can just upload your works without permission and boom, now it's suddenly on their library and being fed through AI to generate an audiobook (and it looks like book covers as well???)

The developer is Ofek Weitzman and there is zero means for reporting stolen content because the entire site's business model is stealing content. There are published books, though so far I am only seeing works in the public domain, where the copyright on them has expired (Pride and Prejudice, Alice in Wonderland, etc.)

As of right now, I would suggest you search for your fic handles to see if your work has been uploaded. Right now, as far as I can tell, there's no way to report individual works on the website itself (because that would break its entire business model, wouldn't it) so your only recourse is to report the app on Apple (requiring you to actually download it and then go through Apple's entire circuitous reporting process) or report the site itself to Google.

Every single part of this is a scam.

From the AI audio to the AI covers. Ofek is stealing the hard work of countless authors in order to make money off people who either don't know any better or don't care.

[moogfox]

Tiktok sick pet scam

Hey y'all i recently found out about this scam on tiktok and its making me so angry - this person is using photos of an injured cat claiming they need money for vet bills but.. the photos are on over 100 accts with slight variations to the name, the name/age of the cat changes randomly (she's 3, no now she's 5! she's lily.. no.. she's named mama now), the day of the injury changes (she was attacked july 1st... july 22nd... august 4... whatever is most recent) and they are using 3 or more different venmo's and then deleting them as they go. its stealing from good hearted ppl who want to help a sick cat. PLEASE tell people about this and don't let your family or friends be scammed.

[mamaswildchild]

do me a favor and do not give money to strangers in your ask box. ever

[melyzard]

Wow.

Honey is an app/browser extension that promises to help you save money by finding the best discount codes available on the internet. Apparently, it secretly does the opposite of that, and it's been promoted to billions of youtube watchers for years at this point, by popular influencers like MrBeast and Linus Tech. Oof. Fascinating and enraging. Some real predatory shit going on in here.

[faggotcitosis]

i am a huge believer in direct action, i dont like when people scoff at it and only recommend organizations for multiple reasons, direct action is generally the best way to help your community & people in need. especially in brutal situations, your change will impact directly the hope & future of someone in need, especially when you're western and your currency goes way further in the global south.

that being said: do not feel pressured into sharing random bot messages. it does not matter what tumblr users say about morality or activism - spreading scams around because "what if it's real? id rather a scammer get money than a real person in need not get help" gets in the way of real people getting real help. high level bot scams are professional scam operations that are actual real life human trafficking & slavery operations. it's not some random person in texas trying to scam a couple hundred for a new computer - it's actual organized crime that has real life victims. most of the money they con comes from europe & the usa.

ask yourself: where did the pets crowdfund posts go? donations for ukraine? all the porn bots & sugar daddy scams? please think critically before aiding international crime rings because you got emotionally manipulated by people online saying you are the devil for like, using your brain and seeing the pattern of behavior on this website, which is very fertile ground for conning and has been for years due to the progressive/liberal/leftist nature of its user base.

[dumbthink]

the final verdict on decomytree: it’s an excuse to advertise an ai app, and to ask for money. developers are scummy, but as long as you don’t download any of the shit associated with it or give them money, you’re likely fine 👍 signed, your local computer scientist

edited to reflect that both versions of the decomytree app (android and apple) seem to come from their respective app stores now.

[kamidork]

(CW: Nipple Pasties)

♠️ Is This Your Card~? ♠️

Another three emoji prompt from twitter to make an 18+ oc! Plus the last official art of 2022!

Her name is Luci Jack~

(Thank you again @rubydoobie-doo for the prompt teehee-) 🃏♥️

[awesomecooperlove]

🏦🏦🏦

[brain-deadx0]

Ok but making fake money is boring.

Scamming/stealing money from assholes is much more fun as we've seen.

It’s a bit unrealistic how Toph never made any counterfeit coins once she learned to metalbend

[combinecremator]

i swear to god i regret reblogging that estrolabs post because absolutely no one is focusing on the actual issue, which is that it's a phishing site very clearly run by malicious people and giving them any information on yourself could fuck you over big time

their ashwaganda "estrogen replacement" would be useless at best and extremely dangerous at worst, if it actually existed. however the products on that site almost certainly do not fucking exist and never have, and they have zero intention of actually producing them. the listings for the "supplements" aren't on the site anymore.

when scams like this pop up suddenly, they're not legitimate to even the slightest degree. there was never a real product, they were trying to get your money or your card and contact information either to doxx you, harass you, or literally steal from you. it's a PHISHING scheme, not a "making a shitty product to Literally Kill People" scheme. one of these things is far cheaper and far easier for a layperson to do.

while the information on the function of ashwaganda was definitely useful generally, it was/is not the most present danger of this estrolabs/queerquirk situation and people need to be aware of the actual threat these kinds of sites and situations pose.

as i was writing this estrolabs has been taken down, but queerquirk is still up and still advertising it's fake products and has a contact us page. do not give them your contact information, even to send hate. it is not worth getting phished to epicly own the dumbass behind this scheme. report the site and move on.

