UPDATE: to yesterdays “heads up” post 👀

[u/cashbev1961]

It has been confirmed as of this morning that yesterday’s user in question is in-fact a scammer! We had our suspicions and ALOT of unanswered questions and this is why they were banned from our sub a while back. Thanks to the due diligence of our team, we’ve successfully caught another scammer, helping to keep our community safe. While they may be good, we’re better. Sometimes it requires us to dig deep, and that takes time. If you ever have any doubts, please speak up. By doing so, you help us ensure that donations go to legitimate rescues and cats in need. Together, we can protect and support those who truly need it.

We will always conduct a thorough verification process, but any red flags will prompt our team to follow the clues. This includes directly contacting the vet, checking for photoshopped images, and using Google reverse image searches. Our older members know what the community has been through, and for our new members, rest assured that we go down every rabbit hole to ensure your money goes to those who are truly legit.

Please be cautious.

As always, thankyou for your support and co-operation.

Your ModTeam u/monkittyruccia22 & u/cashbev1961 + our behind the scenes team😉💞🐾

[u/Monkittyruccia22]

❤️Thank you to our 24/7 GH team that is tirelessly working to improve security and flush out any vulnerabilities to this community. This is a daily effort and we appreciate your hard work!

[u/Beneficial-Meal-2126]

This is just awful that people are doing this and taking away from people who actually are caring for cats and need help.

[u/throwawayStomnia → u/Beneficial-Meal-2126]

Yep, I agree. There's a special place in hell for such assholes.

[u/BostonBluestocking]

Yep, u/Legitimate-Handle-65 has outed themselves as a scammer!

At a minimum, they have demonstrated almost every tactic in the scammer playbook. They have been untruthful, played fast and loose with the rules of r/rescuecats, and very inappropriately and deceitfully DM’d other users asking for money. When they were challenged, instead of providing real proof, instead they escalated their direct-messaging to the point of harassment. They already had a suspicious history of switching among their multiple accounts. They have resorted to spin-doctoring to play on sympathies, while remaining unwilling to provide solid proof that they are legitimate. This is despite being given MANY opportunities, suggestions, and coaching of what to do, along with warnings of what not to do. Not just from the mod team, but from myself and other RC members.

Now we know why they have been so coy!

They have been stealing content from what appears to be a legitimate, but now closed, rescue called u/honeycatsph. As a single example (and there are plenty of others) I am posting two screenshots below. Please see my comments below with the photo examples. You can see the the original honeycatsph Instagram post; notice that u/Legitimate-Handle-65 uses the exact same photo in their r/WhatsWrongWithYourCat post.

At no point has u/Legitimate-Handle-65 ever claimed to represent, or be affiliated with, honeycatsph. 

u/Legitimate-Handle-65 also complained that they were unable to meet the r/rescuecats approval requirements to post requesting donations, yet many other rescues have successfully done so, including those in various other countries. u/Legitimate-Handle-65 gave the mod team multiple emails to a veterinary clinic, but those bounced back. Likewise, the supposed clinic's website had a 404 error. u/Legitimate-Handle-65 balked at every other suggestion and option, even something as simple as taking video at the veterinary office, getting a letter on the vet’s official letterhead, etc. 

Today they deleted their u/Legitimate-Handle-65 account. This is after they demanded to have their name cleared on r/rescuecats, r/Scams, etc. due to “false accusations” and wanting to “tell their side of the story.”  When confronted with their own highly suspicious actions (while still being offered some leeway to prove themselves), they instead deleted their account. This is also typical scammer behavior…when they can’t stand up to scrutiny, they go on defensive or offensive, then they run away.

Please be on the lookout for a new incarnation of the grift under yet another username. 

Meanwhile, we are compiling screen prints and other evidence for an internet crime report. 

[u/BostonBluestocking → u/BostonBluestocking]

[u/BostonBluestocking → u/BostonBluestocking]

[u/bastetandisis9]

Thank you mods and everyone who exposes and bans these a-hole scammers!

[u/Sleeplessmi]

I think I can speak for (almost) all of us that we really appreciate the mods being so diligent in vetting rescuers that need financial help. Thank you for making it possible for us to directly help rescuers and all the cats that they take care of!!

[u/BostonBluestocking → u/Sleeplessmi]

As someone who has been scammed, I could not agree with you more! I feel safe donating here because of the tireless efforts of our awesome mods!

[u/Distinct-Laugh4790]

Really glad you caught this asshole. Ive been in this community for a while and I remember well what happened several months ago with a couple of scammers. These ppl are disgusting and soulless creatures to steal from ppl and worst of all take away the care and needs of the cats that need help. Excellent job, mods. 👍

[u/sproggs44]

Thanks to the mods and Boston, for always keeping this community safe! It’s deeply appreciated

Edit to add. This person directly DM’d me protesting too much. I did a google reverse image ( always recommend) and found the real rescue. She had stolen all the posts from.

Be on alert! If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it’s a duck or in this case a scammer

[u/PinkyAmethyst]

Thank you mods for everything yall do💗

[u/Lovedemcatbabies]

🌟🌟🌟 Thank you Mods! 🌟🌟🌟

[u/moosenazir]

So who is this scammer?

[u/cashbev1961 → u/moosenazir]

Please see u/bostonbluestocking comment below. It provides all the information clearly:)

[u/naesk]

Great work!

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[u/nevemarin]

This place is such a kind and caring corner of the internet, thanks for making it safe to continue like that ❤️