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?

It is foolish to send money to someone on the internet you know absolutely nothing about, freely acknowledging that it could be a scammer. I didn’t think that would be controversial.

Fine GetOff. Let’s make MN a haven for scammers. Every thread that appears by a mother with no money for gas or electricity or baby formula, no family or friends left in the world, I’ll just ignore. It’s pointless reporting them anyway. It’s the individual’s responsibility to decide whether it’s worth sending them cash or not. What’s a fiver here and there anyway? They’re not fools, they’re just nice... nicer than the people on this thread complaining about it, huh?

Well no, it isn't 'controversial' to suggest you shouldn't send strangers money. To call them fools is not necessary though is it.

What word would you use for somebody who does something foolish then?

Those posters make it worse for the rest of us by making MN a place where scammers can rake it in.

'What word would you use for somebody who does something foolish then?'

Naive, gullible?

Do you call people fools irl too?

Disable all PMs or none. You can't pick and choose depending on the say so of a few dedicated troll hunters.

Some sort of very, very basic MNHQ public awareness notice about scammers and trolls would be wise, given the number of posters who really don't have a clue that people make stuff up on the internet.

Probably doesn't help that any thread discussing rumbled trolls and scammers gets zapped as a TAAT, so the oblivious people who give money and sympathy just trot happily on thinking "wonder what happened to that woman with the premature triplets and the husband kidnapped by the Mafia who could only afford three walls for her house?"

I am kicking myself that I fell for the most recent one of these - not to the extent of sending money, but I did put time, effort and emotional energy into supporting and encouraging this scammer. What an idiot.

Plus ca change
Same old defending the trolls and moaning about troll hunters

It frustrates me that troll-hunting is so frowned upon on this site because sometimes it's so blatant and one or two posts pointing that out might just save other posters time and money.

I wonder if anyone will be brave enough to admit they sent money. Although it may sting, I think it would serve as a cautionary tale to other users.

Or maybe MNHQ can review the PMs of the troll account and acknowledge that it has happened?

Also - let me be one of many who say "I told you so" as I reported it but nothing was done.

I wonder if the cheerleaders will ever admit to getting it wrong

And the recent one was so blindingly obviously a troll that maybe people need to step away from mumsnet and start reading take a break
It's probably safer

It seemed like a genuine scenario, to begin with, @hobnobsaremyfave - that's why I offered support and advice - and maybe once you've believed the first thing, believing each added-on detail isn't that much of a stretch.

Or maybe I am just a gullible fool.

I don't think you're a fool SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius - trolls can be really plausible and most of us are kind and would hate to think of someone struggling. Be glad you didn't give money, I'm sure many others did. It's a shame that genuine posters may not get emotional support in the future.

And when a thread is deleted, after MNHQ finally listen, and realise it IS a scammer, the original full up thread is left to stand. I don't understand why. All the better for the next (or same) troll to suck people in next time, because the original thread looks 'real'?

'Same old defending the trolls and moaning about troll hunters'

Who has defended trolls? .

I have suggested that selectively disabling PM's based on troll hunters opinions would be unfair for genuine posters getting support and that calling naive posters 'fools' is a bit shit.

People just need to be reminded not to give money to strangers. No 'defending trolls' anywhere. HTH.

@MNHQ Why is that posters first thread (1000 posts of baby hate and the HQ message reassuring posters that there is nothing obviously untoward) still standing?

Have you disabled the troll's account so they can't continue to scam from MNers who read the original thread?

Also will you be reconsidering bans on posters who were really distressed by the repeated assertions of hating a four week old baby? On a parenting forum?

That thread screamed troll if only from the ridiculous timelines of events.

Maybe MNHQ could introduce a 'no sending money to other posters' rule? Some of it would still happen anyway but that would at least make it more effort/less pay for scammers.

I'm not sure why OP thinks it's any of her business.

MN put up a warning, if people choose to donate it's up to them, surely.

If scammers see the site as an easy tech then it eats ore scamming threads, more suspicious posters, and less support for the people who really do need it. That's bad for everyone not just the people who gave money.

Easy TOUCH that should say

It frustrates me that troll-hunting is so frowned upon on this site because sometimes it's so blatant and one or two posts pointing that out might just save other posters time and money.

I agree with this. Reporting and ignoring is all well and good but it takes time for MNHQ to investigate and delete, especially at night and weekends.

There are trolls all over this site (including some who claim to troll hunt). It’s the internet all over and it attracts trolls.

I don’t see how MNHQ can do much other than give advice to other adults. It’s the same with online mobbing that gets arranged from elsewhere and targets particular posters. They can’t stop that either.

They can’t babysit people who choose to do things of their own free will.

When someone posts a having problem money topic I've often thought it would be wonderful to capture all the great advice and all the links into one post that @MNHQ put on the thread and then lock the thread.

Everyone can see the fabulous advice, the OP benefits from the fabulous advice and no one can be scammed.

Would that work?

I am kicking myself that I fell for the most recent one of these - not to the extent of sending money, but I did put time, effort and emotional energy into supporting and encouraging this scammer. What an idiot

Fret not. It’s above board after all. For some unfathomable reason mnhq thought it was a pbp, told us all so and then retracted it.