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Fur Affinity | Internet Safety and Scamming
Updated - 2/10/2026We want to address some concerns with internet safety and scamming, especially with the upcoming holidays which typically have an increase in suspicious and fraudulent activities.
Whether you use Fur Affinity, Discord, Bluesky, Reddit, Telegram, or any other form of social media, furries by and large have been seeing a rise in attempts for commission and art scams. While our moderation team works behind the scenes to stop them, the only way to truly stop scammers is with the knowledge of their existence and tactics. We have seen a very small, but persistent group continue to try to cause issues, and we want to remind our users of some safety best practices.
Common Examples of Scams
Staff Impersonation Scams
We have recently seen an increase in scammers pretending to be site staff. Fur Affinity staff will never ask you to change your email to something that is not yours, nor will we ask you to give us your password. In addition, our staff will not contact you about matters related to the website or your account in the Fur Affinity Discord or as a private message on Discord. Legitimate notifications from Fur Affinity Staff will always appear in one of two forms:
- An email from an [at]furaffinity.net address.
- Notes on site from the official "Fur Affinity Staff" account (look for the star shield icon before the display name, like the one next to my name, and double-check the account name).
Fur Affinity staff will never...
- Contact you and ask you to change your password.
- Contact you and ask you to change your email to a different email which you do not own.
- Discuss an action or possible action for a user through a third party.
- Contact you through another platform [Discord, Twitter, Bluesky] about an issue occurring on our site.
- Contact you as an individual staff member in a direct message (DM) to you on Discord, another platform, or on our site.
Users with questions, comments, or concerns about moderation actions should open a Trouble Ticket or send an email via appeals.
YCH Scams
One of the more common scams is the claim that an older YCH (“your character here”) commission has suddenly become available again after the original buyer backed out. They target previous highest bidders on YCHs in an attempt to dupe them into paying. Most of the time, they use new accounts with a name that is very close to the original artist’s username, but the spelling/formatting is just slightly off.
Commission Scammers
If someone messages you first with an unsolicited commission offer, that is a red flag. Scammers love to impersonate existing artists via stolen or AI-generated content to lure people in with the promise of affordable, high-quality commissions with fast turnaround times. They then send out mass notices in an attempt to catch as many people as they can. This type of scammer will often request for further communication to continue on another platform, such as Discord or Telegram. If somebody messages first, always be wary and do your research before committing to a commission.
"Accidentally Reported You" Scams
Another common tactic is the scammer pretending they've reported your account, then telling you what to do to make sure action isn't taken against you. The directions and links they give are malicious and should not be followed. If you're ever unsure about the status of your account please open a Trouble Ticket and staff will assist you.
Protecting Yourself
Invoice When Paying
Always ask for an invoice, and NEVER pay with “friends and family” options unless you know and trust the person. Doing so waives your rights to a refund and any money sent is considered a non-refundable gift. Again, always request an invoice; they come with buyer protections built in.
Double-Check Their Profile
Take a moment to double-check that the person you are messaging is who they say they are. New accounts will have a green leaf icon in place after their display name.
Ensure they are not using a new account, and their profile takes you to a user page that has been registered for a while and has an established gallery. Galleries without a visible history of completed works can be a red flag. Be cautious if you receive a message from an account you do not know or appears new, especially if you get an unfamiliar link encouraging you to click it.
Double-Check Their Username
While display names can have duplicates, usernames cannot. Make sure to check the username, not just the display name! On our website the username is in place to the right of the display name in a smaller font. This image uses the official Fur Affinity staff account as an example (and highlights the staff icon):
On Discord you can check a user’s profile by clicking their name and the username will show just under their display name:
(This example is from the official Discord “Custom Profiles” documentation, and isn’t a real user.)
Have them tell you their Discord/Messenger name
Multiple scammers may use one gallery account as “theirs”. They avoid detection of moderators by avoiding saying their off-site names because it will make it obvious they are either repeat offenders or multiple people using the same account. Never give your username first.
Reporting suspicious activity
If you have evidence of a scam, impersonation, or are contacted in a way on Fur Affinity that seems suspicious or gives you “red flags,” please submit a Trouble Ticket so we can look into the issue further.
