#look out for scams

[thetimetraveler24]

Over the weekend, my brother and I went to Chicago for the Chalice of the Gods book tour event. We went a day early to spend some time in the city and do touristy things and some guy came up to us. He handed us some pretty neat postcards of the city and started talking about how he was selling them to raise money for poor people. And immediately alarm bells are going off in my head because all I can think about is that scam where they put a bracelet on you and scream and you to pay for it. So I just let him finish his spiel and nicely say we don’t have cash. We gave the postcards back, and left.

I don’t know if it really was a scam or not. I don’t want to look it up because I don’t want to feel shitty if it’s not a scam. But it was so scary to be away from my parents, to be in charge of myself and my brother (as if we aren’t both adults, but he’s still my baby brother) and not know what to do. And it was even scarier because I don’t think my brother knows to look out for anything suspicious because he’s exactly that. My brother. A guy. Whereas I’m not a guy, very obviously female, and I’ve had it pound into me by literally the entire world that I have to keep my head on a swivel or something bad can and will happen to me.

People suck. And they ruin it for people who actually need help and kindness from strangers. And they give me more trust issues than I had before I grew up.

#all that aside the book was great #rick was fantastic #10/10 highly recommend #be safe #safety #money scams #look out for scams #look out

[marypsue]

So if you follow me (and aren't just stopping by because you saw one of my funney viralposts), you probably know that I've been writing a bunch of fanfiction for Stranger Things, which is set in rural Indiana in the early- to mid-eighties. I've been working on an AU where (among other things) Robin, a character confirmed queer in canon, gets integrated into a friend group made up of a number of main characters. And I got a comment that has been following me around in the back of my mind for a while. Amidst fairly usual talk about the show and the AU and what happens next, the commenter asked, apparently in genuine confusion, "why wouldn't Robin just come out to the rest of the group yet? They would be okay with it."

I did kind of assume, for a second or two, that this was a classic case of somebody confusing what the character knows with what the author/audience knows. But the more I think about it, the more I feel like it embodies a real generational shift in thinking that I hadn't even managed to fully comprehend until this comment threw it into sharp perspective.

Because, my knee-jerk reaction was to reply to the comment, "She hasn't come out to these people she's only sort-of known for less than a year because it's rural Indiana. In the nineteen-eighties." and let that speak for itself. Because for me and my peers, that would speak for itself. That would be an easy and obvious leap of logic. Because I grew up in a world where you assumed, until proven otherwise, that the general society and everyone around you was homophobic. That it was unsafe to be known to be queer, and to deliberately out yourself required intention and forethought and courage, because you would get negative reactions and you had to be prepared for the fallout. Not from everybody! There were always exceptions! But they were exceptions. And this wasn't something you consciously decided, it wasn't an individual choice, it wasn't an individual response to trauma, it wasn't individual. It was everybody. It was baked in, and you didn't question it because it was so inherently, demonstrably obvious. It was Just The Way The World Is. Everybody can safely be assumed to be homophobic until proven otherwise.

And what this comment really clarified for me, but I've seen in a million tiny clashing assumptions and disconnects and confusions I've run into with The Kids These Days, is that a lot of them have grown up into a world that is...the opposite. There are a lot of queer kids out there who are assuming, by default, that everybody is not homophobic, until proven otherwise. And by and large, the world is not punishing them harshly for making that assumption, the way it once would have.

The whole entire world I knew changed, somehow, very slowly and then all at once. And yes, it does make me feel like a complete space alien just arrived to Earth some days. But also, it makes me feel very hopeful. This is what we wanted for ourselves when we were young and raw and angrily shoving ourselves in everyone's faces to dare them to prove themselves the exception, and this is what I want for The Kids These Days.

(But also please, please, Kids These Days, do try to remember that it has only been this way since extremely recently, and no it is not crazy or pathetic or irrational or whatever to still want to protect yourself and be choosy about who you share important parts of yourself with.)

