# 📨 How to report new scammers
**We need your help!**
**Furry Assisted Scam Tracking** relies heavily on reports and evidence provided by users. There are certain bits of info that we need to be able to identify a Telegram account. We need proof that an account is actually trying to scam furries - we will not add an account to the scammer list based on hearsay or rumour.
> [!info]- Further info about FAST
> More details on the [[🦹♂️How we define a scammer|kinds of scammers we're after are available here]], and [[📃 How we operate|information on how we operate can be seen here]].
> This website has plenty of other information about FAST, available via the navigation pane on the left/top of your screen.
This page will guide you through what information we need, how to get that information, and how to provide it to us via the [FAST New Scammer Submissions Bot](https://t.me/Scamtracking_submissions_bot). The most important information (how to submit a new scammer report to us) is first, with more detailed instructions on some of the steps further down - you may not need these sections at all!
## 🧐 Pre-submission checklist
Before submitting a new scammer via the bot, take a few moments to check the pre-submission flowchart below:
```mermaid
flowchart TD
Z["`You have found an account on ***Telegram*** that you think might be a scammer`"]:::green ---
A("`Do they meet our definition of a scammer?`") -- Yes ---
C("`Do you have messages and screenshots of messages ready to send over to us?`") -- Yes ---
E["`You're ready to send your submission to the ***FAST New Scammer Submission Bot!*** </br> The section below has more info about the bot`"]:::blue
A -- An article about this is available here ---
L1>"`🦹♂️How we define a scammer`"]:::yellow
%% Styling
classDef green fill:#B2DFDB,stroke:#00897B,stroke-width:2px;
classDef orange fill:#FFE0B2,stroke:#FB8C00,stroke-width:2px;
classDef blue fill:#BBDEFB,stroke:#1976D2,stroke-width:2px;
classDef yellow fill:#FFF9C4,stroke:#FBC02D,stroke-width:2px;
classDef pink fill:#F8BBD0,stroke:#C2185B,stroke-width:2px;
classDef purple fill:#E1BEE7,stroke:#8E24AA,stroke-width:2px;
%% Nodes to make into internal links, node name must be the exact name of the note to link to
class L1 internal-link
%% L1>"`LINK HERE`"]:::yellow
%% B("`**Check Two** <br>Do they already exist in the Channel or Listings?`") -- No ---
```
# 🤖 Reporting a new scammer via the bot
The easiest and fastest way to report a scammer is with the [FAST New Scammer Submissions Bot](https://t.me/Scamtracking_submissions_bot). You can also use the bot to check if an account is already listed as a scammer.
The bot will:
- Guide you through identifying the account you want to report
- Check that the account isn't already in the FAST [Listings](https://t.me/scamtrackinglist)
- If it is, we would still like you to submit more evidence of the account trying to scam people, and the bot will assist you with that
- Help you send over messages and screenshots that provide evidence of this account being used to scam furries
- Ask you to provide information and context about where you found this account
> [!check] The bot will need these things to complete your new scammer submission
>
> > [!help] You can use the checkboxes in the list below to make sure you have everything the bot will need (they will reset when you refresh the page)
> - [ ] A way to help us _**identify**_ the account you want to report. This can be **one of three ways**:
>
> - Forwarding a message from the account you wish to report: [[#⤴️ How to forward messages]]
> - Using the @username: [[#👤 Current username]]
> - Using the UserID: [[#🆔 User/Peer ID]]
> - Messages from the account you want to report, in **both of these formats**:
> - [ ] _**Forwarded messages**_ that show them scamming or attempting to scam furries: [[#⤴️ How to forward messages]]
> - [ ] _**Screenshots**_, showing at least the start of the chat interaction, and ideally the whole of it
> - [ ] Any other info that we can use for _**context**_, such as:
> - What chat did you find this account in, and when?
> - Who contacted who? Is this account contacting other furries too?
> - Are there any other accounts like this one?
> - Anything else about what this account has been doing.
>
> > [!hint] Help us to _**FICS**_ the scammers!