[sinnabum45]

SCAM ALERT!

@ougadyabudi is scamming people by stealing Haya Orouq's story! The profile picture is copied directly from Haya's Gofundme.

I spoke with Haya and she has confirmed that this is a scam!

Haya Orouq's real Gofund me is THIS LINK HERE!!

Check out this post to find her other socials!

Please share this as much as possible and do NOT give @ougadyabudi any of your money!! Stay safe out there!

[kurgy]

no joke you are just a vile fucking person

Your blog is a threat to a scam ring, and they are now actively trying to slander you to reduce your influence in exposing them.

[pomefioredove]

i just noticed on your 'yuu gets sold' sorta series that there was a good ending, by chance could you do a bad ending one? if not that's totally ok! keep safe and stay healthy ❤️

oh god. I have a very evil idea for this.

parts 1 | 2 | 3 | kalim

summary: a bad (or good, depending on your stance) ending type of post: short fic characters: surprise :) additional info: yuu is gender neutral, this is short, HELP

Everyone waits.

The chatter and banter which once occupied the courtyard dies down to dull whispers and foot tapping.

Everyone waits, and there's no Crowley.

"Wonderful," Jamil sighs. "He's probably taken all the money and run off. I told you all that-"

"Maybe he's late!" Kalim shouts. A few in the crowd murmur in hopeful agreement.

Silver coughs. "Maybe he realized this whole thing is ridiculous and is processing everyone's refunds,"

They don't like that option as much.

The sun hangs lower and lower in the sky, threatening to shroud everyone in darkness as the minutes tick on.

"Well, I've had enough of this," Vil says, turning towards the exit. "I've put off my afternoon long enough."

"For once, we can agree on something," Leona murmurs, dragging Ruggie along with him.

No one is exactly surprised with this turn of events- but there's a definite sense of disappointment that everyone is sharing.

"He probably just forgot or 'somethin," Epel says, walking alongside Ace, Deuce, and Jack back to Ramshackle to update you on the happenings.

Jack shrugs. "He's definitely not the most organized, but there's no way someone could just "forget" about this. I think Jamil is right, he probably ran off with the money while he could. The swindler..."

Deuce is the next to add something to the pity party. "And yet, we should've known this was a possibility,"

"Shoulda seen it coming..." Epel murmurs. "I shoulda listened to Vil and pulled out while I still had the chance. Dang it..."

The lights are on in Ramshackle as the four approach, a warm and welcome sight after their disappointing afternoon. And the front door is open- were you expecting them?

"Hm. Well, think of it this way," Ace pushes the door the rest of the way open. "We may have been scammed, but at least nothing changes. I mean, it could've been worse."

"A lot worse," Deuce murmurs, following him inside.

The four make it into the foyer and stop dead in their tracks.

There are many things to expect walking into Ramshackle- cobwebs, dust, ghosts, you- Crowley is usually not one of them.

"You- you've been here this whole time?!" Epel shouts, throwing his arms out. "We were all 'waitin for 'ya like a bunch of idjits!"

Deuce and Ace wince. "Dude, chill... but seriously, where were you?"

Crowley doesn't have the chance to answer before something else steals away their attention.

You walk into the room, suitcase in hand. "Guys?"

The four turn to greet you, eyes wide at the luggage you're carrying. "What's that... Crowley?"

The man himself just stands there, pretending to ponder something. "I could have sworn I sent someone to break the news... how peculiar,"

Epel's brow knots. "What news?"

"A third party somehow got wind of our little... venture and donated a very high sum at the last minute. Along with a very passionately worded letter about our dear prefect's safety here at school," he pauses. "Or lack thereof."

Crowley sighs. "The name rung a bell, but... I couldn't imagine how or why anyone outside of NRC would be following the prefect's moves so closely,"

Deuce's eyes narrow. "Crowley. What are you trying to say?"

"Well, I..." he says, seemingly at a loss for words. "I'm afraid to say that our prefect is being transferred to Noble Bell College,"

[kyra45]

Keys guide to scam spotting v3

What kind of scams are on tumblr? Quite a lot, actually! As a result, this post will link to posts I’ve made (or by others) that explain what kind of scams are out there. Please be aware these posts are quite long but give as much detail as possible. I’ll add them here as I write them or add ones I have found.

Pet donation scams - Scams that use stolen pet pictures and impersonate the owner.

Donation scams - Scams that use medical emergencies/etc and steal fundraising posts from Facebook/etc.

Romance scams - Romance isn’t always from someone with good intentions they might just want your money.

Commission scams - The high price offered isn’t true, unfortunately, and you’ll not get paid.

Fake check scams - The check isn’t real when they offer to send you support with it.

Mutual aid scams - No you don’t pay someone to share your campaign.

