Unfortunately the Report Feature in Substack is Not Working. I am so concerned. Scammers are getting smarter and Substack, what on earth are you doing for it for god’s sake? Writers built the trust. Scammers broke it. Substack’s silence seals it. Time to Wakeup to Stop Scammers Collectively
Summary of the story: A user expresses frustration over Substack’s ineffective reporting feature, which fails to address scams, particularly the cloning of respected writer Dr. Mehmet Yildiz. The user highlights how scammers exploit established trust in the writing community, as they pose significant risks to writers and readers. Attempts to report these impersonators were unsuccessful, revealing a systemic problem within Substack’s support structure. The user urges Substack to improve its reporting mechanisms to ensure the platform remains safe and trustworthy. They emphasize the need for vigilance and awareness in the face of rising digital scams, advocating for community protection.
Dear Subscribers,
I hope this message finds you well. Happy weekend to you. Today, I’m beyond furious and deeply shaken. Earlier this Saturday morning, I got a noticed that someone was following me which is a good thing of course.
But, I quickly noticed that it was a fake Substack account pretending to be Dr Mehmet Yildiz, my mentor and one of the most trusted and respected people in our global writing community who was cloned on Medium many times but fortunately Medium found a solution to it finally.
At first glance, it looked real such as same name and photo. For a moment, I thought, “Oh, he must’ve launched another series.” But it wasn’t him. It was a clone with no content yet. I know the real account of Dr Mehmet Yildiz on Substack.
And here’s the real dealbreaker: none of us could report this scammer. Not me. Not my friends. Not even Dr. Yildiz himself who got concerned when I called him today.
I quickly hit the report button with details but it failed. Some of my friends tried it and they all said the same thing. Here is the screenshot for failed report.
So I am concerned that there’s no proper reporting function for impersonation on Substack. No helpdesk, either. What are we supposed to as writers and readers?
There is just a chatbot that loops you back to generic advice: “Please report it.” Yeah, right smart Alek bot, to where, exactly? Why is the reporting feature is broken in a major platform with many writers and readers?
This isn’t the first time something like this has happened. Last year they cloned Tim Denning on substack and Dr Yildiz wrote about it. I wonder why Substack can’t stop these offenders with their great technology and venture capital funds more richer than Medium.
Finally, Scammers Have Breached Substack, Cloning Popular Writer Tim Denning
Even the Substack’s state-of-the-art security is not prone to scammers on the Internet. Let’s be more vigilant!medium.com
This topic close to my heart as I was cloned many times on Medium. The first one was shocking and I wrote a story about it. I know that gut-punch feeling when someone steals your face, your name, and your relationships.
It’s not just unsettling; it’s a form of psychological vandalism. It makes me sick and concerned as I was scammed several times due to my naivety and my lack of experience in the digital world. Call me old fashioned but I am learning!
But this new Substack scam is far worse.
It is because Dr. Yildiz isn’t just an ordinary writer. He’s a community builder with over 263,000 Substack subscribers and 106,000 Medium followers, who has supports over thousands of writers and readers across platforms. His name carries trust and that’s exactly what scammers exploit.
Last year, several of his loyal readers were targeted by fake accounts pretending to be him. For example, Charisse Tyson was overtly scammed and she wrote an honest and poignatn story about it.
Scammed on Medium — The Sorted Tale
I feel like an idiot. Professionals don’t act this waymedium.com
Another one a Fulbright scholar and a full professor, Dr. Ali Hechmi Raddaoui trusted what looked like a legitimate communication and ended up losing a significant amount of money. He later wrote two detailed case studies on Medium to warn others. Sadly, both were censored before the wider community could learn from them.
How I got scammed
The raw storymedium.com
Aiden wrote a story about William Spivey who was also cloned.
Scammers on Medium Brazenly Clone Beloved Writer William Spivey
This is a distinguished writer who relentlessly fights against systemic racism and inequality in the United States of…medium.com
They even cloned Buster Benson when he was a director of Medium.
Finally, They Cloned Buster! What Is Next? Tony?
A heartfelt invitation to vigilance to prevent scams on Medium.com and make the platform more trustworthy and pleasant…medium.com
There were several more stories. That’s why I’m writing this here not to stir drama, but to protect innocent people.
If this can happen to a respected scientist and writer like Dr. Yildiz, someone with verified platforms and international standing, it can happen to anyone.
The fake account is following many of his loyal readers including me. Here is the screen capture for who they follow:
This includes my good friends like Dr Bronce Rice, Britni Pepper, Keith Williams, Russell Carr, Pam Lokker, Lawson Wallace, Veritas Civis, JD’s Stories From the Mountain ~, Sophia Chanu, Sharon Woodhouse, Irene M Lee and many more.
What Can We Do?
We need to talk about platform responsibility. If social platforms can identify keywords for monetization and flag harmless words for “content moderation,” they can damn well build a working impersonation-reporting system.
Substack is supposed to be about freedom and connection. But freedom without safety is a trap waiting to snap shut.
So, mates, here’s what you can do right now:
Check the links before you trust a name. Here is the verified Substack for Dr Mehmet Yildiz.
Never send money or share private details unless you’re absolutely sure you’re on an official site.
Spread awareness. Share this post — it might save someone from losing not just money, but faith in our community.
Dear Substack — this one’s for you as an honest feedback.
You know I am an ally and even I wrote a story about you on Medium:
Medium vs Substack: Six Reasons Writers Are Jumping Ship
Why Substack Might Be the Lifeboat Most Writers Actually Needmedium.com
Take this a caring feedback. It is not criticism. I want you to thrive as you are important to us.
Writers and readers deserve a real human helpdesk, not a clueless AI loop and broken reporting system. When the system fails to protect the people who built it, that’s negligence.
Please fix your reporting system so that we can trust you.
Trust is hard-earned, but easily broken. Let’s fix this before more good people get hurt.
Thanks for reading my story and have a good one!
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If you need a bit of fun this weekend, check out my gaming adventures:
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About Dr Mike Broadly
I am a retired healthcare scientist in my mid-70s, and I have several grandkids who keep me going and inspire me to write on this platform. I am also the chief editor of the Health and Science publication on Medium.com. As a giveback activity, I volunteered as an editor for Illumination publications, supporting many new writers. I will be happy to read, publish, and promote your stories. You may connect with me on LinkedIn, Twitter where I share stories I read. You may subscribe to my account to get my stories in your inbox when I post. You can find my distilled content on Substack: Health Science Research By Dr Mike Broadly. I also do guest-blogging. Welcome to Substackmastery.com! I started blogging at Blogger too.
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