Post #524952

There are times when people post money requests on Mastodon. They give pretty good sob stories, but then don't include links to vetted crowd funding sources. Recently, there was one that *did* include that link, but I think it serves as a new possible scam to avoid. With the SNAP benefits being cut in a week (if the shutdown continues, which it likely will), this poster had decided to get in ahead of the deadline and ask for money. They gave a good sob story, then used a link to a crowdfunding site. I followed that, but noted that there were no images included, so I asked if that was possible. I told them that, if it was possible, they should upload their EBT card. They said that would cause privacy concerns, then I suggested smudging out the private info on the card, and that all people need to see is just that they own a EBT card. After that, they edited their OP asking for money by stating, "Ok, I've had enough now." That's a cheap cop-out. The truth would be: they were faking and just wanted money. They couldn't handle being challenged on something simple like EBT card ownership. If they truly were desperate, they would have just done as I suggested. Gotta be careful, people. Remember: those "goals" can be adjusted at any time by account holders on crowdfunding pages. What starts as $200 today can mushroom to tens of thousands of dollars (or other currency) tomorrow. People keep thinking this is a place to collect money. Sometimes, that's alright, but they gotta be willing to show receipts. Don't fall for scams!