Some new kind of scam? It’s giving scam but I also don’t really understand how it’s a scam?? but it’s 100% a scam yeah?

This is happening to multiple people, truly a new low.

PSA: This is an ongoing potential scam.

The JasmineLucas325 account, as well as several others, are suspected of belonging to a ring of sockpuppets/bot farm run by a person who is trying to make money via shady commissions.

They appear to target fic writers on both AO3 and ff.net (and potentially other sites as well) as well as d&d players, probably due to the fact that they're more likely to want to commission specific character art instead of just AI generating it themselves.

Their messages usually contain something along the lines of praising the writing, saying how they'd love to bring your characters to life and an offer to chat about that, with various socials attached. "Jasmine" in particular has been caught messaging several people, all with the same wording, only the fic title swapped out. And yes, unlike the comment bot situations we had previously, these are actual accounts, which is why we suspect there's a person somewhere behind it. All of these accounts were created recently.

As was uncovered by people investigating this situation who contacted the person behind this, the commission prices are inflated and they are suspected of generative AI use and/or art theft. There are also other red flags such as refusing to share sketches, timelapses or WIP shots - which are part of standard vetting procedure.

~

(Brief) Twitter thread calling out another one of these accounts and sharing DMs between the suspected scammer and a customer: Here

~

If you have received any messages like this, from JasmineLucas325 or other similar accounts, feel free to let me know. We're investigating several accounts and trying to find as many as we can to warn people.

Thank you and stay safe online!

Yeah, I got this one yesterday as well.

I've been getting bunches of these too, all so far on my FFN account. I've gotten multiple reviews (all from different accounts but formatted basically the same) but I have gotten probably 20-30 PMs through my FFN account like this. They seem to follow the formula of FirstnameLastnameNumber in most cases it seems. I was pretty sure it was some sort of scam going around but good to see it confirmed.

I got one, too. It was hilarious really, because it was a comment on my VIDEOS at ao3. Yep, written well indeed. Blocked that account.

Signal boosting because this happened to me as well.

Using the name Kaylani Kin currently, but it looks like they've already been reported to AO3

yeah maybe just avoid all food with chicken in it in the united states for a bit...just until they figure out all of who is in possession of the listeria chicken (also includes a lesser amount of beef and maybe other meat)

if you saw the chicken get slaughtered yourself, or you know for a fact that the food you are eating contains no ingredients from brucepac, then you should be safe from the brucepac recall. but this recall is millions of pounds larger than the boar's head recall that shut down delis across the country.

the origin of the ingredients in food are not listed on the package or on the websites of most institutions in the case of restaurants and industrial food type places. the united states government does not even have a complete list yet, apparently. whether or not food contains ingredients from brucepac is almost impossible for a consumer to know.

if you do call or email to ask, you want to ask, "where do you source your chicken/meat/etc?" or "do you source any meat or poultry ingredients from brucepac?" and go from there.

consumer brands that have at least one item involved in the recall (so far, the recall list is updating daily, consider this list incomplete):

trader joe's, good and gather, boston market, atkins, dole, marketside, red's, little salad bar, fresh express, HEB, whitsons culinary group, rao's, michael angelo's, el monterey, fusia, trader ming's, amazon fresh, meijer, giant eagle, kroger, signature select, taylor farms, raley's, michelina's, eat!, garden choice, jenny craig, great value, udi's, wegmans, 7-eleven, freshly made, a bunch of generic brands, ready meals, amazon kitchen, home chef, racetrack, save mart, bistro 28, and don pancho.

most of the recalled items are ready made foods like salads, chicken tikka masala, chicken and rice, chicken fajita, chicken piccata, chicken fried rice, pasta, pasta salads, chicken lo mein, chicken alfredo, meal kits, pasta bowls, quesadillas, burrito bowls, burritos, tacos, enchiladas, taquitos, wraps, and frozen dinners that you just heat up. refrigerated and frozen foods.

and this is in addition to a TON of bulk food that is in the freezers of restaurants and food industry type places, and ingredients that are used in generic ready made foods across the country.

the recall list is incomplete. all of the listeria meat has not been located, identified, or removed from circulation yet. although a hefty chunk of the recall involves salads that have gone bad by now, many of the recalled items have best by dates into 2025 and 2026.

