Gaza Bots - Blog Posts
❗HOW TO SPOT A GOFUNDME SCAM❗
1. Typos in their own name
Etaf (E'taf? Ettaf?)'s campaign is filled with typos, including their own name.
2. Organizer claims to be in a country where GFM campaigns cannot be made
In Hazem's campaign, they claim to be in Gaza with the goal to go to Egypt. You CANNOT create a GoFundMe campaign in Gaza OR Egypt. You can check the list of countries supported on GFM here.
3. Organizer's location doesn't match with the story (or omitted)
Etaf claims to be in Egypt in the story. They're in Spain. When it comes to Hazem's campaign, the location of the organizer is omitted, yet they ask for Euros.
4. Beneficiary isn't mentioned in the story
Etaf's beneficiary isn't mentioned in the story. The family members are Youssef, Moataz, Moatasem, Maria, Adam and Amira.
5. Makes multiple accounts and then deactivates them
Notice how these accounts always have "Name+numbers"
6. Uses AI generated images
The mandible (i.e. lower jawbone) isn't part of the rest of the skull, but rather affixed by cartilage, muscles and ligaments, so would not just be there attached to a dry skeleton. Look at the ribcage and how it goes all the way down to the pelvis... Also the skeleton would NOT be this clean. Notice the lack of clothes as well.
Those images are used to tug at your heartstrings.
Source of the AI image
7. Incorrect information
As seen in Elham's campaign:
Wikipedia:
❗Remember, just because they have been "vetted" by @/gazavetters, doesn't make them legit!! The vetters have fallen for fake GFM before.❗
Here's a link to OFFICIAL organizations! Donate there instead!
How do I know if this tumblr fundraiser is a scam?
Look at the date the blog was created
Look at their reblogs, most will have happened within one day (usually the day they post their fundraiser), and then never again.
Search their name on tumblr, they would likely have spammed multiple blogs and some blogs tag usernames.
Usually it’s a pet or transgender related surgery fundraiser (or whatever is “trendy at the time” i.e. someone supposedly from Ukraine, someone who was brutalised by cops etc.).
Now this is not to say that these fundraisers aren’t legit, but likely they either aren’t or are taken from legit fundraising sites and reposted without the original person’s knowledge.
They ask for PayPal donations, it’s quick, simple, all it needs is a bank account linked to an email address, and there is no way to check if it’s legit or to see how much has been donated.
These scams have been going on for many years and they raise funds, delete their blog, open a new one, raise funds, and the cycle goes on.
PLEASE DO YOUR DUE DILIGENCE BEFORE REBLOGGING ONE OF THESE SCAM POSTS!
When you keep creating new accounts to get free shit. But instead of harmless free trials you milk people’s bleeding hearts for money.
I noticed these scam accounts are now resorting to tagging random people in the comments.
(Notice here how they are two different accounts with different names and yet have the same profile picture...)
You can prevent that by changing your settings!
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DO NOT SEND ME ANY MESSAGES ASKING FOR MONEY
Scams on Tumblr, what to watch out for.
Just a PSA. If you have someone going in your inbox asking for money, it's 99.9% a scam (yes I mean the ones claiming to be families in Gaza needing funds to escape). Do NOT answer those asks or give them money, don't expose them to more people who'd fall for it as well, don't do a THING with it.
Paypal does NOT provide service to Palestinians, there's been a campaign for it to be provided for Palestinians since OCTOBER. If someone in your inbox is asking you for money at all much less linking to a PAYPAL. It's a scam. Don't give it the time of day. I've gotten asks upon ASKS of nothing but people giving these stories and linking donation sites, a LOT of it being the same exact message like 5 times.
Examples of what to look out for :
Not every Palestinian is scamming when they ask for help. But a lot of stupid people will use your empathy for their personal profit and there's a good chance the things they're using aren't their own photos or stories, please do not fall for this. If you'd like to help please check verified accounts and donation sites, I really suggest checking the ones listed here. These people are quite literally stealing the IDENTITIES of actual Palestinian families to swindle money out of you.
I'm so tired of the scummy people on here using such a horrific and insane situation for their own monetary gain, it is the SICKEST thing someone can do. This needs to be called out more.
And I know some people will go limb for limb defending these bots and I understand since the circumstances are heartbreaking. But this is quite literally extortion. You are being extorted if you fall for this without verifying if it's real. And it's.. more often than not, not real.