Gift card scams - Not too common but blogs who promise you can win these from a link aren’t legitimate.

Scams where someone pretends to be Palestinian - Sometimes the blog asking you for funds is stealing their content off a legitimate fundraiser for someone in Palestine. (Not all Palestine accounts with GoFundMe links are scams.)

Diabetes and Insulin themed scams - Written by my friend @12percentspider , this post explains how diabetes works and why the person asking you for $300 (claiming they need insulin and are down to their last pen) is a scammer.

[control-z-my-decisions]

Always good to reblog the verified resources

gaza scam warning

Hey gamers, recently there have been a number of scam blogs on tumblr claiming to be Gazan victims. They've been making a number of iterations of the exact same blog and story but with different names and sometimes different PayPal links.

Thus far, the content of these scams are being stolen from 2 real fundraisers. Please lend your aid to these people who need help instead of the disgusting scam farm

Help Haya Orouq's family escape Gaza

Help Rawan AbuMahady's family escape Gaza

These are examples within the past month which have been deleted.

Ma22ya

Khalilhan

jovialsuitdonutai

miniaturepostkingjaiur

Donation scams on tumblr are extremely common and anyone who has a tumblr account will encounter them at some point. They throw together a brand new blog with a story of needing aid, then use bots to go through follow lists and post notes to send messages to random users. Scambusting blogs like kyra45 do a lot of work to track and call out these scams when they surface.

Scam Spotting Tips

They send an ask often accompanied with a follow despite having never interacted with you before. Ask yourself: How did you find your blog? These interactions usually come out of nowhere when you have no original posts or interests they could've found you through, because they're just going down the lists of random blogs.

They reblog just enough posts to make you think that their blog is in-use when it is actually only a day or a few old. Enable timestamps and try find the blog's oldest post; if a blog seems old but still seems suspicious, be wary of post backdating

They often disable or delete comments on their donation post to hide comments that call them out. Open the notes and see if it says "some replies have been hidden, blocked or removed." Blocked/hidden comments sometimes still appear in reblogs of a post but not the original, so open a random reblog and see if telling comments appear there.

It isn't unusual for the story and the ask to either be exact copy-pastes of each other, or otherwise have very telling suspicious details, such as: using different names, having different goal amounts, contrasting story details, etc.

Like many of the above examples, they often have a completely random string of words as their blog name.

Reverse image searching can be a helpful giveaway if it works, but don't trust it - scammers often steal images from private Facebook groups/profiles so people don't find the source and think it's original

When you receive an ask from a blog like this, reporting them for spam or phishing and reporting the PayPal account for fraudulent activity does help get these accounts taken down.

In name of the situation, here are great verified resources to support real people who need help:

Many organizations and gofundmes for Gaza

Verified fundraisers for individuals in Gaza put together by @palestineasdiqa on Instagram and Twitter

Click to donate for free using ad revenue

Participation and political resources for US, UK and Canada

USPCR's toolkit

[shadowfoxsilver]

Some tips on how to spot a blog that’s trying to scam you by pretending to be in Palestine:

Check the date of the pinned post if they have one. It likely is only a few hours old at best or a few days old.

Check how many posts the account has and if they’re all just reblogs of a trending post or popular post. Usually scammers reblog just a few then nothing else. Their only original post is the pinned one and maybe a few asks they answered.

Search the contents of their pinned post/aid post and see if it comes up on a real fundraiser site. Scammers tend to steal their info off of real people and real fundraisers hoping no one will notice. They’ll claim their fundraiser is pending but they don’t run or own anything they’re taking from. Some will even steal names to impersonate people.

You’ll only get these asks if you actively post about Palestine or share Palestine related posts. These accounts will often share the same posts then contact you via asks asking you to share their post. They will continue asking even if you tell them you don’t have money. They won’t read your blog so even having a ‘don’t sent donation asks’ in the bio or pinned won’t stop them. They just want you to share their post and won’t take no for an answer.

Often times you’ll get the same ask from entirely different accounts or the ask is tweaked by using parts of another ask. But the post itself will always be the same as the previous account before it was removed for being a scam. These scammers reuse the same exact ask so often searching the ask will pull up past accounts who sent it.

The pfp and images are often stolen from the real fundraiser that the scammers have copied. When you call them out on it, they’ll usually send you hate mail instead of explaining anything. And then block you only to send you the same mutual aid ask from another blog because they think you won’t notice.

If you answer these asks, and know it’s a scam, call out the scammer and link to legitimate fundraisers or useful links to verified charities. This way the scammers ask will be seen if searched and people who see it will find sources for supporting actual people.

Not all mutual aid posts for Palestine is a scam. It’s just suggested to do some research into a brand new account asking you for money. Please support verified charities and fundraisers made by people who have confirmed their legitimacy in some way or have proved they are the person that it was made for. It’s unfortunate these scams are happening, but they do exist.