Community discussions

[davidjazz]

I have recently noticed a new type of scam appearing on these forums.

A new user posts a sympathetic reply to a question and offers a "solution" with link to click. The purple link is an innocuous sounding word like "app" or "application."

The link goes to a totally unrelated scam site. Beware!

[atc98092]

The moderators do a pretty good job of spotting those scam posts and removing them. But you can really assist them by clicking the three vertical dots to the right of the post title and select Report inappropriate content. Then just tell the moderators the post is spam and they'll be alerted to the post.

[Iona-D]

ATC98092's suggestion of notifying the forum's moderator via the 3 vertical dot option is an excellent way of dealing with these evil people.  Still, it's not the only way of stopping a scam. The basic key is self awareness.  And that means the original ALERT post being started in the first place & posted directly for all to see is the-to me at least-most effective way of all as people like to browse through the forum(s) and quickly detect sneaky potential new ways of parting innocent people from their money.

After all, no clicking/tapping, no scam taking place!

[atc98092]

Remember too that when you're using a computer (doesn't work on a tablet or phone browser) you can hover your mouse over the hyperlink and see the address down at the bottom of the browser window. While there are ways to hide that info, most scammers don't bother, so you can see where they are trying to get you to go. If the link isn't to another page here on the Roku forum, it's likely spam or worse Just don't click it. 😄

[mop_891]

While I agree don't just click on things. Some people, just click without checking. Also, spammers really rub me the wrong way, Trying to trick the unsuspecting. They are trying to make a buck through dishonest means.

[atc98092]

I'd also like to point out that this isn't a new form of a scam. These have been going on for years, both here and on other forums that I visit. I moderate several forums myself, and it's a constant battle to remove the posts and ban/report the user. Recently there has been an increase of scammers using an icloud email address, but that's something you as a general user can't see. 

[Strega]

These days, many of them make rather innocuous posts, and then come back days or weeks later and edit the spam links into them – hoping no one on the forum will notice them.  Those links are generally there for the search engines to pick up, because so many people just do an internet search to find a support number etc. 

Then there are tags – like the phone number tagged on to the top post in this thread.  So basically, anyone can add spam to any other post on this forum whenever they choose?

[davidjazz]

Oh, great. So by alerting folks to scams, I inadvertantly allowed a scammer to jump on my post! Sigh...

[thomasbully]

The moderator is doing pretty good his Job of course @davidjazz is a messenger to our community I think scam is everywhere in the world however MY EX Blocked I thought this a big scam to me JT kidding Buddies😎

[thomasbully]

Unfortunately, scammers can sometimes be present in online forums, just like they can be present in other online spaces. @davidjazz Be cautious: Be wary of unsolicited private messages or emails from other forum members, especially if they are asking for personal information or money. Research: If someone is offering a product or service, do some research to verify their legitimacy. Look for reviews, ratings, or other online references that can confirm their credibility. Check for Red Flags: Look for red flags such as poor grammar or spelling, promises of easy money, or requests for personal information. Report Scammers: If you encounter a scammer, report them to the forum moderators or administrators. This can help to protect other forum members from falling victim to the scam.