Constant Fake Submissions in the Suburb of Turramurra, Sydney Extending Back as Far as 2021
WoodWose-PGO
Posts: 124 ✭✭✭✭
Hi team,
I’m writing as a follow-up to an older thread posted on this forum back in 2021: https://community.wayfarer.nianticlabs.com/discussion/26671/fake-series-of-a-moving-lfl-in-northern-sydney-and-other-random-junk/p1
In the above thread, there were numerous cases of documented completely fake Wayspots as well as the vandalism of public property in order to create Wayspots. I am unsure of what attempted actions have been taken to resolve the activities by this submitter, but the pattern of submissions with similar characteristics has been recurring for years now without much pause.
Just now, I had another nomination come through for review. Today is May 13, 2023:
The plaque in question is just a paper cut-out of a photo from this 2020 tweet from the City of Calgary’s official Twitter account. (https://twitter.com/cityofcalgary/status/1313967314182627328)
This matches a similar pattern of behavior that has been ongoing for years now - here's two such examples of the exact same type of nomination, the earliest of the two (the Cardi Bench Plaque) dating back to March 2022. Note in this case, the different paper plaques have been stuck to the same bench as each other, albeit at different times. This bench had also previously been vandalized with paint, nominated, and accepted before further evidence resulted in its eventual removal, more info in this thread:(https://community.wayfarer.nianticlabs.com/discussion/comment/143281#Comment_143281).
Is there any possibility that something can be done about this situation? From what I can tell, the submitter in question appears to still be using the same game accounts that they always have to make nominations in this general area.
Comments
Oh boy, that person won't stop vandalizing the area to get more Pokestops huh.
Can any Ambassadors help to escalate this abuse? This has been 2 years already yet no serious action taken against that abuser.
I have raised the report.
Thanks @WoodWose-PGO
If the new ambassadors actually have the ability to escalate these issues and actually do damage to this abuser, it makes me wonder what the initial 12 actually did or do or whether they didn't think this was necessary to stop.
Should such reports be successful, I'd probably also like to ask to report the Cherrybrook abuser too if they're still submitting their generally ineligible junk (with fullstops at the end of each of them).
Ambassadors can only raise issues and hope to make progress.
How does that person still have their level 47 PoGo account? Considering just last month someone was on Reddit complaining about an account termination due to submitting stuff on roundabouts (though eventually they got it back). This seems way worse than submitting a couple of sculptures on roundabouts.
Had this one come through today while hunting for things from Spain, this one is using the same photos that HaramDingo reported back during 2022 in the long thread here:
https://community.wayfarer.nianticlabs.com/discussion/comment/171517#Comment_171517
This is a fire hydrant, the painting was not commissioned by the Ku-ring-gai council and due to the quality of the paints the submitter in question uses to try and create wayspots, some of the colours would have likely faded away by now.
You can pretty much tell that a nomination in that area has come from him by the supporting statement, it is the same everytime.
I just recently came across one of the fake plaques that he stuck to a random bench in a shopping centre carpark.
Perhaps my understanding is flawed, but to me it seems that someone continuously submitting false nominations before the completion of voting, and persisting until one is eventually approved, undermines the entire review process. Look at those duplicate photos.
Yep, same person, 7 days ago, 17 days ago, 1 month ago.
Already I've written about this at the start of the year.
As you would expect from Niantic's lack of response, here, I am expecting absolutely **** as has been for this whole situation in the last couple of years. Except we've seen that the queue has really slowed down now, so expect to see more of the above in the weeks ahead.
Seriously though. If Niantic ever wondered why I stopped contributing, it's because of this endless **** along with the Cherrybrook submitter. Niantic, you have the power to get rid of them by taking action on his account and rejecting all the pending nominations in the area.
Pinging all you mods @NianticTintino-ING @NianticAaron @Nianthib. You all seem happy to respond elsewhere and investigate other things for days on end, just look into his account and withdraw everything forcefully so he can be done with Wayfarer for good!
I had a response to a ticket I raised about this case. Apparently, action was taken on the submitter and 8 Wayspots. Hopefully it sticks this time.
I have sent it to our team for review. I'll follow-up once the review is complete.
Thanks @NianticAaron, I appreciate you and your team's attention on this matter.
I was looking today and found another Wayspot in Turramurra that is either very new or was missed when my ticket (#24019585) was acted upon. This one (Three Little Birds Bench Plaque) is located at -33.732682,151.127473
As with previous cases, this is just paper glued to the bench, note the weird shadows, odd dark border, placement and flat looking screws. The original plaque was photographed and posted in a Reddit thread a few years ago, the bench is actually in Central Park, NY, USA:
You can even see the misplaced green paint on the bottom right corner of the fake plaque.
(source: https://www.reddit.com/r/GetMotivated/comments/ftzhkp/image_central_park_bench_plaque/)
A Love Story Plaque at (-33.732062,151.126091)
This has just recently popped up on Ingress Intel. This is also fake and made of paper, look at the shadow and perspective on those screws - further questions must be raised as to why the reviewers who got this one accepted it when (a) it's obviously fake and (b) even if it was real, it'd be a generic memorial bench with the description "A bench Plaque deicated [sic] to the memory of a local couple 'Claire and Paul'. 1950-2005" and no information as to why Claire or Paul were noteworthy or interesting.
