PSA for my friends …
And those of you who have been encountering “Nicole, but you can call me Fediverse Chick …”
https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/what-are-pig-butchering-scams.html
“Pig Butchering” is an exponentially growing scam model, being carried out by trafficked people. It rolls a whole psych warfare + romance + free crypto money scam together with some sort of grandpa-scam entree, and they’re in for a long game.
Mastodon Admins are trying to get rid of “Nicole”, but its a hydra.
DO NOT ENGAGE.
I'm not at all suggesting I'm above being scammed - I think that's a naive attitude to carry around. But I am saying this one in particular would never work on me. I have friends and family I've known for decades and I would never take financial advice from any of them, let alone some internet jag off I've never met. Just would not happen.