USDA/FSIS recall link (most recalled food listed here)

FDA recall link (just a few of them are listed here)

My friends who have never experienced flooding, and who are about to deal with it from this storm, please remember:

1. NO. YOU CANNOT MAKE IT THROUGH THAT WATER ON THE ROAD. I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU'RE DRIVING. TURN. AROUND.

2. DO NOT GO WADING THROUGH THE WATER. EVEN IF YOU JUST WANT TO SEE HOW DEEP IT IS. THAT. WATER. IS. CONTAMINATED.

3. IT IS CALLED FLASH FLOODING FOR A REASON. THE WATER RISES AND SURGES IN A FLASH. STAY. HOME.

4. If you're at risk of flooding, raise up any of your belongings now. Put the legs of tall things in buckets. Know where your important documents are.

5. Stay safe.

hurricane helene is being described as catastrophic and deadly. it is rapidly intensifying and expected to have major, widespread, life-threatening effects across the southeastern and eastern united states. it is expected to make landfall as a category 4.

if you live anywhere near this storm's path, take it VERY seriously.

make a plan, follow that plan, stay safe, stay alive. check on those around you. make sure you have some way to get weather alerts if your power goes out.

DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE TO GET TO SAFETY!

The NWS did actually describe the storm surge in some coastal areas as "unsurvivable 20 foot storm surge",

NWS Atlanta just put out a forecast of 75-80mph winds in the metro area.

This would be like a "destructive" tagged severe thunderstorm that lasts for several hours. Destructive tagged severe thunderstorms are very dangerous.

UNSURVIVABLE

I am reblogging this again this morning with some additions before I head into work;

The 20 foot storm surge is just the base of what is expected. This does not include waves made with winds that will cause it to get higher at points.

(Previous tweet is Dr Reed timmer, a PhD of meteorology and expert storm chaser who drives into tornadoes)

Some reports have stated there will be possible storm surge miles inland.

The cone forecast for hurricanes is for the eye of the storm. This includes the very outside of those cone models, meaning that the ENTIRE REST OF THE STORM could reach a lot further than that forecasted model states.

The outer bands are no joke- north Carolina, which is several states north of where Helene is expected to make landfall (which ONLY means the eye hitting land, not the rest of it), was having tornado after tornado last night with a few actually confirmed on the ground causing damage. I want you to think about that.

Also, the western edges of Appalachia were suffering intense flooding already from this storm, and there is a very high flood risk expected in the Atlanta metro on top of everything else- this storm is going to be dumping buckets of rain on everyone and everything.

Indianapolis, in central Indiana, just put out a statement that they are in a marginal risk of flooding from this storm system this weekend. I want you to think about that- this is a city a few hours drive from Chicago and Detroit, northern great lake cities. And they are expecting a possibility of flooding from this.

Florida is in my thoughts today

Keep axes in your attics

Since someone already asked:

Keeping an axe in your attic is for when the water rises and you can no longer leave through doorways on lower levels. Lots of people end up trapped or drowning in their attics when flood water rises. The axe is for when you have to make your own exit onto the roof or another structure.

Stay safe everyone 🖤

Life threatening flash flooding is also possible in:

Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, eastern Tennessee, southwest Virginia and southern West Virginia

75% of all hurricane deaths are related to water, either from storm surge or flash flooding

Water rescues are already occurring in Florida as of 12:12AM September 27th

Over 30 flash flood warnings confirmed

can they make a being hydrated that doesn't have you pissing at emergency levels every 34 minutes

Just a note that actually salt intake is just as important for hydration. Salt is what allows you to retain water, and the more water you drink daily the more sodium gets washed out of your system. If you are drinking and drinking and just pissing it out you need to eat more salt. If your mouth is dry no matter how much you drink then you are actually low on sodium and you need to eat something salty right now.