It seems that the action taken on the submitter as a result of ticket # 24019585 wasn't every effective. The Three Little Birds plaque from the reply directly above this one is also still apparently active.
Hi @NianticAaron, sorry to bother you, but have you had any luck with this case over the past couple of weeks? There are at least two fake Wayspots active in the relevant area -33.732682,151.127473 and -33.732062,151.126091 (Ingress Scanner links)
We have removed the Wayspots in question. We have also taken appropriate action against the Wayfinder in question. Thanks,
Falsely claiming that you've taken action against the Wayfinder but then this spam garbage appears. Liars!
What's appropriate action in your opinion?
Like damn, I know Niantic as a whole doesn't have an ounce of integrity but you all really suck.
Do what you're doing to the Netherlands abusers and get rid of him once and for all!
This is not funny anymore. Did you really take action against the said abuser, including banning his account from this forum?
We are unable to discuss the punishments handed out to the Explorer in question. Having said that, I can assure you that we did take action against the Wayfinder in question.
@HaramDingo-ING Can we please keep the forums PG
@HaramDingo-ING
I understand your frustration at the constant problems you have had over the years. The team have been taking action. As @NianticAaron has explained they can’t give details of what the actions were. That brings a new set of frustrations as naturally you will want know but that’s the way it has to be.
You are right to observe that they have been able to take action in the Netherlands. Actions are being taken, but they can’t do all the necessary checks all at once.
if you can report this again ( I know I shouldn’t have to say again and you shouldn’t have to do it again ) they can investigate and if appropriate then take action.
Finally the wayfarer team doing these investigations and issuing sanctions are the ones who are actually taking these abuse reports and doing the work. They will have a framework to take actions and will work to that. That the abusers are continuing and not moderating their behaviour is just as frustrating for them. But the team will continue to follow the framework and although it be infuriatingly slow they will get there. It’s not fair to take out your frustrations caused by the abusers, by being insulting of their efforts. As wayfinders we need to work with them and for them to support us when we hit these abuse problems.
My question in all of this is, what can we do from our side of the curtain to actually get this resolved? The pattern of abuse around Turramurra/Warrawee has been ongoing for years (without exaggeration) at this stage and nothing really seems to change. Countless reports have been filled through every available means - the chat, in-game, these forums, and forms. We've been told numerous times that actions have been taken, but nothing seems to have any meaningful impact.
I rejected a bunch of these recently! @WoodWose-PGO around May as well... The bench plaques as fake and painting around the safety valve (that one I rejected as well they could be German/Belgium flag and most importantly -- I know the council had zero policy on this art - and I viewed it as another Australian nomination using the Indiginous line). But glad to see I was not the only one that saw this (and I was not going mad)
This is clearly someone who takes great joy out of working the system. I mean some effort right. Imagine if they actually put some effort in real nominations.
As creating real nominations is not why they do this... The only way to stop it is to take away their ability to nominate and review. And never get it back. As in never. Play the game sure.
Re @HaramDingo-ING comment on the queue slowing down. Totally seems to be backed up last couple of weeks.
And if people can keep doing it and people keep seeing it then more people will try it on
That is a good point. Each case of abusive behaviour has a slightly different pattern and form.
@NianticAaron @NianThib as woodwose says above and @HaramDingo-ING and others have said they have repeatedly tried to provide the evidence for action. Can you advise them about what exactly you need to help make a difference here as they are fed up of the cycle of gathering evidence/report/action/ then back to start. How can they be effective (since I think a lot are spotted in review so individual) to help you be effective? And to help give confidence that their reporting efforts are helping.
I guess some can be answered here but some might need supportive DM?
Thanks Elijustrying, to summarise some of the major issues here:
1) Since at least 2021, the submitter has consistently displayed a pattern of behavior involving the fabrication of fraudulent Wayspots. This has been achieved by (at best) employing temporary prop objects such as portable Little Free Libraries, and (at worst) by defacing public property with paint.
2) In order to circumvent the ordinary voting process, the submitter will spam the same nomination repeatedly even before any voting is complete. Consequently, some of the nominations end up with multiple identical photos, as once a nomination is successfully accepted, all others are flagged as duplicates.
3) The submitter persistently makes false assertions that their submission subjects were produced with endorsement from the local council/local government.
4) On several occasions, the submitter has been brazen enough to have attempted to resubmit fake Wayspots that have previously been removed by Niantic. On at least one occasion, they have been successful, with the previously removed Wayspot still being present in the Lightship database (The Flame of Ninetales) but not appearing in any current Niantic titles.
5) Niantic still tends to deny invalid Wayspot reports on nominations made by the submitter. This means that reports require extensive follow-up effort on our part to help keep the gameboard clean. I had one such report denied as recently as 2 weeks ago (Pride Pole Mural.)