Message Boards - Scam Artists Vs. Real Causes

Message boards can be great places to find information, receive personalized help, and develop online friendships. However, even the best message boards can be subject to spam artists. "Beware of Message Board Scam Artists" by Amy Witthohn discusses a few types of scams seen on message boards. However, not everyone who uses these methods really is a scam artist. I've been a member of more than a few message boards, and I've seen scams and legit activity going on. In this article, I'll discuss a few signs to help you determine if you're dealing with a legitimate cause or if you're dealing with a scam artist.

Support the Board!

Many message boards have a button to click where you can "donate" to support the board. While some administrators may be using this money for other things, sometimes the upkeep of message boards really can cost money to the administrators (especially when the board you are on does not have ads). I've been on a vegetarian board before that was supported by donations for years. Eventually, they had to have ads because not enough people supported the board. Other boards don't just ask for money, they make it fun. Some pet care boards I've been on have done auctions to support the board. Members sell items, but the money goes to the board. Sometimes the administrator even sells something to get money to keep the board online. If you're a visiting member of a board, you shouldn't feel obligated to contribute money. If you've been a member of a message board for 5 years, you might want to think about showing your support. In the case of the vegetarian message board, I had met the administrators at their booth at an event. Many people on the pet care boards had met the administrators as well (and the people who met the administrators, were people I had met). If the administrator seems like someone a bit sketchy that no one has physically met, you might want to beware. It's better not to support the board than to worry that you might have contributed to a scam.

Donating to a Cause

Some message boards seem to attract people who volunteer for causes or run organizations. I've been a member of a few animal rescue boards and pet care boards that were rescue friendly. Sometimes you would see a post asking for help for a certain animal that needed a surgery, a group of animals that needed to get out of a bad situation, or a group selling fundraising items on the messageboard. If you are compelled to donate after reading one of these posts, check into the group further. If the group is a non-profit organization, check and see if they really have 501(c)3 status. If so, see if the email address or mailing address you are asked to donate to is the same as the address on the organization's website. If everything matches up, you are probably dealing with a legitimate organization that you can safely donate to. Often, many volunteers of the same organization will be on the message board. Other people on the board may have met these people at events or during animal transports. If the group you want to donate to is not a nonprofit organization, make sure that you have good evidence that they are real. In the case of a rescue, if they're nearby you can check out where they've done adoption events. If the group isn't close, see if other members on the message board have actually met anyone from the group. Be careful of people saying they met the person that is asking for donations however, because you never know if they're also in on the scam or if the scam artist created other identities.

On one animal rescue board, someone actually came on the board claiming that they were a rescue and needed monetary help and items sent. Usually, asking for items gives you a hint that they probably aren't in this for the money, but really need to get stuff to help their cause. However, this was not the case here. The scam artist asked for money and items to look more realistic. They also came up with several "friends" who knew them personally. Where they messed up, was with their animal rescue research. The story they told just didn't make sense. This person obviously knew next to nothing about medicine, yet they were claiming to have performed first aid and beyond for several animals, and gave time frames on how long things took. This made them look even worse, as on a board of animal rescuers, everyone there knew about giving subcutaneous fluids or the length of time needed to dose animals with topical anti-parasitic agents. The story can be a huge part of knowing a scammer. Only new people to the board thought that this scammer was really a rescuer. Others saw that the scammer's "friends" had only recently joined. No one had known about this rescue group previously, not even people who lived in the same city. Events the scam artist claimed to have been at, did not even exist.

Always check the facts before you donate. It's great to donate to an actual cause and I highly encourage it. But you don't want to "donate" to someone who is just scamming you out of your hard earned money. Make sure the organization is legitimate and that people have heard about this person (and preferably met them in person as well). Watch out for people with stories that just don't add up.

The Sad Story

Many of us have seen that sad story on a message board like Amy Witthohn described. Some people have a knack for tugging at your heart strings and they know it. When these people are scam artists, it can be dangerous. Especially when a member is on a message board for a considerable period of time, it can be difficult to discern the good from the scam artist. If someone is giving a sad story about how their children won't have Christmas presents and you are inclined to believe them, ask if you can send presents instead of money. If this person won't accept presents instead, it's likely that they are a scam artist. Again, it is a good idea to check and see if any members from that area have ever met this person. If no one has, be skeptical.

A lot of people vent their frustrations about bad experiences in life on message boards. Not everyone wants your money. Sometimes just lending an "ear" and giving some advice are really all that's required. Once I posted about a particularly bad time in my life on a message board that I had been on for nearly 7 years. Another poster that had been there as long as I had, offered to send me $100 to help me through. I appreciated the offer, but this member was on the other side of the country and I had never met them. While I believed they were really the nice person they seemed to be, I certainly would not have helped them out with money if they needed it. I felt it would be wrong to accept money in that situation. I explained to them that I did not know when I'd be able to pay them back and felt that it would be wrong to accept money from someone I had never met. They told me the offer still stood, but understood my reasoning on not taking the money. They ended up giving me advice instead to help me get through the tough time.

Be especially careful of any member that seems like they are nearly asking for money. Many sad stories are real, but if you must help, give items instead of money. Remember that in many cases, all that is really needed is someone to listen and maybe someone to give input and advice.

Not everything on a message board is a scam just because money is involved. But if you're giving your money to an individual, an organization, or the message board administrator, first make sure that you really know who the money is going to. If you can't determine whether or not something is a scam, don't give money.