Hey there! I know there aren't a ton of people watching me but I want to help get the word out even if a little.

Recently someone impersonating an artist attempted to scam me into paying them. I had claimed an slot in a YCH and just a few minutes later I received a friend request on Discord (Still not idea how they got my discord name to add me) before the artist had even replied to my comment on the YCH slot or messaged me on FA. Thankfully, I realized before it was too late that something was wrong and found them out, though I nearly bumbled into giving my money to the wrong person..

(Copied from  themefinland 's journal about scams recently)

The scams work as follows:

1. Organizer creates a sale or an auction

2. People comment on the post to either purchase the thing the organizer is selling or to place their bids in an auction.

3. The scammer sends messages to the people who took part in the sale, likely before the sale has even concluded, or to people who did not win the sale/auction

4. If you reply to the scammer, they will act like any artist would, ask for your references etc. Sometimes they might try to lead you offsite, where it is easier to impersonate the organizer.

5. The scammer will ask for you to pay in a way that has no buyer protection, such as Paypal's "Send money to family/friends" function. NEVER pay for art or products through paypal's "Send money to family/friends", you will have no recourse to get your money back if you are scammed.


HOW TO NOT GET SCAMMED

1. Check who is messaging you.
- Check the username and profile picture, do they match that of the organizer? Especially be wary of uppercase I's and lowercase L's and 1's being used maliciously. ThemefinIand looks very similar to Themefinland. Also be wary of O's and 0's, 0hm looks similar to Ohm if you are browsing casually.
- Check their profile, does it match that of the organizer? Was it made recently? Is there art on their profile that would be in the organizer's gallery?

2. Send a message to the organizer.
- Instead of waiting for them to message you, you can send them a message to ensure you will be talking with the organizer.

3. Do not trust offsite profiles
- The organizer might not have a profile on telegram, discord etc. and the scammers may have sniped the name of the organizer on said platform. Scammers can be very sophisticated when it comes to constructing these profiles, so don't trust in your ability to distinguish them from the real one through any mistakes.

4. Pay only through a method with buyer protection.
- Scammers do not use these methods, since you will have several weeks to request a refund.
- Methods with buyer protection: Paypal invoice and paypal "pay for services/products", purchases you make with a credit card.

5. Beware of new accounts.
- If you are buying something from someone with a fresh account, see if you can pay half and half. Half, before the work, and half after the work is done.

6. Do not trust this guide to make you scam proof.
- Scammers always develop new ways to scam you, so always be on your guard when paying for something.


Remember: Initiate the conversation yourself by messaging the organizer and pay only through methods with buyer protection.

Stay safe out there!