#also Kids These Days please if nobody's told you: you can't send cheques through email #and if somebody sends you one through email They Are A Scammer and Yes They Are Scamming You #that's not related I just am constantly tearing my hair out about how many people of ALL AGES don't know that #something something something invoking the fuck word in the hopes it will keep this poast from search #i love how the internet has created Magic Words Of Power #unfortunately most of those words perform the action of 'summon jackass idiots to comment on your post' #i am paraphrasing the comment that was left on my AU fic because I am too lazy to go looking for it right now but #it was very similar to that wording #this is just a thing that has been rattling around in my brain and it was finally smoothed out and polished enough to come out

[brucewaynehater101]

HC: Baby Tim made people sign contracts whenever they promised him something. He never grew out of that habit, and he will use it for even the most ridiculous agreements.

He's even taken some of his family members to court over it.

#dc comics #dc universe #tim drake #unhinged tim drake #tim drake reads law books and has read all the textbooks he could get his hands on about contracts #he holes himself up in his room for weeks when a new contract textbook drops #he likes finding all of the loopholes and utilizing them viciously #lex luthor has to personally look over every single WE contract now (he got scammed out of all his printer paper the last time he didn't)

[radioroxx]

ok hi usually i dont post these kinda things but

recently theres been a discord scam going around and i havent seeeeen anyone bring it up? nor was i able to find a lot of info online about it

essentially, the scammer (using the account of someone you’ve friended OR someone in a server your in) will approach you and tell you that theyve falsely reported you + that your account could be deleted if you dont appeal to discord. this is the message that was sent to me v

and this is a version sent to my friend (the same email screenshot was also included after this message) v

once you reach out to the user listed in the email, they’ll ask you to fill out your information, then boot you from the account. by that point they will have access your account and will more than likely use it to spread to more people

as shown the scam itself tends to have some variety- not all of its gonna be word for word, exactly the same- so be careful! if you suspect someone you know has been caught up in the scam, be sure to block and to reach out on other platforms if possible.

stay safe !

(bonus- a closer up of the email + some scam advice from a friend)

(scam advice from friend)

#discord #scam alert #this went around in my friend circle for a bit #i know two people who got it. and i as well #i dont know for sure just how big its gotten so… putting this out there just in case #really the main main reason im posting this is cuz. i wouldve been more guillable to it if my friend hadnt shown me their #screenshots a few days before i got the message jfkf #so knowing what it looked like helped #so hopefully i can save a few ppl from losing their accounts at the very least jfkf

[naffeclipse]

I've gotten two different scam attempts in my inbox along the lines of a person desperately asking for donations to pay for their medical issues. Please be careful with random blogs asking for money. It's so fishy if you take a long look at their blog and see that they only have a handful of reblogs, and obviously, it tugs at your heartstrings to see someone in need, but please be aware and check anything out that is directly asking you for money.

#naff nuh huh #i hate scams i hate scams #they look so legit until you actually check out where they want the 'donations' sent and their blog is always new with few posts on it #just do your homework before giving up your money #and if they're dropping in your inbox to ask for money directly #it's most likely a scam

[catocappuccino]

#HE LOOKS SO MAD I CAN'T BREATHE N DEAR WHAT HAPPENED #someone scammed him on adopt me </3 #waiting patiently for episode 7 to come out! With what Liam said during GlitchX I am a tad bit scared but also pretty intrigued #after seeing the trailer during the livestream I genuinely had to roll on the ground cause what in the tarnation #eitherway that's all for today folks - time to bury myself in the ground and come out when I feel like it once again 🔥🔥🔥 #why did I write all the text in the tags #murder drones #n murder drones

[milkbreadtoast]

Jung Yeseo🥺🫶🤎

#twsb #when the third wheel strikes back #서브 남주가 파업하면 생기는 일 #섭남파업 #jung yeseo #jesse venetiaan #(not rly but just covering all my bases) #my art #spent all day working on this on and off on my phone and now im sleepy #drew him w his webnovel hair🥺 i miss it i wish they didnt change it for the webtoon #if they kept his comma bangs w the webtoons artstyle he wouldve been too powerful and everyone would perish tho i get it... #they had to nerf him...🛐 to preserve his just some guy energy KFJJD #i like the comma bangs tho bc it makes him look more diff from jesse venetiaan.. and also kim dokja fkdn #also wanted to draw his oversize cardigan w the moe sleeves... hehe #sidenote my mutual informed me earlier before drawing this that the jung family including yeseo r canonically attractive???? #to the extent that yeseo was scouted to be an idol several times in hs????? WHAT #and this info hit me like a truck... like WHAT . i thought we were all drawing him pretty out of love and delusion-- #SCOUTED TO BE AN IDOL... (and apparently he turned them all down bc it was assumed to be a scam fmfndnd)

