#I don't do charity posts for individuals who aren't mutuals

[pendragyn]

Hey, I know this is literally out of the blue but im asking for some emergency help for my cats current situation. Please boost/share it for us so that we could get some traction or it could reach more people. I understand if its not okay, so sorry for taking some of your time and I wish you to be safe and healthy, xx.(Please considering answering my ask privately or probably send me a msg! 😭🙏

look drcember, not to be mean but a blog that only came into existence 15 hours ago, reblogged a bunch of random fandom and cat stuff then suddenly has a cat emergency that needs a reblog and a private reply screams scam in every way conceivable.

But hey, you followed me 2 seconds before sending the message so kudos for trying to negate that massive red flag?

If by some miraculous chance you aren't a scammer then you should know this entire setup has ensured that everyone is going to assume that you are.

For folks new to tumblr, begging for help for a sick pet/family member is an unfortunately common scam that goes around frequently, and is why I don't reblog donation posts from randos. I highly recommend being exceedingly wary of anyone begging in your inbox.

Elodiunderglass and Vaspider have both done excellent posts on how to spot scams, but let me reiterate; there is no cat/dog/bird/sibling/child/parent/grandparent/etc, especially if;

🚩 Their blog only just popped into existence in the past few days - so no way to know what kind of person they are or if they even have the thing they're claiming they need money to save.

🚩 They don't or just started following you - meaning they found your name randomly and just decided to message you out of the blue. Why? Well, have you donated or reblogged a charity post? Did something you post go viral? Are you a mutual with people who go viral on a regular basis?

🚩 They ask for a private response to their message, but want you to publicly reblog their charity posts. This gives them and the post an air of legitimacy, that you found the post on your own (meaning you follow them) and decided it was valid enough to pass on to your followers.

Inconsistencies in their stories/posts might be minor but are huge red flags. A few examples: 🚩 being very vague about the issue but insisting it is an urgent emergency, 🚩 not using the name of the pet/person in the post, 🚩 they'll say you can send money directly to the caregivers but then only give you their personal donation links, 🚩 not having any mention of the creature/issue on their blog before the sudden need for a large sum of money.

and recognize that they have probably sent this same message to a ton of other random, viral/charity post people at the same time. 🚩🚩🚩

It's okay to be wary and not engage with those you feel are trying to scam you. If you're really worried, reverse image search the "proof" and the paypal/cashapp links. Are there other posts on other blogs with the same links but different names/causes? Are there posts on other sites about the issue but with completely different links? All confirmations of scamming.

Even if there's nothing concrete, you're still allowed to say no. Even if it's a real need! You are not obligated to donate to random strangers on the internet, please don't let anyone convince you that you are.

Save your time and money by being generous with your friends and family and local causes, or actual charities like food banks, doctors without borders, local shelters, etc.

[myfandomrealitea]

Okay so I have to say this because I just saw the most ridiculous ridiculous statement anyone has ever had the audacity to put on my dashboard:

"You're the moral evil and part of the problem if you spend your disposable income on fanfiction instead of giving it to people in need."

This is the literal ideology of the billionaires and boomers who tell you to stop buying Starbucks if you want to afford a house.

If I earned this income by spending 40+ hours of my week at a job, earning money to afford basic survival, I'm the only one who gets to dictate what happens to the little I have that doesn't determine whether I eat tonight or not.

My brother in christ, half the time those fanfiction authors are the people in need. There's not a day that goes by that I don't see some form of 'I need financial aid so I'm offering commissions' posts. Fanfiction authors aren't just rich trust fund teens lounging at home with nothing better to do. I paid part of my dog's vet bills with commission money.

You are making a huge assumption about someone(s) you know literally nothing about. Likewise, you're acting as if financial aid is the absolute of all charity. You're condemning a complete stranger online with no insight into what charitable efforts they may be making regardless of if they do or do not pay $2 towards someone's rent or surgery. They could be doing volunteer work. Housing in-need relatives. Feeding stray animals. Creating or curating resources for people both tangible and online. They could be working in aid or relief. And you're really going to tell them they're reprehensible because they spent money on something that they enjoy? When paying for fanfiction is no different to buying a book in a store?

Again: Paying for fanfiction is no different to buying a book in a store. You're paying for words/a story written by someone else. Their time, effort and skill. You ae paying for a product/service. In the case of AO3, you are paying for a safe, regulated, convenient platform in order to access said skills and efforts. The way you'd pay for a library card or an Audible subscription.

In a lot of cases the people responsible for statements like this are either the people who think mural crusading and justice touting online is a form of activism, or they're people who's own aid requests haven't met expectations and are thus resentful of income they feel they are entitled to by default of need.

While the latter is, to an extend, understandable it is still neither morally superior nor 'right' to condemn people for spending their own money in ways which harm nobody and benefit both parties. Someone spending their money on fanfiction, mutual benefit aside, is no different to someone buying a Funko Pop or a candy bar or a collectible shoe.

Fanfiction and people paying for it are not the issue. They are not the magical solve-all of poverty. Just like people not buying a $6 coffee won't solve their inability to qualify for a mortgage or first-buyer's scheme. You are assigning blame to the individual instead of the authoritative persons who are responsible. Attempting to use a moral compass as a means to guilt-trip or harass people into funding you is no less than bullying. It is immoral in and of itself.

To ensure you fully understand how ridiculous you sound, I challenge you, the maker of these statements, to go into town and tell the people buying coffee, cigarettes, books, snack foods, makeup, ect that they are the scum of the earth for not instead donating that sum.