If you're in the fandom, this is extremely important knowledge to have!

A large cohort of scammers recently switched from regular crypto and non-fur trust scams to mass targeting members of the fandom. They use stolen art to assemble a false furry identity, often on Telegram.

They will usually message you first, with a pre-written message along the lines of 'I love your fursona, its vibe is great, did you design it? :)'. They may conversate with you for a day or so before pitching you on commissioning them.

They will also very frequently join group chats and attempt to look like furries - from there, they'll harvest member lists, and may often try to encourage people to DM them. They often overuse emojis, a pretty common tell-tale sign.

They rely on us being unprepared - Simply knowing this will help keep you safe. Broadly, don't send money to artists who you haven't contacted, don't put money into crypto exchanges recommended by Telegram randos!

An incredible resource for this is https://t.me/scamtracking - they collate reports of scammers, so you can check if the person contacting you is known. It's not perfect, so still be vigilant!

If even a single person reads this it will have been worth the time it took to write - stay safe, and don't let these nonfurs spoil the fandom for you. There are so many more good guys than bad!