Scammers and begging trolls

[swanlakeinwinter]

MN have the ability to read PMs.

Can it please be made possible for people offering or accepting money or goods to be banned from the site?

Hi, OP

We understand your concerns here - we'll add them to the list of forum functionality items that we'll discuss soon.

In the meantime, we do post a warning on any thread that's reported to us where we feel users may potentially be considering giving more financially than they perhaps can afford. If we have particular concerns, we'll remove the thread and look to ban the user in question.

Hope that makes sense.

I know caroline and to do appreciate it but seriously one poster must have had hundreds in the last few days

Can you not just suspend ability to receive PM's on potential begging threads? Would be an easy solution.

I know I wonder that too Twitcher. I know people will claim that it’s up to individuals if they choose to give but in my experience it’s often people who can least afford it who are most generous.

but in my experience it’s often people who can least afford it who are most generous

Yup, as they are the ones who know what it's like to be in the shit financially.
I often feel like starting a begging thread just so I can point out how easily posters can be fooled.

Btw I don't think banning people accepting money would work, MN can't even get rid of the poo/wee/fart/nappy/knicker trolls permanently. That's why I think suspending PM function is a more workable solution.

Yes I think you’re right but I don’t know if that’s workable.

Can I ask which thread in particular you are talking about? There was one recently where I did wonder, but didn't follow it.

You’ll get us deleted now ...

since when can we not mention it?
I'll report my comment. (And this)

Hey, why was I deleted?

I said not a good idea to mention which thread, how does that break TGs, seriously!? So someone can scan hundreds but I can’t say it’s not a good idea to say which thread!?

For what it's worth, I think it is a great idea suspending PMs on begging threads. The normal advice from mn doesn't cut it. Just have a look on begging threads, when someone points out it could be begging, they are flamed beyond recognition. And posters seldom read the full thread, so will likely not have seen any mn cautions.

Please don't delete me, why did you delete swanlake?

There seems to have been a whole host of them in the last week or so. Even worse than before Xmas.

You can’t protect some posters from themselves, unfortunately. If they want to give they’ll find a way. Agree they shouldn’t and it would be kind of amusing if someone called the bluff of an oh, I don’t want ANYTHING begging Troll, then posted the PM exchange on the thread but I guess MNHQ wouldn’t take kindly to that either. Troll Hunting is still Troll Hunting even if you catch a Troll red handed.

Why ban the people who offer/donate?
MNHQ say don’t give / trust what you can’t afford to lose emotionally and financially. Some threads basically read like they want you to give, and some people feel good giving so they jump to do so to make themselves feel better.

Wow I am slow, I did not even realise this sort of thing was going on, on here, and that people give others money, what?!🤦‍♀️

I think banning PMs on begging threads is a good idea. It would actually help
People who were genuinely in need of good advice. As it is genuine needy posters must be put off starting threads asking for advice as they are probably nervous of being accused of being scammers.

I think MNHQ should explicitly say that people shouldn't give money or stuff to other posters. There current warning is too wishy washy. It would deter scammers and would help people in genuine need to ask for practical advice.

There was an obvious scammer this past week (well, obvious to some - not to those scammed “I’ve PMed you OP” and not to MNHQ) that finally got revealed as a PBP after one entire thread got filled and they’d started on another.

I wonder how much money they got for the baby they hated and then miraculously loved but then got life threateningly ill? Not to mention the impending illegal eviction they were facing.

Do better, MNHQ. That copied and pasted disclaimer you insert into every begging thread shouldn’t be the end of your responsibility to protect MNers from being fleeced.

'Do better, MNHQ. That copied and pasted disclaimer you insert into every begging thread shouldn’t be the end of your responsibility to protect MNers from being fleeced.'

Do better?

Look, it's a sad fact that there are scammers everywhere. Cold calls, online, everywhere. What people need to do is take responsibility themselves. If someone can't offer support without offering money then the internet is not for them. What do you suggest for the people that get taken in by cold callers, disconnect them? Is it the phone company's job to 'protect them'?

Suggesting PM's are blocked for potential scammers is silly. What about genuine posters who get support via pm, should they just be thrown under the bus?

I was in a thread recently where a depressing number if posters said they’d happily give £10 to a scammer on the off chance that it was a real person in trouble. Turning off pms might stop those fools from being parted with their money, but I suspect scammers would get around it by setting up other accounts.

That thread was so blindingly troll and I and others reported and reported
HQ posted that useless warning and banned people for telling the truth and trying to warn other posters
Threads like that need their pm function disabled immediately and the warning needs to be beefed up

'Turning off pms might stop those fools from being parted with their money'

That's not a very nice way to talk about other posters is it? I don't get it, you're so desperate to protect posters yet call them 'fools'.