Trans girls on hormones- this is even MORE true for you if you're on blockers. Spiro's a diuretic, and you will retain less water and sodium as a result. This is why you're craving pickles and salt and vinegar chips and such.

my summertime beloveds

GIRLS ON SPIRO WATCH THAT POTASSIUM INTAKE NOW MORE THAN EVER, that shit is a potassium sparing diuretic

There's a post going around Tumblr about how if you're post-menopausal and have bleeding, you should get it checked by your doctor. I brought some minor bleeding I'd had up in a doctor visit earlier this year, prompted by that post, and this week, after a biopsy, I found out I have cancer. It's early stage and the survival odds at 5 years are 99%. I have an oncologist appointment and we may have caught it early enough that surgery alone will be sufficient treatment (no radiation/chemo).

So that post may have saved my life and it may have made my treatment a lot easier too.

If you get into menopause and then start bleeding again, really, get your reproductive innards checked out. The life you save may be your own.

Some more advice to the students ❤️🇵🇸

IMPORTANT REMINDER TO MY EUROPEAN FOLLOWERS AND OTHER TUMBLR DENIZENS FROM AN AMERICAN DESERT-DWELLER:

Climate change is a bitch and summer is coming. If you don’t already have an air conditioner and/or fans, NOW is the time to get them.

THINGS YOU SHOULD BE SHOPPING FOR NOW:

—clothes made of cotton or linen

—air conditioner

—fans

—frozen meals that can be cooked in the microwave

—potable bottled water; you want five days’ worth per person and pet in your household

—bottled fruit juices; it does not matter if these are sugar-added because you’ll want the electrolytes

—electrolyte drinks

—electrolyte pills (you can get these online, I get mine from Amazon)

—popsicle molds to use with fruit and juice

—ice cube trays

—nonperishable salty snacks like peanuts

—one charger brick per adult in case of rolling blackouts or power outages; charge these at the beginning of May, and drain them via use once a month if they’re not needed

YOUR TO-DO LIST:

—check your home’s HVAC system if you didn’t do it at the beginning of winter. Make sure all the filters are clean and replace them if needed

—check the seals on your sinks and bathtub in case you have to run water to handle shortages

—make and freeze meals you can cook in the microwave or simply defrost. Remember to select light summer fare, not hearty winter soups and gravies

—purchase and freeze lunch meats and cheeses you can defrost and use this summer for sandwiches when it’s hot

—assemble your check-in list: elderly, pregnant, disabled, and immunocompromised friends and relatives who may struggle to get things they need when the heat wave hits. Have this list posted and ready to go through daily once the heat gets high. DON’T JUST ASSUME YOU WILL REMEMBER. WRITE IT ALL DOWN.

—create a list of emergency contacts in case of fire, heat stroke, and other heat-related emergencies. This should include your local version of 911 (I think in most of Europe it’s 112, but don’t rely on me as an American, LOOK IT UP NOW before you need it), your doctor’s phone number, and two emergency contacts. Keep it in a place where it can be easily found if someone needs to make these calls on your behalf.

—ask your doctor for an additional prescription for any medications you take, and fill it now. Extreme heat can cause disruptions in the supply chain. Make sure you cycle these meds; that’s to say, always use your oldest bottle first so you don’t end up with expired meds in an emergency.

—stock your first-aid kit. If you don’t have one, now is a good time to make one.

—if you own a car, get your yearly maintenance done now. You don’t want to be dealing with an inoperable vehicle if you need to evacuate.

Staying safe this summer starts now. Get your prep done.

If you don't have central air, but have a window unit, there's still a filter that you should be cleaning. Clean filters mean more effective A/C that doesn't burn out.