[cosmiado]

he's got big plans to take care of you, he just needs to borrow ten thousand dollars

#listen guys. i lov him #mr actually PLEASE COME BACK THE WORLD NEEDS YOU #i have never seen a gun in my life and refuse to find out what they look like. its a goofs gun it doesnt need to look real #dndads #dndads s2 #s2 ep34 finding tori #scam likely #scam actually #dndads fanart #cosmiado draws

[hermanunworthy]

finally got around to solidifying my scam designs!! i love character design sm, it felt like i was making my own cartoon characters

#the su fan in me really jumped out w these #i love the idea of scam actually being like a gem fusion of the two lol #i have a lotta fun making characters look very shapey like this #i also just love red and blue duos. cannot be beat #scam likely #scam likely dndads #well actually #well actually dndads #scam actually #dungeons and daddies #dndads #dndads fanart #my art

[astraltrickster]

Oh boy. Wanna guess what tumblr crowdfunding scammers are up to now?

I just got an ask from a user who claimed to be from Palestine, trying to pay for insulin for her diabetic mother while sheltering from the bombs.

Of course, when I went to the blog to vet it (remember, you should be suspicious ANY time a stranger messages you to share their crowdfunding post), every single red flag for a crowdfunding scam was there - most tellingly, as usual, the blog was nothing but a few high note count reblogs, presumably from the trending page, reblogged over the past day. As a subtler detail, the user's alleged worldview based on those reblogs was also...surprisingly US-centric for someone in Palestine, much like what should have tipped people off about hivliving sooner, though that may have been a coincidence from carelessly reblogging randomly from the trending page, as some of the other scam blogs I've seen and reported have reblogged hardcore leftist posts AND pro-Tr*mp posts back-to-back...

So, after seeing that, in knowing that a lot of people on tumblr are very inclined to try to help in disasters on an individual level, I felt the need to use it as a safety reminder.

Remember: there are assholes in the world who are NOT above using real-world disasters to try to grift you. Please remember to be skeptical of ANYONE who "cold-calls" you for help with a crowdfunding campaign. Check how old their blog is. Look deeper than just "does it have posts and a bio?" to figure out if this is a real person. If they have no other original posts, not even an "about me" or anything, and all their reblogs are a day or two old, IT IS A SCAM. Do not do anything they ask. Just report them.

#internet bullshittery warning #internet safety #i am very very tempted to try making a tumblr scam checker bot #a webpage and/or browser extension that looks at the contents of a blog and tells you if the behavior on the blog #is more likely to be a legit user vs. a scammer #because some scammers are more convincing than others! #i don't know how I could come up with a way to flag the REALLY elaborate grifters like hivliving #but i know that i could at least make a bot that goes to the end of someone's archive #and if it sees no other original posts #and a ton of reblogs that all likely came from the trending page #while the blog is less than a week or so old #it could certainly throw out a little “PROBABLE SCAM” warning

[elbiotipo]

I don't know how else to say this, but the level of wealth, entitlement and lack of social awareness you got to have to ship a "rescued" dog from China to the US and adopt it is obscene and gross

#cosas mias #look at the notes of that post #someone talked about people adopting dogs from Afghanistan which had trouble with rabies #listen I'm going to get in my tank and say that the whole first world and especially the US need full on reeducation learn to be normal #I can't handle this level of fuckery #I'm not even gonna talk about 'saving dogs from the meat trade in China' which as many pointed out is both racist and a scam

[shubblelive]

‘MOONMAN TAKES FLIGHT’

HOLLYWOOD ROCK STAR BANNED FROM MTV VMAS AFTER INCIDENT.

If you know anyone under the age of 25 then you will have heard of the band Dream Theory, who made waves in the pop-rock scene with their debut EP 'RECURRING DAYDREAM' released late last year. The band, comprised of frontman Wilbur Soot on vocals, accompanied by guitarist Tyler Parks, bassist Chris Matthews and drummer Evan Thompson, has been nominated for several big awards despite its short lifespan, including Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards in February.

