to wonder HOW we get the message across about internet security?

[PoppyPopcorn]

Maybe internet security is the wrong term. But you know the types of threads I mean - posters saying they have no money, can't feed their kids, are going without so their kids can eat, have a sick relative in hospital and can't afford transport, can't buy Christmas presents etc etc. Not referring to any particular thread but these pop up a lot, especially in the run up to Christmas.

Now, it's lovely in a way that so many kind hearted people jump in with offers of help, financial support or offers to post items to the OP. I'm sure in some cases, the distress or financial crisis is 100% genuine. But we all know that there are people out there who know what a lovely crowd Mumsnetters are and try to take advantage of that for their own gains.

MNHQ do put a warning out, which is mainly ignored. What on earth can be done by the community as a whole to stop people being so bloody gullible???

I think sometimes people just feel that they'd rather take the risk of sending items to a scammer than not helping someone who genuinely needs it. The ones I see most often are fairly low cost items, clothes, second hand children's toys, sanitary products recently. Something that costs the giver very little and would mean the world to someone genuinely in need. People are very kind.

People ARE very kind. I totally get why people want to help and give to those in need. But there are loads of ways of doing that safely - donating to foodbanks, volunteering for a charity, direct debit giving. I had a friend who used to buy loads of tins of things like chickpeas and bags of rice which she then gave to the Sikh temple which had a soup kitchen. That sort of giving has very little risk that it's going to the wrong people.

I just don't get that in this day and age when it's so easy to ping a donation to any registered charity why people take the risk. And of course when people do take the risk, the scammers come back for more.

Because people like to see the direct result of their actions, I guess. Helping those in need makes the giver feel happy and like they've made a difference.

You can't stop it. We're all adults, with varying levels of gullibility, intelligence and kind-heartedness. You (not you personally) can't police the internet.

If people want to give money to some random poster on the internet that's up to them I can't afford too and wouldn't if I could but I can't stop others from doing so.

I don't know, I wonder this myself. Been on here ages and always think it's nice that some people are so lovely, but on the other hand it's like WTAF are you thinking?
I remember a thread on here a while back now where someone said something like they were stuck and needed to get somewhere to escape, and somebody offered to meet them and pick them up.
Can't remember if they actually did but we tell our kids never to give out personal details, or race off to meet people they've never met off the internet when we have no idea who they are.
We'd be horrified if they did, but some have no qualms at doing it themselves.
As someone said, there's safe ways to help. Etc Foodbank donations, charity donations.

I've sent things in the past. Over ten years ago I sent vitamins to a poster. I think she had left her husband and was struggling as a lone parent. She wasn't eating right and got ill. I can't even remember her username. We chatted a bit and I can't remember the full details but I sent some decent vitamins.

I've sent clothes to someone. They were going to charity anyway.

I wouldn't send now. MN is a lot bigger and I don't feel I 'know' posters so well. I stopped doing the MN xmas thing too. I buy from the John Lewis Refuge list instead.

It's easy to feel that a fiver could make such a difference to someone but I completely agree that giving money just means that some people will take advantage.

And it's frustrating when MN give the warning and other posters warn against it and still people offer. Especially on threads where if you Advance search the OP it's first or second post.

4691- that was Zombie. She went to the rescue of someone who as far as I remember was a previously banned poster.

I honestly don't understand why people do this, but it's up to them. I will never donate to a JustGiving or GoFundMe page either unless I know the person who has set it up and want to donate and they have supplied a link.

I'm also wondering MNHQ could maybe beef up their warning which at the moment is along the lines of not giving more than you can afford, financially or emotionally. Perhaps something like "we advise against giving money, goods or other items" and advising donations to regulated charities instead?

But even if they did Poppy would people listen ? I wouldn't ever give money to a stranger on the internet and I do question why people would but it's free choice at the end of the day.

We are all adults. I think mna warning is fine. It leaves it up to us to decide.

People do know there are scammers our there.

There are tons of reasons mn'ers help.

Some a bit a bit gullable. Some would rather help and risk being wrong. Some forget that actually, you may know a user name but you dont know the person.

And to be honest some because it thinks them look good. I have seen posters vouch for mn'ers saying they know them. When they dont. I dont think they arr in on the scam, but they want to be seen as virtuous and will defend their actions and even bend the truth to appear like their decision waa the right one.

Mn can nor police what adults do. Mn is a great place and the majority of posters are amazing. But we are adults and really have to judge things for ourseleves.

4691- that was Zombie. She went to the rescue of someone who as far as I remember was a previously banned poster.

What was the outcome? I remember thinking [shocked] that someone would race out into the dark on a late evening on the back of a thread but don't think I saw the rest of it.

Some forget that actually, you may know a user name but you dont know the person.

That's a good point, I think people do that. As in "I've known them for ages, they're lovely." No, you've never met, and they're still names on a screen and could be anyone in RL.

Didn't someone go to someone who said they were locked in the loo at a London station? What happened there?

I can't get worked up about this. If someone is vulnerable and shouldn't be using the internet, that's up to their carers/family to monitor that

Everyone else can do what they want