• Captain Aggravated@sh.itjust.works
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      18 hours ago

      I got you.

      The message you see in the original post is a rather persistent spam message unique to Lemmy as far as I can tell; has it appeared on other Fediverse platforms?

      I do not have proof of this but it strongly appears to be a pig butchering scam. This is a long-term confidence trick wherein the scammer never directly asks for/demands/extorts money from the mark, instead they pretend to be a friend or even romantic partner for a long period of time, building trust, until they mention making a lot of money in an investment, which the mark asks how they can invest too, and they are directed to a legit looking app or market, put in a bunch of money which they never see again.

      If you haven’t been on Lemmy long, you’ll probably get a DM from “Nicole” sooner or later. We’re kind of fond of her because our little platform has grown big enough to attract at least one scammer.

      • Cerborealis@lemm.ee
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        15 hours ago

        Thanks for the explanation! Also, this is the first time I’ve heard the term “pig butchering scam”, and it’s definitely a wild one.

        PS: I’m truly honored she found me on Day 3.

        • Captain Aggravated@sh.itjust.works
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          15 hours ago

          John Oliver did an episode of Last Week Tonight on pig butchering scams, it’s worth a watch. Glad I could be of help and welcome to the Fediverse.

      • AmbiguousProps@lemmy.today
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        16 hours ago

        I think it’s up for debate. Personally, I think “Nicole” doesn’t know that her webcam screenshots are being used for this, and it’s a harassment campaign against her.

        • Captain Aggravated@sh.itjust.works
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          16 hours ago

          Yeah I’m willing to bet the woman in the picture has no idea that we can call her the Fediverse Chick. I kinda wonder if she’s a Youtuber or Streamer or something and if this should be brought to her attention.