As an Asian in SEA, the weather is the craziest it has ever been and the change is insane. Please remember to:

- service your ACs; get the gases pumped and the motors cleaned

- clean your fans. They work better when they're clean

- idk bout other places but it gets hella humid here so have dehumidifiers around your house

- try to get stuff done in the hours when the sun isn't at its hottest and stay in the shade whenever possible

- watch out for the elderly, the young, the ill. In events of overheating, pop an ice cube on the wrists or groin area to cool down

- keep your pets cool as best you can. An ice mat or a frozen bottle of water seems to do the trick with my fur kids

@minors be vicious & unforgiving in whom you cut contact with online!!! do it relentlessly!!! you shouldn’t have a 30 year old hounding you on why you unfollowed them, you aren’t obligated to “"keep up”“ with people 2x 3x your own age!!!! if u see something resembling a red flag, welcome the block button’s presence!! protect your peace!

if you’re a baby gay and this is your first pride, watch your drinks! men are trash across all sexualities

I know boys don’t get these talks so let me clarify:

This doesn’t just mean alcohol

Don’t accept any open drinks

After you get your unopened drink, you keep it in your site

You have to go to the bathroom so you leave your drink on a table? That drink is now dead to you.

You’ve been holding your drink way low out of your eyesight and people are crowding? That drink is now suspect.

Stay safe, babies

Also: Rohypnol (a date rape drug) tastes VERY SALTY. If your drink is suddenly salty, STOP DRINKING IMMEDIATELY. 

Buddy system, y'all. If your friend is acting *way* drunker than they should, take them to an Urgent Care or ER. Date rape drugs can kill you.

always rb

Keep safe, everyone

NOTE: This blog will be going into breaking weather news coverage on Wednesday, due to the massive winter storm slated to hit the Eastern coast of the United States.

Unforgiving cold has punished the eastern third of the United States for the past 10 days. But the most severe winter weather yet will assault the area late this week.

First, a monster storm will hammer coastal locations from Georgia to Maine with ice and snow. By Thursday, the exploding storm will, in many ways, resemble a winter hurricane, battering easternmost New England with potentially damaging winds in addition to blinding snow.

Forecasters are expecting the storm to become a so-called “bomb cyclone” because its pressure is predicted to fall so fast, an indicator of explosive strengthening. The storm could rank as the most intense over the waters east of New England in decades at this time of year. While blizzard conditions could paste some coastal areas, the most extreme conditions will remain well out over the ocean.

In the storm’s wake, the mother lode of numbing cold will crash south — likely the last but most bitter in brutal blasts since Christmas Eve.

The storm: How much snow and wind, and where

The responsible storm is forecast to begin taking shape off the coast of Florida Wednesday, unloading hazardous snow and ice in highly unusual locations not accustomed to such weather. The National Weather Service has already posted winter storm watches from Lake City, Fla. to Norfolk

It is then expected to rapidly intensify, buffeting the Mid-Atlantic beaches and eastern New England, where winter storm watches have also been issued.

The National Weather Service office serving northeast Florida and southeast Georgia cautions that a nasty mix of light freezing rain, light sleet and light snow is expected to develop Wednesday “with significant icing possible.”

In Charleston, one to three inches of snow and sleet is forecast Wednesday, where the Weather Service warns to “plan on difficult travel conditions.”

From Norfolk to the Maryland and Delaware beaches, including much of the southern half of the Delmarva Peninsula, 3 to 6 inches of heavy snow are predicted from Wednesday evening to Thursday afternoon.

Farther inland in the Mid-Atlantic, near Interstate 95, the storm’s exact track will be highly consequential. Current computer models suggest most, if not all, snowfall will occur east of Washington and Baltimore on Wednesday night into early Thursday. But small shifts to the west could bring some snow to these cities.

To the north, Philadelphia and New York have a better chance for a coating of snow, but  — unless the storm edges closer to the coast — the more significant snow should remain to their east from Atlantic City to eastern Long Island, where at least four to six inches could fall late Wednesday to late Thursday.

By the time the storm reaches the ocean waters east of Long Island and eastern New England on Thursday, it will be explosively intensifying. The storm’s central pressure will have fallen 53 millibars in just 24 hours — an astonishing rate of intensification.

“Some computer models are projecting a minimum central air pressure of below 950 millibars at its peak, which would be nearly unheard of for this part of the world outside of a hurricane,” wrote Mashable’s Andrew Freedman. “For comparison, Hurricane Sandy had a minimum central pressure of about 946 millibars when it made its left hook into New Jersey in 2012.”

