Spam... what you should know

Recently several former members left many comments around the site with a link to http://www.heroesm...  Before you even think about clicking a suspicious link take a look at who is leaving the message on your content.  Is it a new member and is the same message being left around the site?  The comment is not bringing any value to your content.  For anyone who is not aware, this is spam, and could link through to a phishing scheme.  If you ever come across odd spam comments please let the Support team know right away by emailing us at support@gather.com.  Please include the username for the member who is posting the comments and/or a link to an article page where one of the comments is posted.  

Additionally, some members have received spam private messages such as the very clever:

HELLO
MY NAME IS LORITA I SAW YOUR PROFILE TO DAY AND I BECAME INTRESTED IN YOU I WILL LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT YOU I AM NICE TO BE LOOKING GIRL I WILL LIKE YOU MAIL ME AT MY EMAIL ADDERSS IF YOU MAIL ME I WE GIVE YOU MY PICTURE HERE IS MY EMAIL ADDERSS(email@yahoo.com)I HOPE WE CAN MOVE FROM HERE.WEITING FOR YOUR MAIL TO MY EMAIL ADDRESS ABOVE.LORITA

Accounts sending messages like this are shut down as soon as we are aware of them. If you receive messages like this, look at the sender's username to see if we have already closed the account.  When an account has been closed you will see either 0000-username-0000, or SCAM-username-SCAM as the member's username.  If the account is still open please send an email to support@gather.com, or forward the private message to the Support Team Gather account (username: membersupport).  Include the username of the sender and we'll take it from there.

You should consider any private message suspicious that:

• Tells you to respond to a real email address, rather than a Gather private message.
• Seems to offer you money or a material benefit of some sort.
• Requests that you transfer money, to anyone, in any way.
• Is sent by someone who pretends to know you well, but their name does not look familiar to you.
• Expresses interest in a romantic or sexual meeting of some sort, especially if they tell you to visit a particular website off of Gather or tell you to respond to an email address, rather than by Gather's private message system.

We take comment and private message scams very seriously, and investigate them right away when they are reported.