First off I'm not writing this to pick on any platform. I'm writing this to bring aawareness. Anbody can be a scammer. They know how to convince you that they have a great offer for you. I have had people in the past reach out to me with job offers and ways to make money. The thing is, all of those were ways for them to make money and not me.
Just recently by way of notes, I have had a couple people start following me with a profile that states, they can teach me how to take x amount of money and turn it into X amount in a short time. Well, don't fall for it. I immediately checked their profile and found that they technically don't have one or did and was caught. These people who come to you with offers that sound spectacular are most of the time, Scammers.
Scammers are people who are only looking out for themselves and know how to make something sound good. They are taught how to talk you out of your money. You will not legitimately make that kind of money that they are talking about. The only way that you will make that money that they are talking about is by scamming people too.
In the past on another platform, I had someone tell me about a writing job that sounded good but it wasn't. They tried different ways through their words to get money out of me. One good thing was that if you don't have money to throw away, it's harder for them to get it. My warning to you is don't believe anyone who tries to get money from you in any form. The only person who needs to put money out before actually making any money right away is a person starting a physical business.
I do have to applaud the Substack crew for taking care of these scammers almost immediately. Thank you for being on top of it. This platform is a wonderful place for wonderful writers to write and caring readers to read. I would really hate it if it was taken over by a bunch of people who really don't care about us. Thank you Substack security.
Back to Scams. I also want to point out, that if you receive email, texts, or even phone calls where someone is stating that there is a problem with something don't believe it. For example, a text from some delivery service wanting you to click the link because there is a problem with the delivery of your package. Don't click on it. It's a scam and they might be able to get into your personal information through it.
You might have someone call you and tell you that your child or grandchild has been in an accident and need money. Don't believe them. I know someone who had that done to them. Funny thing was, she has no children. There are so many other scams out there too. Such as someone saying that your electricity or water will be turned off if you don't pay when you know that you have. If you are concerned about that, call your provider directly. Never give any information to someone who contacts you.
There have also been scammers who say they are from the social security office and need some information from you. Social Security will NEVER contact you. If you are ever concerned about anything you get in the mail, email, phone call, or text, contact them through the way you usually do. Let's say that you get a notice and it says to call this number or go to this site, make sure that it is the same as what you used before. If it isn't, contact them the way you usually do and ask them if they sent you anything.
In Conclusion
Always be aware of people or information that sounds to good to be true. Because in most cases, it usually is. Don't hand over money or personal information until you look into it thoroughly. Don't buy gift cards because someone said you can make more money by doing it for them. Don't open texts that you received from people you don't know.
With technology becoming more and more advanced, it is getting easier for scammers to find their prey. Protect yourself and don't put your entire self on all social media platforms. If you do because of business reasons, stay aware. Don't fall for the easy way when it comes to making money. And don't fall for people who seem too nice. If there is a way to report a scammer then do it. And warn your friends and family of someone or something you find suspicious.
Thank you for reading, take care, and God bless.
Substack is better at throwing the scamming bums out than other platforms. When I wrote for Medium, I kept wondering if the people who were subscribing for my pieces and following me were real or not. Definitely not so much here.