PayPal Donations for Humalog Insulin: The Snake Oil of Tumblr Scammers
Have you recently received an ask like this?
Do you recognize any of these profile pictures?
You have probably encountered a scam!
These scammers take random Palestine-related photos and photos of hijabi women to quickly curate their blogs into looking like real Palestinians. Their asks and pinned posts are nearly identical, with a few discrepancies between names used, exact amounts asked for, and the occasional false claim of being "vetted and verified." They nearly always have one original post (their pinned one with their PayPal link) while the rest of their blog are solely reblogs of other posts, mainly those popular within the Palestine-related tags.
They claim to be someone named "Wangila," with a linked PayPal belonging to Nafula Wangila...yet they were going by a different name not too long ago...
This post is from two days ago. I imagine they were asked why their PayPal name was different from the name they provided, so they just decided to start using the PayPal name instead.
As for that exact ask, here's several links from so many different accounts using a very similar ask.
Here is a list of usernames that used some iteration of this ask: futuristiclovernut, jollyduckdetective, mellowwerewolfblaze, enchantingtravelermentality, chiefarcadedreammer, sodelusiontyphoon, atomiccollectorrladdysblog, greatmagazinepeace, thoughtfulfestivallove, luckyprincessblog, androgynousrunawaytree, enchantingladyearthquaker, tenaciousbearcowboy and more!
(Tip: go to Google and search " "long shot call" tumblr" (with quotations around the "long shot call") and you'll find so many iterations of this)
Using many different accounts and using duplicate asks is a practice that many legitimate, vetted fundraisers use. But they don't change their name and link to a new PayPal account each time. Legitimate fundraisers will usually have two links tops (such as a GoFundMe and a PayPal alternative). They typically use a GoFundMe, but will occasionally use Go Get Funding or trackable PayPal fundraisers. Some have used untrackable donation pools as an alternative to GoFundMe, but that should not be trusted unless they've been vetted by a qualified vetter.
With that in mind, the "vetted and verified" business happening in a lot of these scam blogs' pinned posts is misleading. They don't provide any links to vetting proof or usernames of those who vetted them, or will make up nonexistent accounts as their source of "vetting." Do not assume a fundraiser is vetted just because the post says so. Find the original vetting source and link it. If it's a spreadsheet, find the exact row number. Always check the fundraiser link that was in the vetter's post/spreadsheet. (Don't let the nessmamomen situation repeat; vetted funds have been impersonated before, while linking a separate "fundrasier.") Do not take anyone else's word for it, including other people in the reblogs; chances are, they didn't check for a source either.
Not every unvetted fundraiser is a scam. In fact, on my mainblog @cluelessbot, I reblog a lot of unvetted fundrasiers under the condition that they don't have stolen images or text (checked through copy-pasting search and reverse image search) are using a trackable fundraising option (there is a fundraising title and info on the fundraising page, with a progress bar leading to a specific monetary goal in the thousands) and are fundraising to a reasonable goal according to their stated needs. A Palestinian asking for only a few hundred dollars is not reasonable. Even if they aren't trying to evacuate, the cost of goods in Gaza is so inflated that a few hundred dollars will not cover their needs. If they cannot afford insulin, they are likely struggling with other necessities like shelter, food, water, and hygiene products. $360 would work as a short-term goal, which vetted Gazan fundraisers will ask for within a certain timeframe, but it is such a low total amount compared to legitimate Gaza fundraisers.
Some of these names get used with other profile pictures of totally different people as well.
- Tasneem Doreen Rajaab gets changed to Tasneem Remmy Rajaab, and uses a photo of a totally different person.
- Zuhura Alfaat Kweyu also was also used in conjunction with a photo of an entirely different person.
Onto PayPal names; the PayPal accounts linked with these scams frequently have names that originate from Sub-Saharan African cultures. This tells us that this scam is likely being run by the same individual, or a small group of individuals who are using names they are most familiar with. Here are just a few examples:
This means that this person or small group of people has likely made so much money off this scam. I have seen some of these posts with notes in the thousands, meaning that they have, at the very least, collected hundreds of dollars that could have went to actual Gazan fundraisers. These people do not care. If you call them out, they block you. If their account gets deactivated by tumblr staff, they just make a new one. This is why you need to be thorough about every donation ask you receive. With the state of Gaza and the inflated costs of everything, including evacuation; these fundraisers, and in turn, the scammers, will not be stopping anytime soon.
If you're feeling overwhelmed:
- Accounts to follow for identifying scams: @idocumentscammers, @kyra45, @anonthescambuster, @azalea-alter
- Vetters to follow on tumblr: nabulsi, el-shab-hussein, 90-ghost, victoriawhimsey, moayesh, gaza-evacuation-funds, ibtisams
- Instagram-based vetters: Pali Pals, Operation Olive Branch, The Butterfly Effect Project, Bees & Watermelons
- Vetting spreadsheets: el-shab-hussein, nabulsi, & moayesh's spreadsheet; Operation Olive Branch, The Butterfly Effect, Bees & Watermelons
- Accounts that compile vetted & unvetted but likely legitimate fundraisers: my main blog @cluelessbot, schoolhater, ana-bananya, dlxxv-vetted-donations
And since I have decided to support this family until they reach their goals: Nesma Ahmed and her sisters Dr. Shahad and Farah are both vetted [1] [2] and are in need of support to continue their education, evacuate, and afford necessities. Please share their fundraisers [1] [2] donate if you are able, and join their Telegram support group if you're interested.
There are more resources, but I'm just going from memory. Please be resourceful. Stop sharing suspicious donation asks on the off-chance that it's real. If you don't want to take the time to inspect fundraisers, then stop sharing unvetted ones. I also advertise my DMs @cluelessbot as a safe place to ask about an account you're unsure about. Let's do better to support those in Palestine, and stop soliciting the people taking donations away from them.
Please share this post with anyone who has posted one of these scams.
