PSA: Do not support Banana Pie
He is asking for money to cover his due taxes, this means he is actively evading taxes because he begs for donations every year around this time and then DELETES ALL HIS POSTS WHEN HE GETS IT.
By my estimation a $9000 bill from his country's tax authority means he must be making around ~$60,000 or so income which he did not declare.
THIS IS A CRIME OR A SCAM
By law you cannot receive donations to cover your income tax because that donation will have to be taxed too. This is enforced by PayPal
Do not support Banana Pie, he did this EXACT THING, four years ago.
Proof that he has done this in the past here : https://tlamodblog.tumblr.com/post/621245712876879872/rant
Notice how his entire account gets scrubbed every year? Gee a wonder why
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Common scams and you
Hello everyone!
I'm finally writing out the idea that has been floating around in my head for a while now, and I'm honestly surprised there's no videos on youtube (that I've found) that talk about the most common scams that are out there on the internet that you may encounter.
So! Let's start.
#1. Virus pop up scams.
These types of scams are based around inciting panic and fear in those that encounter them. They are generally encountered by mistyping a url in the search bar that then leads you to a web page containing a flashy visual alert (and sometimes audio alert) stating something like the following:
Your system is at risk! # Viruses found! Warning!
Your system has been compromised!
Viruses / Trojans found!
The majority of which then provide a phone number that scam victims would call to get the issue 'resolved.' Those who fall for this scam contact the call center seeking help, and those there- the scammers, lull their victims into a false sense of security that they'll solve the issue. They then have their victims download remote access software such as AnyDesk and UltraViewer.
These programs allow a user who connects complete and TOTAL CONTROL of your computer. They can view your screen, track what you type or click, not to mention they can lock it, and they can change the password, holding it at ransom. They can do pretty much ANYTHING as long as the software is installed. It runs in the background and they can monitor everything you do.
They will tell you that to get rid of the virus/'hack', you must pay a certain amount (usually between $300-$1k or more) for them to clean your computer and 'add an antivirus'.
They will tell you that you need to go to walmart/wallgreens to get gift cards. Or they will ask you to provide banking details so that they can steal your banking/login information to transfer money via zelle or other methods while under the control of the remote access application.
If you or anyone you know has made it to the installation part of this scam, make sure to disconnect the internet immediately and uninstall the program that they installed upon the computer.
This scam can ALSO happen to people on mobile. There are websites and apps configured to show that you've got a virus, and much like above, it will tell you that you need to call a phone number or download an app to get it resolved.
Clicking off the page / notification gets rid of it. There was never any virus to worry about. So don't worry too much if you see something like this while browsing the internet. Just try and be safe!
#2. E-Mail scams.
The most notorious of all of e-mail scams that I've encountered over the years are as follows:
Your <brand> anti-virus has expired. Click here to re-new!
You have been charged <huge amount> for <brand> anti-virus. If this is a mistake please call <phone number> to get this resolved.
You have received a PayPal invoice from <scammer name/brand> for <huge amount> please call <phone number>.
Much like the virus pop up scam, these scams follow a similar path when it comes to the end result. You call them, they have you install a remote access application, they tell you to pay x amount of money so they can install their 'anti-virus', and/or they do a fake 'scan' in the console, and likely install a real virus that harvests your information.
All in all, best to avoid it/delete the e-mail. No proper anti-virus is going to send you an e-mail telling you to call them. Nor are they going to charge you $300 for a 'renewal.'
As for the paypal invoice, just ignore it and check your actual paypal. If there's no invoice, there never was one in the first place. Flag it as trash and delete it.
#3 Phone scams.
These can be scary, especially if you've got a son, daughter, or relative who might live out of town.
Mom/Dad I lost my phone can you send me money for a new one?
Hey I'm with your kid and they're hurt/arrested/etc can you send me some money to pay the ambulance/bail/etc.
Your kid said I'd bring you these things and you'd pay me.
This is <name> from <fake business/tech support> on behalf of apple/microsoft to let you know your warranty has expired.
Sadly this means that your phone number has likely been leaked online somewhere, and scammers are now attempting to use it to get money from you. Best advice is to hang up and block the number immediately before calling your child/family member to make sure they're okay.
#4. Text Scams.
These are generally pretty easy to notice, and pretty easy to avoid, if you know what to look out for.
Any random number that texts you with something akin to the following, is a scam:
THIS IS <FAKE NAME> FROM THE UNITED STATES <FAKE COMPANY> TO INFORM YOU THAT YOU'VE WON <MILLIONS OF DOLLARS>. PLEASE FILL OUT THE FORM BELOW TO HAVE ACCESS TO YOUR WINNINGS.