> > - We want _**forwards**_ of their messages attempting to scam us
> > - You need a way to _**identify**_ which account you are reporting
> > - Provide some _**context**_ for their messages
> > - _**Screenshot**_ their interactions in groups and DMs
Once you have those, start a conversation with the bot here: [FAST New Scammer Submissions Bot](https://t.me/Scamtracking_submissions_bot), and use the `/start` command, and it will take you through the stages in the flowchart below:
> [!example]- Bot commands and help
> - You can use `/start` at any time to clear your current submission and restart a new one immediately
> - You can use `/cancel` at any time to stop the current submission process
> - If there are any issues with the bot, admin contact details are in the bot's profile biography
> - Rate limits are in use on the bot, but regular users should never hit them
```mermaid
flowchart TD
Z["`Open a chat with the ***FAST New Scammer Submission Bot*** by going to @scamtracking_submissions_bot on Telegram or clicking on this box.</br>Then start the bot by sending */start*`"]:::green -- Send */start* to the bot ---
A["`***Start menu***<br>The bot will provide some info about FAST and links to this guide. </br>It then gives you the option of reporting a new scammer or checking if someone is already listed.`"] -- Select '*Report a new scammer*' ---
B["`***Screening questions***<br>The bot will ask you some questions to check that the account you want to report is suitable.`"] -- Pre-submission checks passed ---
C["`***Identify scammer account***<br>Now we need to identify which account you want to report.</br>You will get asked which method you want to use - more info in the checklist above this diagram.`"] -- Once you have successfully identified the account using one of the available methods ---
D["`***Messages*** <br> Now send over the messages from the account you want to report.</br>Send forwarded messages **and** screenshots.<br>When finished, just send: *done*`"] -- Send:</br>*done* ---
E["`***Context*** <br> This is where you tell us more info about the account (see checklist above the diagram). <br> When finished, just send: *done*`"] --Send:</br>*done* ---
Y["`You're done! 🎉 <br> That report is now complete. <br> 💖 Thank you!`"]:::blue
Y1["` The report will now be manually reviewed by FAST volunteers. </br> We aim to be fair and thorough, so we might need time to investigate and gather more evidence, though we try to be as ***FAST*** as we can 😉`"]:::pink
Y -.-|**What happens to the report now?**| Y1
click Z "https://t.me/Scamtracking_submissions_bot"
C -.- C1
C1@{ shape: braces, label: "If the bot detects that the account you wish to report is already being tracked by FAST it will tell you and give you links and info on how to share the evidence you have into the Listings, where we keep all the evidence of scammers being tracked." }
A -.- A1
A1@{ shape: braces, label: "If you choose '*Check if someone is already listed*' then you can provide a username, UserID, or forwarded message to check if a user has already been identified as a scammer."}
%% Styling
classDef green fill:#B2DFDB,stroke:#00897B,stroke-width:2px;
classDef orange fill:#FFE0B2,stroke:#FB8C00,stroke-width:2px;
classDef blue fill:#BBDEFB,stroke:#1976D2,stroke-width:2px;
classDef yellow fill:#FFF9C4,stroke:#FBC02D,stroke-width:2px;
classDef pink fill:#F8BBD0,stroke:#C2185B,stroke-width:2px;
classDef purple fill:#E1BEE7,stroke:#8E24AA,stroke-width:2px;
```
# 🕵️♀️ How to gather the info we need
## 👤 Current username
The current `@username` for the suspected scammer is useful, however anyone can change their username whenever they wish, so it cannot be relied upon for long-term use - that's what the userID is for. Some accounts have a blank `@username`. Username is particularly useful when it allows us to see if any scammers are trying to impersonate someone, or to track similar names or trends in names.
The @username of an account is vey visible on the profile. If it is not there, then the account does not have one.
> [!info]
> We **don't** mean the Firstname Lastname that an account may have. The username is just the `@username`.
## 🆔 How to get User/Peer ID
This is a long number (in the format `1,234,567,890`) that is unique per Telegram account. It cannot be changed so is a way to permanently identify and track an account. They randomly generated, but allocated in pools and batches.
There are three main ways to get an account's UserID:
1. _**Telegram web interface**_: works on any platform, but requires you to log into Telegram via a web browser (desktop or mobile).
2. _**Advanced/Experimental settings on Telegram Desktop**_: makes the UserID very easy to see as it appears on every account's profile just under the bio text, but this only works in the Telegram Desktop application.
