"My annoyance with the Fediverse is all the scammers.". The constant requests for money "from Gaza" and the doubts of @NetscapeNavigator@vivaldi.net

@fediverse

Warning: A few hours after this post, the user NetscapeNavigator was suspended from the Vivaldi instance

I've been vilely attacked in the past, with reports and private messages, simply for writing this

We don't deserve to be bombarded by thousands of tragic requests for help that we can't directly verify and that prey on our pity, or worse, our guilt.
Sending private messages is harassment. Sending private messages asking for money is even more odious, because we know that sooner or later, someone vulnerable will donate.

A mastostar, a guy with 47,000 followers who passes for a prominent figure in the Fediverse, told me I'm "just a hugely privileged twat throwing his toys out of the pram because he is being forced to see things he’d rather ignore" and that perhaps I lack a moral compass.

I imagine if I've been subjected to harassment for saying something trivial, poor @NetscapeNavigator@vivaldi.net will be subjected to harassment, stalking, doxxing, and multiple reports to force him to close his account.

But what did Netscape write?

Here's his message before it was deleted:

My annoyance with the Fediverse is all the scammers.
I do not suspect they're scammers — I know they're scammers, because they're using the same photos as the next person. I also have the unique perspective from my job where I deal with this sort of thing professionally (I work for Meta/Facebook).
Some of them are not just staged or stock photos, but even A.I. photos too. Honestly, I always get a small laugh when I see the old photo re-shared with 6 fingers. The stupid scammers are so low-effort here that I doubt they noticed, and I doubt they care. Like all scammers, they want your money quick and easy. Which is why they often re-share the same photos and videos among themselves.
They use both a repeated heart-bleeding story to tug at people's sympathy, but the reason why they repeat themselves is volume. They're not so much trying to convince people as they are hoping to flood timelines so someone who is more gullible and who wears their heart on their sleeve will act and give them money.
It is the same marketing tactic corporations use. You see an ad repeated for a soda, and become thirsty, and if you happen to buy their soda, all the better. Just as the scammers repeat their heartfelt story over and over, and you feel sorry, and if you happen to pay them, all the better.
If there is substance, it always circles back to the scam.
A normal person may post a photo of their home and ask for tips on decorating or point out how cool the new couch looks in their living room. The scammer will point out the couch and claim it's too bad they have to sell it or no longer have it, but it would be better if you gave them money.
A normal person may post a photo of their spouse and children, talking about how proud they are of them or how lucky they feel to have them in their life. The scammer will claim they love their spouse and kids, but it would be better if they had your money.
Everything circles back to needing your money. Everything reinforces the scam.

You're unlikely to see content that does not circle back to wanting and needing your money.

An assessment of the accusation and the critical issues surrounding the #GazaVerified project

Objectively, @NetscapeNavigator@vivaldi.net's accusation is not supported by evidence. I'd love to see a dossier from Netscape or a post from @iftas, or even better, a journalistic investigation, but nothing of the sort currently exists.

But what is the verification method for "GazaVerified"? Here it is:

What does the verification process look like?
It’s very simple: we have a quick video chat to verify that you are a Palestinian from Gaza and the same person you say you are on your Mastodon account, after which we add you to Gaza Verified.

A damn video call? Is this the verification method for a fundraising system that moves hundreds of thousands of euros? In an environment heavily influenced by a terrorist organization like Hamas? And so with the risk that donors could be accused of financing a terrorist organization? And with another terrorist organization (the Israeli government) eager to infiltrate the donation request system?

It seems to me like the perfect recipe for creating a gigantic explosive backpack to blow yourself up inside four reinforced concrete walls...

infosec.exchange/@NetscapeNavi…

Al Kath

2026-03-30 12:53:59

the problem is that you're a pain in the ass asking for money here in the Fediverse!
This is a nonprofit organization based on volunteers, and for many, it's a safe haven from the terrible things happening in the world.

We don't deserve to be bombarded by thousands of tragic requests for help that we can't directly verify and that prey on our pity, or worse, our guilt.
Sending private messages is harassment. Sending private messages asking for money is even more odious, because we know that sooner or later, someone vulnerable will donate.
Here in the Fediverse, we have a duty to defend our users' "right to levity," we have a duty to help each other prevent the Fediverse from turning into a street full of beggars, and we have a duty to report to our administrators anyone who contacts us privately asking for money.

@fabio @aral