Fedex has your package click this link to update your information.
UPS has failed to deliver your package. click this link to-
Hi <name that's not yours> are we set for our <event> next <day>?
<name not yours> I'm looking forward to <activity> next <day>. Are you going to be busy?
While links to scammy websites are easy to avoid, the last two might not be so easy to some people. Replying to them in any form puts you on a list of 'active numbers' for them to target. They will text you repeatedly with different prompts which all lead down the same line.
You say 'wrong number', they say 'this isn't <name>?' you say 'no' they say 'i'm so sorry i thought this was <name>' you say 'no problem' they say 'oh you're so kind want to be friends?' which then leads into 'i'm <fake name> from China/Singapore/<country> but I live in california/new york. I'm a fashion designer/investor/owner of a small company' and they send a fake picture of them which is likely stolen from somewhere online. They also ask for you to send them YOUR pictures. Don't do this.
End goal is for you to download WatsApp/Telegram to send them money and/or invest in fake crypto.
There are also text scams similar to those mentioned above where it's someone pretending to be a sugar mommy/daddy and they try to get you to spend time and hook up with them. They ask you to pay a 'fee' so they know you're 'legit' or something which, of course, is just a way to get you to send them money.
#5. Facebook Scams.
These are rather new, but once you know the signs, you'll know how to avoid them.
When buying/selling something on facebook, if someone says they can't pick it up but <brother/sister/cousin> can and they ask if you take cashapp, zelle, etc, it's a scam.
If you or someone you know who is older/elderly is contacted by someone who's in the military/ex-military/ex-cia/ex-fbi etc and they flood your DM's with affection and kindness and lots of love and attention in an effort to get you in a relationship with them, this is known as a romance scam.
They will ask for money to 'get a new phone' or 'to send pictures because my camera is broken.' or to 'buy a plane ticket to come see you'. It's a scam, a big scam, and a lot of elderly people have been scammed out of a lot of money because of it. They will call you and talk to you and say they love you and all that kissy kissy mwah junk just to build trust so they can try and get money.
It's not real. As sad as that is to say, all these people are after is money.
If you know anyone who might be in any of these situations, PLEASE try and talk some sense into them. Especially if they've sent large amounts of money to someone over the internet. Google is your best friend, and there is information out there for people who want to find it.
All in all, just make sure you're careful in who you trust.
#6. Discord/Steam Scams.
These can be less obvious to those who aren't tech savvy, but once you know the signs they're hard to miss.
Anyone who randomly DM's you about beta-testing their 'new game' is trying to get you to click a link that leads to a website containing an application that contains a virus. This will harvest your information and give the hacker access to everything on your computer.
Anyone who randomly DM's you saying that they found 'compromising photos/information of you online' most likely will try to get you to click a virus link that will infect your computer.
Anyone who randomly DM's you saying they 'reported you to the discord/steam admins' for something inappropriate/illegal will try to get you to contact their 'friend' who is a 'discord/steam admin' to get it resolved.
This will either involve them sending you a virus link or trying to get you to send them money/gift cards to get the issue 'resolved.' They will also sometimes send you to a legit looking steam page which is fake and will harvest your steam login data.
Again, these are easy to notice once you know the signs. Just note that sometimes your friends might send you messages like these or ask for money, which in that case their account was likely compromised/hacked. Make sure to report them so that discord/steam can help get the account back in the right hands.
I know I've likely forgotten some other types of scams but for now these are the most common that people should keep an eye out and look for.
Protect yourself and protect others!
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That's not all either, the part of Lethal Company that absolutely shames triple A is one simple fact:
It's made on a shoestring budget, as an experiment, it's 3D models are horrifically made, by someone who clearly didn't watch a tutorial and just went with it.
"Games are so expensive to make"
No the fuck they aren't. Graphics are.
Here's something for ya: The arm textures are on backwards, the hand model is rotated the wrong way which is why they break so heavily, there's missing/bad polygons everywhere, and the texture sheet, oh my god, the texture sheet is the worst I've seen.
And yet, still, 10/10 game. Doesn't matter that it's graphics aren't impressive, it's artistry is off the charts. Doesn't matter that the models are unoptimised or poorly put together, because they get the job done well, and it's so easy to run that it doesn't even matter that they're unoptimized.
He made a good game. Reminder. He. Singular. 16yo. Made Lethal Company.
No triple a company can compete with the 16 year old, let that sink in.
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