#scamalert

A little while ago, someone well-known contacted me and said they reported my account by mistake. They even asked their friends on Discord to report me too, saying it was an honest mistake because they thought I was someone who had scammed them.Honestly, I wasn’t really comfortable with what they said, and I think their account might have been hacked. I don’t want to say their name right now, but please, if anyone contacts you privately with a similar story or anything like that, just ignore it

Hey everyone! I want to share a quick reminder to protect yourselves online. Recently, I received messages from accounts with blank profiles asking to connect off-site to explain more or discuss commissions on AO3. These are often scams targeting writers, artists, and content creators.

Red flags to watch for:

Blank or very new profiles.

Requests to move the conversation off the platform (email, DMs, etc.).

Vague praise or overly flattering comments followed by “let’s connect.”

Offers that seem too good to be true.

Safety tips:

Never share personal info or financial details.

Keep all communication on-platform whenever possible.

Block and report suspicious accounts.

Trust your instincts. If it feels off, it probably is.

The Social Media Revolution Has Begun

That's Right, I'm done playing around, it's time we stand up to DeviantArt for what they did to us, neglecting us, turing this art site into a zoo, making real artists and ai artists suffer

For too long, we have treated this platform like a home, while the people in charge have treated it like a graveyard for our safety.

We are told to 'report and move on.' We are told to 'block and ignore.' But how can we move on when the moderation team has fallen asleep at the gates? How can we ignore the scammers who prey on our hard work, or the bullies who are allowed to breathe down our necks while the 'Safety Team' looks the other way?

This is not a request for help. This is a declaration of change.

I am declaring a Peaceful Justice Revolution against the neglect of the moderation team. We are done playing by the rules of a system that refuses to protect us. You have allowed the toxic to thrive and the creators to suffer. You have traded our security for your convenience.

We demand more than an automated 'Ticket Received' email.

We demand Human Accountability. * We demand a platform where a scammer is banned faster than an artist is silenced.

We demand a moderation team that actually moderates.

To the staff: Your silence is an insult. Your neglect is a choice. To the community: We are the heartbeat of this site. Without us, there is no art, there is no traffic, and there is no profit.

We will not use violence. We will not use hate. We will use the most powerful weapon we have: Our Collective Voice. We will post, we will tag, and we will refuse to be quiet until the safety of the artist is prioritized over the comfort of the moderator.

The era of 'playing around' is over. The Revolution for Justice starts now

To the DeviantArt Moderation Team:

Stop telling us what is 'impossible' and start doing what is necessary. You have allowed scammers to turn our community into a hunting ground. You have watched while we are exploited, claiming the problem is too big to fix. We are done accepting your 'limitations' as an excuse for our lack of safety.

If your current system can’t stop the scams, build a better system. If your tools are failing, get better tools. There is no 'middle ground' when it comes to the security of our work and our wallets. We demand a proactive, zero-tolerance wall against scammers, starting today. Justice isn't found in a 'Report' button that leads to nowhere; it’s found in a platform that actually protects its people.

(I’m not an expert on this topic and I could be wrong, so I apologize – this is just my perspective)

Recently, I experienced an unusual situation, and I decided to share it with you because anyone could fall victim to phishing or something similar. Maybe what I write here will help someone. ```

For those who know what phishing is, you can skip this. If not, in short: "an attempt to trick you into taking action or giving out information by pretending to be someone else or making a situation seem serious, using fear, time pressure, and authority (like a supposed email from a service) to make you do something you normally wouldn’t"

I had such a situation, and honestly, I got scared. It looked very “official” – a supposed email, logos, official-looking design, and all that. I was very stressed and panicked, but then I remembered this motto: "Not everything you see and hear is 100% true; there’s always 50% untruth"

So I calmly pushed it aside and checked everything carefully. Of course, I didn’t click any links he sent me, and you shouldn’t either if you ever find yourself in a similar situation.

I didn’t receive any email – no official message from Tumblr. If it had been real, I probably would have received one. (Of course, not every blog should be judged like this – this was MY situation; always stay alert!!)

Then I checked the profile of the person who sent me the message. They had about 14 posts (all reblogs), completely random without tags or description, nothing at all. If there were silly jokes, that might be okay, but all the posts had been reblogged almost at the same time. The blog description was huge and… kind of irrelevant to the blog.

I also checked with ChatGPT, sending a screenshot of our conversation and the screenshot of the email he sent me. ChatGPT said it was a scam. Then I checked more thoroughly online, and indeed, it was a scam.

In short: if someone messages you saying they accidentally reported you or something similar and sends a screenshot of a supposed email, stay calm and carefully check the information – do NOT click any links!

If there’s time pressure – like “you have 5 hours to respond” or “this matter is with the police,” mentions of important people from Tumblr moderation or any other site you are on, or claims that they have to contact you personally – it’s fake.

Official emails from Tumblr come directly to your email, they do not threaten police action or give time limits. Before taking any action, they carefully review the situation.

Most importantly: if you haven’t done anything wrong and have a clear conscience, why worry? You didn’t do anything bad, there’s no evidence, and even if someone tries to scare you, the platform will carefully check everything. Nothing truly disappears from the internet.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help from trusted people or moderation – that’s what moderation is for. Nothing bad will happen if you report something suspicious or ask questions.