Steemit, Crypto and the Dishonesty Factor

Maybe I am just getting old and cynical, but sometimes I really have to wonder about this world of ours, and the behavior of some of the people in it.

Seems like almost everywhere you turn, someone is trying to cheat their way to riches, rather than earning those riches via a more traditional work ethic approach.

In all the time I have been part of the Steemit community, I have seen so alarmingly many different attempts at getting people separated from their money through sketchy approaches.

I'm not taking about outright phishing and fraud — which are quite common in the world of crypto — but some of the more subtle schemes to take people's money.

Some of these schemes are even quite elaborate, involving dozens of accounts created to give the impression that something genuine — an income opportunity — is available. As I heard it said one time, a good scammer will tell you 99 truths to get a single lie across.

And then there are all those who "milk" the system through something we used to call "rewards pool rape" a long time ago.

Again, I'm not talking about the people who quite openly engage in sketchy self-serving behavior that is out in the open for everyone to see... I'm talking about the more subtle approach.

For example, we have one relatively large "network" of accounts that generate almost identical "total nonsense" posts day after day, month after month. They tend to fly under the radar because the posts seldom earn more than a few cents... but there are potentially hundreds of these accounts (I haven't found them all yet) collecting a few cents each, every day.

Stuff like that eventually adds up to something!

There are "investment schemes" promising to double your money in 60 or 90 days... with lots and lots of active "dummy accounts" running as examples that the system is actually working... but it all just cycles around between the same set of accounts... until a real account gives it a try and... ends up with nothing.

As we steam towards a new year, I suppose all I can say is to be careful out there! We have a new year ahead, filled with opportunity and possibility... and potential pitfalls.

If something sounds "too good to be true," it likely is! And if you see something sketchy happening, don't be afraid to mention it in a post so people can be aware and "on guard."

Because that's what a community does: We look out for each other!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great remainder of your weekend!

How about you? Have you ever been scammed or deceived? Here on Steemit or even in the greater Cryptosphere? If you encounter something that seems "off," do you report it or write about it? Leave a comment if you feel so inclined — share your experiences — be part of the conversation!

(All text and images by the author, unless otherwise credited. This is ORIGINAL CONTENT, created expressly for this platform — Not posted elsewhere!)

Created at 2024.12.28 23:58 PST
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