Silencing a scam artist...

[McPhoenixDavid]

It's okay and bearable when these scammers were only spamming comments in the fictions—even spamming PM was bearable.

But now?

❝Hello! I'm from RR, I've read McPhoenixDavid's story and it was the best I have ever read!❞

They enter my server, say stuff like this. My readers nod approvingly, talking about how they liked this part, were curious about that love interest—

❝I have some really cool ideas to share! Is McPhoenix available? @Writer?❞

"Hey, Nix is probably sleeping—"

❝...@everyone,❞

Chaos erupts.

I have to go and talk with this person, see what "cool idea" they have...

❝Covers!❞

...of course. And as suspected, it's made with ChatGPT.

I've had enough, I decided to take revenge. "Sorry, but I have a contracted artist and I pay him $1000 every month for artworks. Here's a sample—"

❝I can draw like that too! I would have charged only $500 for that!❞

"—uh, it's 'one of the arts' he makes for me every month. He made 20 this month and it's $50."

❝Oh.❞

Awkward silence.

"Glad to have you onboard,"

...

"Hello?"

...

"Nix, I think they left."

"Apparently,"

Ahem, you get the point, now they have become desperate and are joining Discord Servers for commissions. This scammer? They were one of the many.

They have various tactics, various words, be warned, authors. Even their Protfolio might be fake. They talk about reading your fiction but it They might have read one chapter or flash-read the whole book with AI.​

 

[AYM]

Hit them with the ol' reliable human artist trauma of offering to pay with "exposure"

 

[Envylope]

Hit them with the ol' reliable human artist trauma of offering to pay with "exposure"

Yes!

 

[Maelstrom556]

Honestly, good work. The more of their time you waste, the less time they have to scam other people. Sure, that philosophy works better against phone call scammers, but even taking their attention away long enough to keep them typing could prevent other, less aware marks from being scammed.

 

[Macha]

Hit them with this.

Did you know Zachycards are now turning the scammers into content on Youtube?

 

[McPhoenixDavid]

Hit them with this.

Did you know Zachycards are now turning the scammers into content on Youtube?

Hehe, didn't know that.

 

[Hans.Trondheim]

I also make $50 covers.

My differece between that "artist" and me is that mine is legit, hand-drawn artwork.

I live in SEA, hence $50 is big when converted to our currency here.

 

[McPhoenixDavid]

I also make $50 covers.

My differece between that "artist" and me is that mine is legit, hand-drawn artwork.

I live in SEA, hence $50 is big when converted to our currency here.

 

[LeilaniOtter]

I also make $50 covers.

My differece between that "artist" and me is that mine is legit, hand-drawn artwork.

I live in SEA, hence $50 is big when converted to our currency here.

WITNESS! ? ?

Honestly, good work. The more of their time you waste, the less time they have to scam other people. Sure, that philosophy works better against phone call scammers, but even taking their attention away long enough to keep them typing could prevent other, less aware marks from being scammed.

Reminds me of the greatest phone scammer basher of all time that I know of. (and I can't remember who he is!)
This man is amazing! He uses several voices, and personalities, and techniques that help him not only "scam" the scammers, but hack into their computers, hack their webcams, find their locations, etc. Wastes hours!
It's becoming harder to scam people when people like him are around.

 

[Maelstrom556]

Reminds me of the greatest phone scammer basher of all time that I know of. (and I can't remember who he is!)
This man is amazing! He uses several voices, and personalities, and techniques that help him not only "scam" the scammers, but hack into their computers, hack their webcams, find their locations, etc. Wastes hours!
It's becoming harder to scam people when people like him are around.

I know there are a few that do that. Jim Browning and ScammerRevolts are a couple of the more popular channels. I think at least one of those two uses multiple voices.

 

[McPhoenixDavid]

I know there are a few that do that. Jim Browning and ScammerRevolts are a couple of the more popular channels. I think at least one of those two uses multiple voices.