Winds will crank in response to this pressure drop, howling to at least 30 to 50 mph along the coast. Winds will be considerably stronger over the ocean — exceeding hurricane force — where enormous waves will form.

In Boston, the Weather Service is predicting not only four to seven inches of snow but also winds strong enough to bring down branches. Throughout eastern Massachusetts and eastern Maine, the combination of wind and snow could create blizzard conditions, especially if the storm wobbles west.

“Our biggest concern is the potential for damaging wind gusts especially near the southeast New England coast,” the Weather Service tweeted. “Power outage risk followed by arctic air Fri/Sat a big concern!”

The cold in its wake: record-breaking

The storm’s enormous circulation will help draw several lobes of the polar vortex, the zone of frigid air encircling the North Pole, over the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast by Friday and Saturday. Wicked cold air sourced from Siberia, the North Pole and Greenland will all converge on the region.

Temperatures are forecast to be 20 to 40 degrees below normal, the coldest of the winter so far.

Most locations in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast are predicted to set records for cold temperatures on Friday with highs in the single digits and teens.

On Saturday morning, subzero cold is forecast over almost all of New England, with single digits in the Mid-Atlantic.

Winds, gusting to 30 mph, will make these areas feel 10 to 20 degrees colder.

Finally, after one of the most intense cold spells of such duration on record in parts of New England — including Boston, temperatures are forecast to gradually thaw by early next week.

Reblogging this largely as a signal boost for anyone in these areas that might not know about it yet. Obviously everyone will need to make sure they have backup plans for their own safety, but if you have warm-temp pets, please make sure you have emergency plans in place! Stock up on handwarmers, get insulation like car reflectors and/or styrofoam panels, etc. Even if you don’t expect to lose power, the temperatures being so low could still make it more difficult to keep cages to the normal temps, so keep that in mind.

Lmao well then im royally screwed. I work in an emergency supply store. We dont close for shit 😂😂👍

Oh gosh, no - my mother is leaving for Sweden on Monday… Oh no

Reblogging for family!!! Also if you live near a Spencers, people never seem to think to raid them for batteries!!!

If you are evacuating in LA due to the wildfires, Lyft is offering free rides if you type in the code LASAFERIDES.

I typed in the code myself and it’s valid until December 7th at 11:59. Don’t forget that a lot of people don’t own a car, so this information is vital to someone’s safety.

Confirmed, this is real: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/lyft-offers-free-rides-to-evacuees-of-southern-california-fires/

Stay safe everyone!

here’s a thing that i don’t think american kids are told often enough:

STAY AWAY FROM FOR-PROFIT COLLEGES.

ITT tech, virginia colleges, bryant and stratton, the art institutes, university of phoenix, everest, devry, etc - do NOT attend these places. do not give them your money - and it will be a lot of money. They are all, to a one, scams.

For-profit colleges prey on minority, low-income, military, nontraditional, and chronically underemployed students by promising them a quick path to a career. They are lying. They often do not allow the transfer of credits to and from, and many are either unaccredited or accredited by suspect accreditors. They rely on their students to take out massive federal student loan debt. They line their pockets with money from the government and then burden their graduates with tens of thousands of dollars of debt for inadequate education and degrees that aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on.

If you’re a non-traditional student looking for a degree, don’t go to a for-profit. Find a community college in your area instead. most ccs have more flexible class times for especially vocational/technical certifications and quite a few offer online-only or hybrid degrees. Hell, if you’re a non-trad student and you have a GED and some spare cash, try studying for a few months and then taking the SATs/ACT and trying for a four-year straight out (that’s what I did). Or get an AA and then do a four-year. Or look for a technical/adult education program sponsored by a local community college or school district. Just please, please, please, don’t go to a for-profit college. They will ruin your credit rating, your finances, and your job prospects.

this post was probably inspired by it but itt tech is almost certainly going into bankruptcy and closing probably asap which heralds the death knell of other for-profit colleges  since the us government is finally cutting off their financial assistance for students

Education Management Corporation is a massive offender, keep an eye out for them as well as Dream Center-owned schools (Art Institutes, etc.)

important!!

