This is an official forum guideline. Learn more about our other guidelines by checking the pinned post in the guidelines section.
Have you been annoyed by the same scams popping up here all the time? Maybe it’s the “Pegasus” email scam or the USPS package scam? Sugar baby scam, anyone?
We get it, it’s frustrating seeing these scams constantly. You might even have a comment ready for when you see another one. But before you jump in, here are some things to remember:
People posting here often react out of panic. When you’re in crisis mode, it’s hard to think straight. A lot of people come here looking for fast help because they want reassurance, not necessarily because they’ve searched first.
We get lots of “drive-by” posters who may have just made an account to post here. Many don’t know how to search the forum first.
The more we see something, the more we remember it. It’s like political ads during election season—you keep seeing the same names until they stick. Repetition helps educate people about these scams.
That said, there are exceptions. When the Pegasus scam became overwhelming, we started removing those posts and directed people to resources.
If you think there are posts that should have removal reasons or if you want to help develop our automated warnings for common scams, let us know! Some of our sidebar prompts have come from members, and we always appreciate the input.
This post is part of our growing collection of safety and education topics. Check out the guidelines section to see more! Thanks for your patience as we continue to build this resource.
/u/one-eye-deer - This is a reminder sent to all new posts on this forum. Please don’t message the moderators about it.
Watch out, new users:
Since you posted here, scammers might start messaging you privately, claiming to know hackers or experts who can get your money back for a fee. We call these RECOVERY SCAMMERS—NEVER take advice in private. All advice should be given in the open, so others can see and help.
Forum rules reminder: No personal info (names, phone numbers, etc.), and always be civil (no insults). No requests for personal armies or “scam the scammer” posts. If you see recovery scammers, use the “report” button. We review all reports.
If you have questions about the rules, send us a message.
Thanks for posting this. It’s so frustrating when people attack others for posting.
Most people here are anxious and under pressure. Scams rely on creating a sense of urgency, and that’s exactly what these users feel when they post. They just want quick answers.
This is an educational forum. Shouting “use the search” doesn’t help. 1) No one uses search before posting in any other forum. 2) If you’ve never seen the scam before, it’s hard to know what keywords to use in the search. It’s better to say, “You can learn more by searching these keywords.”
PS: Stop just commenting “scam.” That’s useless. Explain why it’s a scam!
@tradetroubleshoot1
Also, we don’t see the hundreds of people who read the forum, get their answers, and move on without posting. The view here is skewed.
tradetroubleshoot1 said: @tradetroubleshoot1
Also, we don’t see the hundreds of people who read the forum, get their answers, and move on without posting. The view here is skewed.
@tradetroubleshoot1
I always search before I post. I use Google and then the site’s search tool. 99% of the time, I find my answer without making a new post that clogs up the forum. I’m sure I’m not the only one.
I don’t mind the repeats at all. If I’m tired of seeing the same scam, I just scroll past it. But it’s useful to know which scams are trending at the moment.
Thank you! It’s really frustrating when people leave rude comments, especially pointing out someone’s grammar when the person is clearly panicking and asking for help. It’s peak online behavior to act that way.
@Swindler
The grammar nitpicking annoys me, too. Even if they’re not panicking, they might have a disability or not speak English as their first language. It’s honestly rude and borderline discriminatory.
@tradetroubleshoot1
It’s not rude at all. People come here at a bad time, looking for help. Pointing out things that might save them from a scam is important.
Brittany said: @tradetroubleshoot1
It’s not rude at all. People come here at a bad time, looking for help. Pointing out things that might save them from a scam is important.
That’s my rant for today.
I think you missed the point. We’re saying it’s rude to correct someone’s grammar when they’re asking for help. That’s not helpful at all.
@Swindler
Oh, I misunderstood. I thought you meant pointing out errors in the scam posts. I didn’t mean it’s okay to criticize the person asking for help. No offence was meant.
I feel bad for people who write long posts explaining every detail of the scam, only for it to be obvious to everyone else what the scam is within a few words.
I’ve noticed some people here act a bit smug when they know more than others. It’s like they forget that new people come online every day, many young and clueless about scams.
It’s frustrating seeing the same posts over and over, but that’s part of being in an educational forum. It’s our job to help others avoid losing their money.
FraudWatchForum said:
It seems like the posts from teens panicking over being blackmailed after sending photos have slowed down. Maybe we’re doing some good here.
We usually remove those posts if the person is under 18 for safety reasons and leave a removal note. For more serious cases, we reach out privately and advise them to talk to a trusted adult.