I follow them, too!

 

[Worthy39]

I simply told my scammer the truth. That I'm broke. And they backed off real quick.

 

[AliceMoonvale]

I know there are a few that do that. Jim Browning and ScammerRevolts are a couple of the more popular channels. I think at least one of those two uses multiple voices.

Jiiiiim.
I watch Kitboga~

And the best way I've dealt with scammers is by never responding.

 

[McPhoenixDavid]

I simply told my scammer the truth. That I'm broke. And they backed off real quick.

Works fine.

 

[Maelstrom556]

Jiiiiim.
I watch Kitboga~

Ah, what is this? Another channel to watch? I will keep an eye on it.

 

[CinnaSloth]

Ya'll are getting paid to do covers? They're only like 200x300 pixels.. (max around 900x1200px)
I kind of just toss out some 1 or 2 hour arts for free... nothing crazy taxing to draw. Am I dumb??

I know certain friends of mine, people others would call professionals, that can probably kick it out (at my level of art) in 10-20min if they wanted to. Their main problem would be contracts with time limits, and NDAs, and the unnecessary (but sometimes necessary) legalities, being busy working on more lucrative, higher-paid, thousand-dollar projects; Obviously rather, wanting to keep up with their rent/bills/etc.. than getting a random 5$ from some online. (..or not doing me any favors for zero moneys. lol)

But I also know what it's like being broke while looking for something small, and almost insignificant compared to something that might take weeks, or for a big Vtuber lets say. I'm in no way arguing for the scammers, let's get that straight before anything, They should be run off site. I'm just saying, being unable to get any real artworks (NOT AI) from professionals (even friends that are professionals).. kinda sucks.. Ngl.
So I never cared to ask for money.

Then again, you can charge whatever you feel your time is worth.

I just know I'm worthless!
You mean.. priceless?
...Isn't that what I said??

 

[FRWriter]

I've been caught a few times as well! Sometimes scammers enter your Discord and actually discuss your story, talking about the latest chapter... but then if you talk with them, they quickly expose themselves, and you realize they have indeed read your story... exactly the last CHAPTER... ONLY the last chapter, or worse, has used AI to give them a summary.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

I've been caught a few times as well! Sometimes scammers enter your Discord and actually discuss your story, talking about the latest chapter... but then if you talk with them, they quickly expose themselves, and you realize they have indeed read your story... exactly the last CHAPTER... ONLY the last chapter, or worse, has used AI to give them a summary.

Yep - had one approach me with a portfolio that would have fit two different stories but was utterly wrong for the story they were trying to discuss (though it did KIND of fit the CHAPTER they approached me over). They went away when I said I didn't have enough money to pay anyone, but might keep them in mind if I posted something in their style (looked like supernatural romance images made by a teenager with some talent and colored pens, but then cleaned up digitally).

 

[LeilaniOtter]

Yep - had one approach me with a portfolio that would have fit two different stories but was utterly wrong for the story they were trying to discuss (though it did KIND of fit the CHAPTER they approached me over). They went away when I said I didn't have enough money to pay anyone, but might keep them in mind if I posted something in their style (looked like supernatural romance images made by a teenager with some talent and colored pens, but then cleaned up digitally).

It's fun when I come across these people in Discord and they show me their "work" and, wouldn't you know it, a quick Google Lens search and I see their "work" someplace else already - and an entirely different artist. Then when I bring it up, they leave skid marks behind in their exits. ?

 

[Maelstrom556]

It's fun when I come across these people in Discord and they show me their "work" and, wouldn't you know it, a quick Google Lens search and I see their "work" someplace else already - and an entirely different artist. Then when I bring it up, they leave skid marks behind in their exits. ?

They always seem to forget that reverse image search is a thing. Like, they already seem suspicious when they're giving out unsolicited offers, but that just seals it. But as with any kind of scammer, they're not looking for knowledgeable marks.