CHICO — You know it never fails that when a big, usually tragic, event happens and we write stories about it, there is always someone out there who takes advantage of it for their own personal gain.
In the week following the Park Fire, and further back following the Thompson Fire earlier this year, we posted our updates to social media and like clockwork, a bot would comment on the stories trying to get people to click sketchy links — sometimes even offering help in the wake of the wildfires.
Now this always feels a bit personal because it’s leeching off of the work we do, but to try and scam people who may be evacuated or may have even lost their home at a time when they are the most vulnerable is beyond the pale.
This goes beyond just our papers. You can see similar grifts on almost any major news outlet either through Instagram, Facebook or the website formerly known as Twitter. For local news, it tends to be a bit more personalized and aimed at the specific event. On the larger outlets, it is often completely unrelated to whatever the posted story is, often in the form of someone claiming they are giving away millions of dollars or they know some spiritual guru that changed their life.
We always appreciate engagement from our readers, but if you see a strange link under one of our posts, I implore you not to click it and even report the comment to the social media platform.
Outside of the digital world — and also sometimes in it — we’ve noticed some folks trying to sell merchandise related to the fires but with no real evidence that the profits will go to helping those affected. Be extra cautious when dealing with these vendors and don’t be afraid to ask tough questions.
Stay safe out there folks.
Scam of the Week generally runs every Tuesday. Readers are welcome to contact reporter Jake Hutchison to report scams and potential scams they have come in contact with by calling 530-828-1329 or via email at [email protected].
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