I'm not sure the best way to address this

[norcalgma2@sfba.social]

I'm not sure the best way to address this.
Maybe there isn't a good way.
I get lots of private messages asking for money.
I would help everyone if I could but I can't and I don't.
If I restrict the private messages I will miss connections I don't want to miss so maybe it is just a consequence of being here.

[j258853@toot.community]

@NorcalGma2 Those people are terrible people and may not even need money. If they were really interested in your posts they would see that you make do with what you have and that you have an ill husband. You could block each one of them. I certainly wouldn’t reply to any.

[madgeface@mastodon.art]

@NorcalGma2 There are a lot of mutual aid posts and a lot of posts from Gaza and fraud from others. Set your boundary with a "I don't make $ donations" in your profile. I need to take my own advice.

[steter@mastodon.stevesworld.co]

@NorcalGma2 I block each and every one. Private messages are not for scam artists to use to hustle us. No one has any business using them to hit on strangers for easy money.

[sindarina@ngmx.com]

@NorcalGma2 Block them and done, I say. You don't owe them anything, and the vast majority are scammers.

[harriettmb@toot.wales]

@NorcalGma2 I hope your account is ‘request to follow’ that’s a good help. Also, you should be able to tailor it so only mutuals can send you a DM. Anyone who asks me for money can’t do it privately, and if they tag me in a begging request, I don’t ever reply: I just block. There are loads of people asking for money online, everywhere. I regard them all as dodgy. Different story for those I see on the street.

[norcalgma2@sfba.social]

@HarriettMB
Thank you! I will see if I can restrict to mutuals.

[secretsloth@mastodon.art]

@NorcalGma2 the private messages tend to be scams, you're fine blocking those. There are plenty of verified Gaza accounts and mutual aid posts, if you do feel like donating, but you do a lot already in your community. Mutual aid really is "if you can," so don't worry. I boost posts or sometimes make one for a friend, so if you don't want to see those, feel free to block the # mutualAid hashtag and that should make sure you don't see them. you definitely have enough on your plate.

[norcalgma2@sfba.social]

@secretsloth
I don't mind the mutual aid requests in my feed but don't like the private messages. It looks like I can make some changes to help.

[curiousmagpie@beige.party]

@NorcalGma2 I am guessing these are people who don't have any kind of prior relationship with you on here. Unfortunately, the online world isn't as easy to navigate - there are too many people who take advantage of anonymity.

I offer a prayer for their well being and then block them.

[secretsloth@mastodon.art]

@NorcalGma2 yeah. Hopefully more servers are becoming aware of the behavior, so the accounts will be taken down faster as well, or at least blocked by the well moderated servers. a lot of them just use @'s now since so many folks have turned off dm's. Next time someone tells me Mastodon is empty I will tell them we are worth scammers' time so we can't be THAT empty. ‍

[drsuzanne@disabled.social]

@secretsloth @NorcalGma2 agreed. The private messages always feel weird and gross to me. It's inappropriate even if it is legit. It's definitely a block from me when I get those.

[deborahh@cosocial.ca]

@NorcalGma2 @HarriettMB looks useful. But I cannot find how to do this ...

[955_36@sfba.social]

@NorcalGma2 Social media is not the place to decide where to spend your charitable donations. I would just block, move on and not give their scammy messages another thought.

[jeridansky@sfba.social]

@NorcalGma2 Mutual aid posts are fine; sending people private messages like this is not OK. On sfba.com, we'll suspend any such account reported to us (including the private message in the report helps) so they don't bother anyone else on our instance, either.

[norcalgma2@sfba.social]

@jeridansky
I will start reporting them. Thanks!

[axomamma@mastodon.online]

@jeridansky @NorcalGma2 I block any account that requests a follow when the only apparent purpose for the account is asking for money.

[apbblue@thepit.social]

@CuriousMagpie @NorcalGma2 That's actually nice of you. I usually just block, but maybe I will start blocking with a good wish. ️

[oohokaykay@beige.party]

@NorcalGma2
First, big hug! 🫂
You're not alone with this. There are people on here I interact with everyday I would love to help but I just don't have the extra funds. (And the Canadian exchange rate is a killer.) Then there's the fraudsters and 'others' I simple block. I don't feel bad because we all do what we can, when we can.

[bluegrassroots@mstdn.social]

@NorcalGma2 I try to vet ppl I follow by looking for some of the signs they likely only hit "follow" so they cld beg for money but if somebody gets through my vetting and asks, I block 'em.