Their success was placed under jeopardy last night at MTV's Video Music Awards, of which the band one award: Song of The Year for their song ‘MALADAPTIVE,' which debuted at number 3 on the Billboard charts. Cameras at the event last night captured frontman Wilbur Soot throwing the award at the head of bassist Chris Matthews.

Witnesses reported hearing the two arguing loudly in the bathroom after the ceremony with several theories rising that the altercation was over Soot's longtime girlfriend Maria Evans, who was seen entering the after-party with Matthews. No charges were pressed, but a statement from MTV confirmed that Soot has been banned from the event next year and has had his Grammy nomination rescinded, meaning in the event that Dream Theory takes home an award at the ceremony it will not be shared with Soot.

Maria Evans, when asked on Twitter said that 'Will and Chris have been having issues recently, this wasn't honestly that surprising.' A spokesperson for the band has said they will be reveiwing the incident, leaving Soot's place within the band under fire.

‘NOT UNEXPECTED’ SOURCE CLOSE TO CELEBRITY SAYS.

#im not hacked this is a teaser #the last teaser DID admittedly look like a scam i will admit #if u click the link it goes to my askbox #em needs to shush sometimes #fawncreekfilmfest #wilbur soot x reader #wilbuh #wilbur soot edit #THIS IS A TEASER FOR A FIC COMING OUT ON TUESDAY #ALSO THIS IS A NO LOVEJOY AU #(( yes the photo there is of shelby NO shelby is not wil’s gf she’s not even the faceclaim)) #i just needed A face so it’ll probably change too #that’s why i blurred it so there’s no confusion #she’s not shelby she’s not played by shelby she is in no way associated w shub

[claudethecrabdemoness]

So I did It

I made a Fusion

And he's ✨magnificent✨

#ohhgod #why am I so attracted to this?? #what is it about cheek and jaw bones that make me go absolutely feral??? #cis men are a scam #anyway #have a televangelist tv man #now there’s a guy I’d join a cult for #vox hazbin hotel #televangelist vox #hazbin hotel #vox #human vox #1950s #redesign #character design #joel osteen #regardless of the curses i am pretty proud of this one #i wanted to keep his head more square like his screen #and his hair is…….. full of choices #the v in his widow’s peak being one of them #and of course I wanted to make him sharklike #I think I achieved it #the tim burton really popped out w this one #what a man #what a mighty strange man #stop looking at me like that vox or im gonna have to fuck you #there's a damn good reason he won that sexiest man poll #and im looking at it rn #stupid sexy vox #with his suits and his voice and his smile and his slutty slutty waist-

[fangsandfeels]

Jerra *pondering silently to herself after getting a "bosom-companion" talk from Withers*: Is everything that obvious between me and Astarion?

Also Jerra whenever Astarion engages the chaotic goose mode:

#baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #astarion #bg3 astarion #bg3 oc: jerra #that's the look she gave him when he told the mad sorcerer in the sewers that his “cousin” looks like it fell out of the aboleth's ass #or when he called volo a middle-aged damsel in distress #or when he scammed The Guild suppliers out of their goods by pretending to be The Guild member

[creepy-onthebutt]

Everyone trying to guess who stewie is and why he wants scam dead are ignoring the true comedic potential of it just being actual stewie griffin from family guy that wants scam dead

#dungeons and daddies #dndads #scam likely #also the fact that scam looks like lois #who stewie wants to kill #makes me think that might actually be where anthony is going with it #not to out myself as someone who has watched family guy #but wanting to kill his mom is a pretty consistent bit #that's just sorta how he is #also hate the idea that stewie griffin is scam likelys son #it probably is someone else who has some reason to want scam dead but this is just funnier to me

[alabasterandivory]

A concept: hermie being raised by his dads and casually shapeshifting to match the realm

#hermie unworthy #dndads #my art #scam is a nightmare to look at on purpose I swear #I appreciate everyone’s cool designs of him #But I will never imagine him as anything but the gaudiest #technicolored sequin terror out there #scam likely #jodie foster #glenn close #they go to earth once and scam has a breakdown because hermie just looks like Some Guy