Misinformation, Scams, and help Fri Feb 25 2022 It's a scary time right now, misinformation is rampant. Be cautious, you may unwittingly spread it to those who trust you. Scams are part of the game too. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Misinformation, Scams, and help =============================== Published Feb 24, 2022 - 9 min read /-------- Table of contents --------\ | Table of contents | | * Misinformation, Scams, and help | | * Scams | | * Where can you help? | \-----------------------------------/ /[cendyne: glassy-tears]-------------------------------------------------------\ | I won't be writing about the literal death and destruction happening in | | Ukraine in this article. It has rattled me so thoroughly that I had to take | | time off because of it. This will be a different type of article. | \------------------------------------------------------------------------------/ /-----------------------------------------------------------[cendyne: facepalm]\ | Today I saw misinformation propagate before my eyes. I saw someone | | unwittingly share junk to emotionally move their peers (which included me). | \------------------------------------------------------------------------------/ > Misinformation: false or inaccurate information, especially that which is > deliberately intended to deceive. /[cendyne: frustration]--------------------------------------------------------\ | They (I'll call them Jay) shared an obviously fake id with some text added. | | Jay posted this with no comment of their own, no context, they did not even | | defend what they shared. | \------------------------------------------------------------------------------/ [I1: Fake male id] /--------------------------------------------------------------[cendyne: doubt]\ | I doubt that Jay who shared did any diligence on this image. To me, it looks | | like something posted on an image board like 4chan. The document number is | | 000000000. This alone should be a clear sign that it is an example image. | | Also an ID without a shirt on??? And how exactly does some random ID with a | | person I don't know legitimize a claim? Is someone there pilfering wallets | | and scanning them for who died in action? There are so many questions people | | will leap over and never ask before sharing something. | \------------------------------------------------------------------------------/ [I2: Fake female id] /---------------------------------------------------------[cendyne: laser-eyes]\ | Another peer quickly chastised Jay for sharing something so obviously fake. | | > Oh look what I found on Wikipedia. Toootally not the base for this | | > picture. | | | | But there's more to it that wasn't analyzed. The text commentary in the | | image states something as fact without any means to authenticate it. | \------------------------------------------------------------------------------/ > ID of fallen Azov leader who was KIA by Russian "peacekeeping forces" earlier > today in Luhansk /[cendyne: think]--------------------------------------------------------------\ | I doubt Jay or others on twitter who claim to be of Ukraine [L1] even looked | | up what Azov [L2] is. While the Azov Battalion appears to be a real thing | | with a history (on wikipedia) going back to 2017 (I did not look further) | | referencing neo-nazism, this specific detail looks like a hook to someone | | interested and ignorant. | \------------------------------------------------------------------------------/ [I3: Russia's president says he wants the "de-Nazification" of Ukraine.] /---------------------------------------------------------------[cendyne: math]\ | I think anyone seeing what the Azov Battalion [L2] is and hearing one of | | many claims from the Russian president would then activate and share future | | information with a far more Russian-friendly perspective. | \------------------------------------------------------------------------------/ /[cendyne: hiss]---------------------------------------------------------------\ | For the record: I am against nazis, fascism, discrimination, oppression, | | anything that places someone above or below another. | \------------------------------------------------------------------------------/ /----------------------------------------------------------------[cendyne: sad]\ | I'm not there. I don't know the names of things in government, the military, | | the culture of Ukraine. I do not have the means to effectively sort between | | truth and untruth. | \------------------------------------------------------------------------------/ /[cendyne: nightmare]----------------------------------------------------------\ | The images and videos of explosions and car alarms blaring, the sight of | | destruction, the sonic whistle of missiles flying over... it is all so | | incredibly scary and unsettling. | \------------------------------------------------------------------------------/ [I4: Ukraine team is strong] /----------------------------------------------------------------[cendyne: hug]\ | But I do know and work with people there. I have met some of them face to | | face before the pandemic. These team members I know by name, I see their | | faces on zoom, I have even interviewed and hired a few of them. They are | | more authentic to me than Twitter. | \------------------------------------------------------------------------------/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /[cendyne: guess-i-will-die]---------------------------------------------------\ | But back to misinformation: | | It doesn't just come from other countries trying to trick you. It comes from | | people you think should have integrity. | | | | It is up to you to evaluate what you see and to think about what you | | believe. | \------------------------------------------------------------------------------/ [I5: Dean Browning posts as another race] Archived tweet [L3] /-------------------------------------------------------------[cendyne: who-me]\ | Who are you going