3. _**Forward messages to [@userinfobot](https://t.me/userinfobot)**_: can be used on any platform, but if the account has their privacy settings set up in a certain way, the bot won't be able to get the UserID.
Each method is detailed in callout boxes below. Choose the method that works best for you, and click/tap to open the box and find the instructions:
> [!abstract]- Telegram web interface: usable on any device, but requires logging into Telegram via a web browser (mobile or desktop)
> This is a universal way to reliably obtain an accounts' userID and via Telegram web interface.
> 1. First go to [web.telegram.org]() in your desktop or mobile browser and sign in using your Telegram account.
> 2. There are two versions of the web interface, A and K. It is the A version you want. Go to this [link to make sure you're on the A version](https://web.telegram.org/a/)
> 3. Open your chat with the suspected scammer in the Telegram web interface.
> 4. The address bar of your browser will now look something like this: `web.telegram.org/a/#?????????` where each of those ?'s is a number. That number is the account's userID.
>
> > [!warning] If you see their @username rather than numbers, you're on the K version of the Telegram web interface - change the "K" to an "A" in the address and the userID number should appear instead.
> [!abstract]- Telegram Desktop: best if you are using the official Telegram application on PC/Mac
> If you are on PC, you can enable a setting to show the PeerID on someone's profile, just under the bio. Go to Settings -> Advanced -> Experimental settings (it's at the very bottom).
> With that turned on, the UserID will now appear on every user's profile page.
> [!abstract]- Using the @userinfobot bot: can be used on any platform, but may fail due to the account's privacy settings
> Forward any messages from the suspected scammer to [@userinfobot](https://t.me/userinfobot), which will tell you info about the user's account. However this doesn't always work if they have certain privacy settings enabled, and may just return info about your account instead.
## 🔎 Evidence of Scamming
What messages has this account been sending that are concerning to you? Where did they send them? What groups were they found in?
Essentially, we need to know what the account has been doing, and need to see it - so please forward their messages (using Telegram's message forwarding feature, so the original sender is kept) **and** provide screenshots of your interactions with them. We want to make sure that the context of their messages has been captured, as well as when and where they sent them, which just forwarding their messages doesn't do.
> [!example] We want to see evidence of things like:
> - Contradicting themselves over where they are/live/come from
> - Using stolen art, or AI art without disclosing it. For more info on our stance about this: [[🎨 AI art]]
> - Trying to sell things (e.g. fursuits, pup hoods) which are not theirs, see [[📚 Glossary#Advance Payment Scam]]
> - Using odd phrases not common amongst furries, or being unfamiliar with common furry tropes
> - Not being familiar with the local customs, area, or language of where they claim to be/be from (e.g. American spellings rather than British for an account claiming to be from Britain, see here for more info about that: [[🇮🇪 English - British vs American]])
For more info on things to look out for, see this page: [[🔎 How to spot a scammer 101]]
## ⤴️ How to forward messages
When we ask you to forward messages from an account, we don't mean to take a screenshot image of the messages in your Telegram chat, and then send that as a photo messages in Telegram. What we mean is using Telegram's built-in forward message feature, as shown below.
> [!example]-
> Tap or right click on a message to bring up this menu, which allows you to do the usual replies, edits, and reactions. Choose "Forward"
> ![[How to forward messages - 1.png|400]]
>
> This will now send you back to your list of chats, ready for you to choose where to forward it to. In this example, we'll use the [FAST New Scammer Submissions Bot](https://t.me/Scamtracking_submissions_bot). Tap/click on the chat you want to forward the message to.
> ![[How to forward messages - 2.png|400]]
>
> You will now go into the chat window with that bot/group/user, and the message box will look like this, to show you that have a forwarded message ready to send. Any text you add in the message box now will be sent before the forwarded messages. When ready, tap or click the send button on the right to forward the messages
> ![[How to forward messages - 3.png|400]]
Some Telegram accounts have a privacy setting enabled that strips their account details from forwarded messages, and in these situations some tools and functions (e.g. [@userinfobot](https://t.me/userinfobot)) don't work.
# 💖 One more thing…
And finally… thank you!
We rely on reports from furries all around the world to help maintain this tracker. A tool like this is only as good as the information in it, so we literally couldn't do this without you! That's why we're FAST - **Furry Assisted Scam Tracking**! 🦊🐊🦈🐯