Mutual aid spam is becoming a problem on the Fediverse.
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I can mail you a brand new cat. Good enough?
Dear brother in Christ I appreciate your generosity, is it a Siamese cat? I have allergies and my graphics card and the graphics card helps to clear the hair.
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How would you differentiate the two?
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Tell them I'll do it for $495
I’ll be their mate if they pay me £400.
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Mutual aid spam is becoming a problem on the Fediverse.
And to be sure, I'm not against mutual aid. What I am against is spam.
This person has not verified who she is -- or even if the profile picture is hers. Additional research on her name states she is a scammer with a record of grifting. I am therefore skeptical that any donations will help anyone in need.
Folks, please be cautious with mutual aid requests. Yes, people sometimes need help. But people also lie.
@fediverse @atomicpoet Yep! Majority of them are questionable, even those who claim they were "manually" verified by some supposedly "well-known" person. Even in the ATmosphere network, it's the same.
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I agree. E-mail is the original federated service. And 50 years later, e-mail spam remains a big problem. I hope Fedi projects can get spam mitigations on-par with email, before spammers start getting serious about this place.
I'd argue that telephones are the original federated service. There were fits and starts to getting the proprietary Bell/AT&T network to play nice with devices or lines not operated by them, but the initial system for long distance calling over the North American Numbering Plan made it possible for an AT&T customer to dial non-AT&T customers by the early 1950's, and set the groundwork for the technical feasibility of the breakup of the AT&T/Bell monopoly.
We didn't call it spam then, but unsolicited phone calls have always been a problem.
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I was just offered 500$ to be someone's friend. Of course, I refused - my friendship is worth much more than that!
But it's... concerning that we've got this sudden spike in spam.
The great thing about the fediverse is that it is harder to censor: as long as you find one instance where you can publish some information, you can publish it.
The bad thing about the fediverse is that it is also harder to moderate: as long as a spammer or troll finds one instance from which they can send unwanted messages, they will be able to send it.
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The great thing about the fediverse is that it is harder to censor: as long as you find one instance where you can publish some information, you can publish it.
The bad thing about the fediverse is that it is also harder to moderate: as long as a spammer or troll finds one instance from which they can send unwanted messages, they will be able to send it.
In the long run, whitelisting may become the norm for federation instead of blacklisting.
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Dear brother in Christ I appreciate your generosity, is it a Siamese cat? I have allergies and my graphics card and the graphics card helps to clear the hair.
No Siamese. Just some mongrel off the streets.
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Careful! Might be a bobcat.
Ssssshhhh....
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Mutual aid spam is becoming a problem on the Fediverse.
And to be sure, I'm not against mutual aid. What I am against is spam.
This person has not verified who she is -- or even if the profile picture is hers. Additional research on her name states she is a scammer with a record of grifting. I am therefore skeptical that any donations will help anyone in need.
Folks, please be cautious with mutual aid requests. Yes, people sometimes need help. But people also lie.
Was that a PM or a post?
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No Siamese. Just some mongrel off the streets.
May you be blessed for your generosity on this day! I would love to receive your cat, however in my village there is a small fee for the postage of the animals. I am, of course, willing to cover the fee - however it must be sent to the village post centre by Western Union transfer by the sender. If you send the $3500 I will reimburse you.
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Mutual aid spam is becoming a problem on the Fediverse.
And to be sure, I'm not against mutual aid. What I am against is spam.
This person has not verified who she is -- or even if the profile picture is hers. Additional research on her name states she is a scammer with a record of grifting. I am therefore skeptical that any donations will help anyone in need.
Folks, please be cautious with mutual aid requests. Yes, people sometimes need help. But people also lie.
Isn't asthma medication pretty cheap and long lasting? From what little I know an inhaler can last many months. Also if they can't afford that, surely they have state medical insurance to help with it? Just seems so scammy.
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My cat just died chewing through the power cable on my graphics card so I need a new 5090, please help brother
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Yep I've already gotten a couple messages like this with an image of a random lady attached:
Hi, I’m Nicole! I’m a proud Polish girl from Toronto (29 y/o)
I’m currently taking the pre-health sciences program at George Brown College hoping to get into the medical field someday!
You can add me on Friendica: [REDACTED]
and join my discord here: [REDACTED]
I only ever got one. I feel so rejected!
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Isn't asthma medication pretty cheap and long lasting? From what little I know an inhaler can last many months. Also if they can't afford that, surely they have state medical insurance to help with it? Just seems so scammy.
Also if they can’t afford that, surely they have state medical insurance
Ha! No, depending on the state, there are tons of barriers, means-testing, work requirements, mandated classes they might not be able to attend (due to childcare/lack of transportation), etc.
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Isn't asthma medication pretty cheap and long lasting? From what little I know an inhaler can last many months. Also if they can't afford that, surely they have state medical insurance to help with it? Just seems so scammy.
depends on how often you have to use it. also, most states won't give you insurance if you aren't below the poverty level. if you have a full-time job, even if you're barely making it paycheck to paycheck, you're probably ineligible for medicaid.
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Yep I've already gotten a couple messages like this with an image of a random lady attached:
Hi, I’m Nicole! I’m a proud Polish girl from Toronto (29 y/o)
I’m currently taking the pre-health sciences program at George Brown College hoping to get into the medical field someday!
You can add me on Friendica: [REDACTED]
and join my discord here: [REDACTED]
Hi, I'm
Nicolewizardbeard! I'm aproudaromaticPolishAbyssalgirltube sock with googly eyes fromTorontothe space between your walls (29 y/o50 ft)I’m currently taking the
pre-health sciences program at George Brown Collegesocks from your dryer hoping toget into the medical fieldfind a broodmother for the spawn that will form the ranks of my holy army someday!You can't add me on Friendica. *It's far too late for that. Far far too late to do anything to stop this.
Your socks may be returned to you but they may never be the same.*
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I only ever got one. I feel so rejected!
I got one about an hour after I made my Mastodon account. found me pretty fucking fast.
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Thankfully that would almost certainly be a scam in my country and many others.
I am a asthmatic. Well controlled by a thrice daily cocktail of medicines. All free at the point of need. Paid for by our taxes.
The true scandal is the countrues that make this plea possible.
whatever country you live in, it's already better than the US.
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I only ever got one. I feel so rejected!
I didn't get any. Why don't Polish egirls like me?