This is happening. (BBC link.)

And the inciting incident? There was a concert in Cairo by the Lebanese band Mashrou’ Leila (whose lead singer Hamed Sinno is openly gay and an advocate of LGBTQ rights) where someone waved a rainbow flag.

The Egyptian government has made as of October 3rd 22 arrests according to the BBC and 33 arrests according to the Independent (both also linked above). Both articles as well as the facebook statement made to the Mashrou’ Leila facebook page made reference to “anal examinations” (which the facebook post correctly calls out as rape), and that some of those arrested are minors, as well as the aforementioned Grindr stalking.

Not only has the Egyptian government used this tactic before (from 2016 and from 2014), but it’s the same tactic that has been used in Chechnya earlier this year (and possibly continues to be used; news coming out of Chechnya is rare in the best of times).

While both the BBC and Independent articles endeavor to state that in Egypt homosexuality is not technically illegal, the Egyptian government’s use of laws against “debauchery” and “blasphemy” makes clear that that’s just a pretext and a smokescreen.

This comes on the heels of the US ambassador to the UN Nikki Harley (a Trump appointee) voting “No” on a United Nations condemnation of the death penalty for LGBTQ people.

If there were ever a time to hold our elected officials accountable and demand for an end to the oppression of our LGBTQ Muslim siblings, it’d be now.

Timestamp: October 3rd, 2017, 17:20 EST.

I walked to a deli and got a sandwich to go and a coffee and while I was waiting these two teenage girls ran up and were like OH MY GOD JESSICA HOW ARE YOU and then hugged me and the one whispered “that guy was following you and taking pictures of you” and then they walked home with me and that one guy stopped following me and hONESTLY THIS IS WHAT I AM HERE FOR

Y'all I was at the river just hanging with my friend and these two high school girls run up to us and say “Can you pretend to be our friends? Cause this guy has been following us,” and we sat with them and they called their parents to pick them up and I really want to share that story cause it’s SO SMART and when you’re in crisis your mind can just blank in panic so I want everyone to have that story in the back of their heads. NEVER be afraid to ask strangers for protection!

Once in like ninth grade, I was at Starbucks by myself doing homework and this weirdo came and sat at my table and was telling me how he was a photographer and how he was “scouting” for models and he really liked my “look” and he was trying to ask my name and how old I was and I was panicking bc I didn’t know what to do Then this middle aged woman came up to us and was like “EMILY there you are sweetie I was looking for you it’s time to go home!” and the guy left really awkwardly and then she told me that she had a daughter my age and asked if I told him my name and I said no and she told me to be safe Keep an eye out. Protect each other

why do men have to be so goddamn creepy like shit dude

FOREVER REBLOG

We tell our kids to look for the families, the moms, the dads playing with their kids. 

But I’m in a position where I often have to ask random strangers for a moment of help, and I will tell you… 99 times out of 100, people are delighted to help. 

(I use an electric cart to shop, and it’s often easier to ask the person standing between me and the shelf to hand me what’s in front of them than it is to wait for them to move, etc. etc. and then they’re embarrassed that they were in the way, etc. People are pretty much invariably kind.)

My husband was coming off the bus reading a book and a woman fell in next to him and said, “Will you walk me to the store over there?” (100 feet away). He said, “Sure!” and then he realized some guy was yelling racial insults at her. He walked her to the store. 

When you are in public, you are not alone. But the trick is not to yell, “Will somebody help me” but to look someone in the eye and say, “Will you please help me?”

Here’s the secret: 

People like being asked and want to help, especially if the thing being asked is small to them and large to the person they’re helping.

Double-especially if they did notice you might need help but are concerned for real concrete reasons about being one of those Obnoxious Hlepy People when you’d rather they just fucking left you alone. 

Quick addition: statistically, you are safer picking out a person and asking them for help than waiting for someone to offer help. The person who steps up and offers to walk you to your car, etc., is more likely to be predatory. Be proactive and pick the nearby person your gut says is safe.

Same day, different year.

Stay strong, stay safe❤️🇲🇽