to trust, some snake character on the internet? I hope to | | at least instill some caution into figuring out what is right and wrong. | \------------------------------------------------------------------------------/ /------------------------------------------------------------------------------\ | baines0 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Youtube Video [L4] | | Lies on the Internet [L5] 1/9/2023 | \------------------------------------------------------------------------------/ Scams ----- /[cendyne: glassy-eyed]--------------------------------------------------------\ | This is a really vulnerable and sensitive moment for everybody. I had to | | take today off because of the stress and worry I experienced. | \------------------------------------------------------------------------------/ /----------------------------------------------------------------[cendyne: hmm]\ | People will take advantage of this moment, advantage of you. They will share | | convenient links to paypal saying they need help. You'll feel better if you | | think you helped someone in need, right? And if they show shocking imagery, | | that'll motivate you more.. right? This can't happen! You will emotionally | | react. You will fall victim to a scam. | \------------------------------------------------------------------------------/ [I6: Paypal Scam] Content warning: includes a human corpse Archived Tweet [L6] Content warning: includes a human corpse [I7: Paypal Not Available in Ukraine] Archived Tweet [L7] /[cendyne: nervous]------------------------------------------------------------\ | But those who are in desperate need are focused on what's in front of them. | | Seeking shelter, food, water, or for some even weapons to defend themselves | | and their country. That's not something you can help with from an armchair. | \------------------------------------------------------------------------------/ /----------------------------------------------------------[cendyne: questions]\ | The weirdest one I've seen so far is a patreon which has since been taken | | down... where subscription levels are weapon icons. Do you have any idea how | | slow your money will get to someone through a content subscription platform? | \------------------------------------------------------------------------------/ [I8: Patreon for war assets] Archived tweet [L8] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /[cendyne: concern]------------------------------------------------------------\ | Outside of the current crisis... Anyone vulnerable, distressed, and a target | | will be hit with scams. | \------------------------------------------------------------------------------/ [I9: Someone prone to scams] Archived tweet [L9] /--------------------------------------------------[cendyne: peeking-from-door]\ | We can point and laugh at those who do, but I do not think this is | | productive. You will be vulnerable, distressed, and a target all at once | | sometimes in your life. You are the only one who can protect yourself from | | scammers. | \------------------------------------------------------------------------------/ Where can you help? ------------------- /[cendyne: confused]-----------------------------------------------------------\ | Where can you really go if you want to help? There are established charity | | organizations you can send to. | \------------------------------------------------------------------------------/ /-------------------------------------------------------------[cendyne: laptop]\ | Some organizations like 11 bit studios (based in Warsaw, Poland, a neighbor | | to Ukraine) will be donating all profits they make to charity. This is a | | positive move to make, I think some good will come out of it. Also, this | | announcement got them in the news so it uplifted their publicity. But also | | their stock is down 8% over the last month. Could that have motivated them | | to be generous? | \------------------------------------------------------------------------------/ [I10: 11 Bit Studios Tweet] Archived tweet [L10] /[cendyne: humph]--------------------------------------------------------------\ | However, that is profits, not revenue. Anywhere from 1% to 50% (completely | | made up numbers) of your money ends up to charity. Your money will be more | | effective going directly to a charity organization rather than what's | | skimmed off top from a game company. | \------------------------------------------------------------------------------/ [I11: Red Cross Tweet] Archived tweet [L11] /---------------------------------------------------------------[cendyne: this]\ | It doesn't load very fast, but there is a Red Cross [L12] for Ukraine and | | their official donate link is is hosted by The International Federation of | | Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) [L13]. | \------------------------------------------------------------------------------/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /[cendyne: heart]--------------------------------------------------------------\ | For those enduring the ongoing crisis, you have my best wishes. I hope you | | can live and love one another and find comfort with family and friends soon. | \------------------------------------------------------------------------------/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [L1]: https://archive.ph/Bxb7X [L2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azov_Battalion [L3]: https://archive.ph/5jZwy [L4]: https://youtu.be/YWdD206eSv0 [L5]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWdD206eSv0 [L6]: https://archive.ph/MVwn9 [L7]: https://archive.ph/TudwF [L8]: https://archive.ph/hOAFX [L9]: https://archive.ph/zsWtX [L10]: https://archive.ph/mlycV [L11]: https://archive.ph/MtCqs [L12]: https://redcross.org.ua/donate/ [L13]: https://donate.redcrossredcrescent.org/ua/donate/~my-donation?_cv=1 [I1]: https://c.cdyn.dev/8LQGndlo [I2]: https://c.cdyn.dev/k4irOdBr [I3]: https://c.cdyn.dev/q_nWwHN- [I4]: https://c.cdyn.dev/W3un3Bc0