#spam asks

Maybe it's some sort of AI ploy, or just some bored little gnat with no better plans for a Saturday, but I wanted to bring some awareness to it, because I know that it can feel big and scary and hurtful.

And no one deserves that.

The ask in question is below the cut if you don't want to click the link, but people, if you get this in your inbox, just block them - you can click the three dots off to the right of the ask before you answer it, anon or not, and block people that way.

Don't give someone like this a second thought.

Your time is worth more than that.

Recently, I've noticed an upsurge in fraudulent scammers/bots pretending to be Palestinian and asking for donations. What's really interesting is that these scammers/bots generally target blogs that are active, post frequently and get a lot of engagement. So, if you've been inactive or on hiatus for a while, you may feel that the Palestinian bot problem has subsided and the worthless @tumblr @staff has done something about it. But in reality, it seems these scammers/bots actively seek out blogs that are regularly posting and interacting with other blogs. I'm speaking from personal experience. Until last December, I wasn't too active here on Tumblr; I just lurked and scrolled. Back then, I didn't receive any asks, comments or DMs from scammers/bots. I genuinely thought the bots had been exterminated. But ever since I started posting again, (around the beginning of this month) I've been receiving 5+ DMs and asks almost every day from scammers/bots. Some of them are anonymous. Most of them are pretending to be the same person with different blogs and usernames, copying and pasting almost identical ChatGPT-sounding messages pleading for donations. They're also tagging me in the replies of random posts I've never interacted with. I'd like to request y'all NOT TO FALL FOR THESE BOTS/SCAMMERS. They may seem like actual, real people but THEY ARE NOT. Multiple bloggers have already debunked and exposed these scammers/bots. So PLEASE BE CAREFUL WHILE INTERACTING WITH THESE FRAUDULENT BLOGS AND THINK TWICE BEFORE DONATING. ALWAYS VERIFY THE BACKGROUND AND CREDENTIALS OF THE BLOGS ASKING FOR DONATIONS.

Nope, I think we shouldn't. Read why ⬇️

Okay I copied this ask/ text and pasted it into tumblr search, see what I found:

This same ask is sent by at least 10 accounts (including yours) with similar names all ending on -gaza and various prefixes. Only from today and yesterday.

@darengaza @emangazaa @enasgazaa @karemagaza @kindagaza @lubnagaza @salamgaza @suaadgaza @wallagaza

If you click through these accounts, 9/10 have the same post by @shahdgazza pinned on May 17, talking about an autistic kid who is "trying to recover" from it, but that doesn't make it more reliable imho.

Yet another post with the key words "autism", "kidney failure" and "child" or "daughter" comes from @mimigaza.

Update June 9: similar asks with the above mentioned keywords are currently sent by @meskgaza @kamlagaza and @solavgaza, the latter one still reblogs posts by @shahdgazza from @mimigaza in case you wondered.

I also just found asks in this style with the mentioned keywords from September 2024 sent by now deleted blogs. You literally can't have kidney failure for nine (9) months. It's medically impossible you need urgent intensive care then, including dialysis, or you die very soon.

That looks pretty much like a bot network/ system to me sending scam asks. Not genuine.

Update June 22: Obviously, this was not sent as an anonymous ask but when the blog got deleted, the name disappeared here as well.

__________________

Hey tumblrinas, if you actually want to help people in Gaza consider donating to charities/ orgs instead of to individual people! They are much better at distributing aid to the people in need.

Bonus points, if Clark is holding the leash and pushing Bruce's head further in his butt. Whispering sweet, but dirty words of encouragement.

"Such a good slut, Brucie, service your master, get right up in there." As Bruce whines, but is determined to please, with renewed energy slurping and straining his tongue deeper in Clark's hole.

Bruce is a bit delirious from the aroma, and the pressure of his cock ring as he please his princess.

Everyone knows they're the true powercouple. Daddy Dom, aka Service Top Brucie Wayne, and Pillow Princess, Power Bottom Clark Kent!

No. As you can see it's a bottom Bruce Tumblr,and I don't like anything bottom Clark related

And I've seen this ask being sent to many Tumblr accounts like spam,so please stop this

Generally go fund me links, donation links, porn spam links, any sort of call to action for me/my followers. Some are more sophisticated than others.

This is your friendly reminder that you should not, under any circumstances, give money to online fundraisers you see on Tumblr. Even if they say they're "vetted" or "confirmed." These kinds of spam fundraisers prey upon people's desire to do good and help people in need. They are rarely real and you have no ability to verify where that money is actually going.

Some ways to spot a spam/fraudulent ask:

The account doesn't follow you or only recently followed you

There is a link, esp a weird looking link (link shortener, etc)

The CTA link isn't a gofundme or other typical donation site (but the presence of one by itself doesn't mean it's legit)

The account is not sending the ask via anon (interesting new trend; this is probably to "build" trust)

The account has all of the Tumblr badges/etc you can buy/add on

There is some sort of emotional component (guilt, fear, urgency) directed at you or followers

The ask comes immediately following one of your posts doing well, getting reblogs out of your normal circle, going "viral" etc

Obviously the advice above doesn't apply to people you actually know online, but I feel like it's very important to reiterate. These kinds of spam asks/scams work because people are actually sending money to them. They wouldn't keep asking if it didn't work.

Please consider critically what you are reblogging/asks you're answering before putting them out to the broader community.