I'm not sure the best way to address this

[30to40olives@ohai.social]

@NorcalGma2 I'm glad to see that your instance admin(?) replied! Private messaging you out of the blue for money is a big red flag and not okay.

[nilajones@zeroes.ca]

@NorcalGma2

I figure anyone who asks you (or me) for money has no idea who we are, so I am in the block and report party

Any person who has read a few of your posts can see that you are not wealthy

You are very generous and giving, but that's different

[parker51@mastodon.world]

@j258853 @NorcalGma2 There are genuine people from Gaza trying to survive. Not everybody asking for help is terrible, some are put under terrible conditions making them beg. The PMs I've gotten from people asking for money are all from Gaza. There is a possibility some of them are fake, but the genuine ones are not terrible people. They often engage after a post of them is liked or boosted. They don't always catch the individual circumstances of somebody having an ill husband.

[norcalgma2@sfba.social]

@Parker51 @j258853
I'm not implying that anyone is terrible. I'm just saying that sending me a private message asking for money doesn't work. If asking for money is the sole reason they are soliciting me it is best that I block them to take me off their list. Requests for mutual aid show up in my timeline regularly and I have no problem with that.
I also have learned to block other unsolicited private message requests for things of a more personal nature.
Navigating social media is difficult sometimes.

[parker51@mastodon.world]

@NorcalGma2 @j258853 My comment was directed to JJ. My app automatically puts everybody else in there too. Don't get me wrong, it's fine to block those requests, genuine or not. But to call everybody asking for help terrible, really rubs me the wrong way. His comment was the first I saw. I was abhorred that so many other commenters had the same sentiment.

[norcalgma2@sfba.social]

@Michigander
I wish you were closer. I need people that aren't watching their calories or cholesterol to want my scones so I can bake more.

[msbellows@c.im]

@NorcalGma2 @Michigander I'm driving to Mendo in a couple weeks for an old mentor's funeral. Are you on my way? I'd love to meet you irl (and eat scones!).

[msbellows@c.im]

@NorcalGma2 @Michigander (P.S. I definitely won't ask for money. I definitely will pet Summer if you approve.)

[susannedoering@zirk.us]

@Parker51 @NorcalGma2 @j258853 I agree. Of course you can restrict your DMs, mute or block accounts. But I beg everybody not to report Gaza accounts - often this is the only helpline left for them. If they loose their account it creates more problems. Most of them are getting desperate - since the so called cease fire donations have dried up but the amount of help getting into Gaza is minimal and the commercial goods Israel allows in are extremely expensive.

[hadon@mastodon.social]

@NorcalGma2

Just ignore them.

[j258853@toot.community]

I was so focused on the fact that Gma is a very giving and compassionate person and she posts a lot about her giving to the food pantry and donating to organizations. So she is a prime candidate for people trying to take advantage of that.
But, I also know that Gma is wise and she can decide if any request is sincere. But, as she said, the requests get tiring and I can understand that.
Thanks for the responses. (2/2)
@Parker51 @NorcalGma2

[j258853@toot.community]

@Parker51 @NorcalGma2 I agree that my reply was too general. It was hasty as I was shutting everything down to go to bed. Of course, we should have empathy and help those in need if we can. And not all people asking for money are terrible. (1/2)