Hi,
I was just reviewing and came across a nomination I think is fake. When you look at the close up picture then the surrounding area picture it doesn’t look like the same pole. When I compare the houses in the background of the photo to the ones on Street View, the chimneys look different, the windows are completely different and there’s definitely not the sign on the pole. Please watch out for it when approving!
I don’t have enough information to make a fully informed and haven’t checked Streetview myself. So I am answering this in good faith. If the street furniture is the same as the one in the submission, I don’t think this is a genuine submission.
Fake submissions for NCN markers do happen. Always check the streetview and then the NCN map if it is on a path not mapped by streetview.
When you find it definitely isn’t on the NCN route, reject as abuse.
Thanks for the tip - the route goes nowhere near the road they’ve said - here’s a zoomed in map showing the route through that town and I’ve circled the road they’ve pin is on. Clearly abuse. I already reported it (in the nomination itself) from the initial photos not matching.
Photos are of a different lamp post between the main and supporting photos, the street light number on StreetView is also different from the supporting photo. Route 4 runs some distance east of this point - Detailed maps & routes to explore across the UK | OS Maps
Snap 
OpenStreetMap is really good at recording the NCN Routes, if you can match the location on OSM then that’s often a quick way to check.
Thank you - I thought they were different lampposts too - which is weird, you’d have thought they’d have done the same one! I just hope others reject as abuse too because that’s not slightly out due to GPS drift or something, that’s deliberately taking photos elsewhere to upload somewhere that isn’t eligible.
It’s got to be the same person surely? I’ll look out for that one and report as abuse too - I hope that abuse reports are looked at properly and this person gets a warning over it - 1 was bad enough, but 2 makes me think they don’t care at all about making sure things are where they say they are.
Oh yeah, worth checking for nearby fake wayspots if any more come up. I didn’t see any when I reviewed.
@Ambassadors (hope that’s the right tag) it looks like a player has created at least 2 fake nominations - I’ve reported one on the review page, I presume the person above here has done the same on the one they have found. Is there anything more we could or should do? Thank you!
Whats an NCN marker? And are these types of poles (if it’s real) valid for submission?
NCN = national cycle network. The acronym might be different now, but this is what I know them as in my head. See also Sustrans, which has changed its name but manages the NCN.
They are official biking trail markers and are definitely eligible. When they are not faked - NCN markers seem to be a target for making fake submissions.
I’ve just come across this one - except in a different location to where yours was! This guy needs some sort of sanction as this is clearly deliberate abuse. I’ve reported the new one again but there must be something more we can do?
The fact he or she has used the exact same photos on more than one nomination says they know exactly what they are doing…
Just keep reporting. He will give up when his smurf account kept getting warning
@NianticAtlas is it possible that this be looked into please.
What’s a Smurf account?
For me, a smurf account is an Ingress agent who is on the Resistance. I’m not aware of any pokemon-related meaning.
