Fake Portals Being Stolen From Other Locations

General Discussion
1

I’ve been reviewing again recently as a result of the new Scopely ordeal trying to get Onyx before they retire the medal (if they do). But whilst reviewing I came across some interesting things… someone has been stealing photos from my portals and trying to insert them in the game in another location.

Below are images of the submissions and the original portals already in game.

IMG_2970
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IMG_2974
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IMG_2966
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IMG_2965
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Initially, I thought this location had the same trail markers as us and found it novel until I looked further. You can clearly see that the images are exactly the same - even down to the leaves in the image and their placement.

Clear Wayfarer abuse!

1 Like
2

Welcome to the forum!

You can use help chat at Niantic Wayfarer or the “Reporting Abuse” form linked at the top here ( Reporting Abuse in Wayfarer — Wayfarer Help Center ) to report these. I prefer the form when I have more than one thing to report.

2 Likes
3

Hey LessThanJess, I’ve seen you around but we’ve never met :waving_hand:

That’s pretty pernicious, I wonder why they stole them from Royston? The two wayspots are very close to each other in a residential area in - and I am slightly curious to see if I can get away with using the town name here without being censored - Scunthorpe.

When I see obvious fakes like this, I like to make a note and check back in the future in case something has sneaked through.. although usually fakes don’t make it.

4

Hey - yeah I think we both get about quite a lot! Nice to hear from you. It only allowed me to upload 4 images - there’s more than that. All in that same housing estate too. I suppose this kind of town trail is plausible anywhere if people don’t look too closely or happen to be the one of the original submitters reviewing them…

I’ve also seen some of my tree trail plaques from Cambridge being stolen too…

5

If you use the form indicated above, you can cover them all in one go.

6

Done.

7

Out of interest, did they use the same supporting photo that you did when you first submitted them, or was the supporting photo the same as the main one or something else?

8

No the supporting photo was of the street they were submitting on - obviously the portal was nowhere to be seen. Obviously hoping that people wouldn’t look too hard…

9

Now finding ones where the photos are both the same. These are my portals in Cambridge - again stolen and added to Scunthorpe.

IMG_2999
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IMG_3001
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1 Like
10

These look like yours, do you recognise them? All accepted into the game.

Hornbeam Central Park Information Plauqe

53.582913, -0.6537609999999999

unnamed
unnamed383×512 113 KB

Magnolia ‘Merril’ Central Park Information Plauqe

53.582682999999996, -0.6536529999999999

unnamed
unnamed388×512 89.2 KB

Corsican Pine Central Park Information Plauqe

53.578815, -0.657428

unnamed
unnamed356×512 98.1 KB

Goat Willow Central Park Information Plauqe

53.579353999999995, -0.660002

unnamed
unnamed393×512 105 KB

Dawyk Beech Central Park Information Plauqe

53.581571999999994, -0.6563629999999999

unnamed
unnamed383×512 79.9 KB

Common Yew Central Park Information Plauqe

53.582929, -0.65462

unnamed
unnamed361×512 104 KB

Mongolian Linden Central Park Information Plauqe

53.581157999999995, -0.659169 [No portal]

unnamed
unnamed386×512 120 KB

Purple Beech Centeral Park Information

53.581129999999995, -0.659292 [No portal]

unnamed
unnamed361×512 85.8 KB

11

This one is fake, from Kew Gardens..

Queensway Katsura Wildlife Information Plaque

53.579038, -0.6533599999999999

unnamed
unnamed384×512 83.7 KB

..taken from..
51.480083,-0.294726

image
image845×418 108 KB

This one is from Belfast, not Scunthorpe..

Silica Park ‘Scan & Learn’ ‘Irish Yew’ Flora Trail

53.559532, -0.676253

unnamed
unnamed383×512 65.8 KB

The corresponding wayspot isn’t in Ingress, but is in Lightship:
54.585432, -5.870994

image
image852×414 91.8 KB

Also..

Silica Park ‘Scan & Learn’ Silver Birch ‘betula prndula’ Flora Trail

53.559503, -0.675383

unnamed
unnamed393×512 64 KB

..taken from..
54.585363, -5.870998999999999

image
image850×418 93.4 KB

Don’t know where this is from, but the “National Trust” logo doesn’t fit with a housing estate

unnamed
unnamed424×512 93.1 KB

You can see this in the top left corner.

image
image151×149 11.1 KB

But look.. here it is again:
53.560688999999996, -0.682074

image
image846×415 106 KB

This one is easier..

Forest Drive Parking Sign at Lakeside Lake

53.563522999999996, -0.680114

unnamed
unnamed393×512 109 KB

You can see “Kielder” on it easily..

55.304282, -2.3443579999999997

image
image848×424 116 KB

Here’s on taken from closer by..

Silica Park Butterflies Information Centre

53.559787,-0.676466

unnamed
unnamed384×512 128 KB

This one is just a few miles away, different photo in Lightship though.
53.621905999999996, -0.6586909999999999

image
image862×415 112 KB

Couldn’t tell you where this one is, but Scunthorpe isn’t in Norfork..

Cilica Park Roadside Nature Reserve Trail Marker Sign

53.559982, -0.679991

unnamed
unnamed385×512 51.4 KB

You can see Norfolk County Council logo on it..

image
image227×186 16.2 KB

This one is daft:

Buxton Sea Cadet Unit In Memory Of HRH Prince Philip
Buxton Sea Cadet Unit In Memory Of HRH Prince Philip384×512 51.5 KB

Buxton Sea Cadet Unit In Memory Of HRH Prince Philip

53.559349, -0.676717

unnamed
unnamed384×512 51.5 KB

..taken from..
53.256957,-1.919164

image
image847×413 98.9 KB

I don’t know if anything in this “park” is real, here’s another fake..

Silica Park Wooden Tree Carving

53.559371, -0.679547

unnamed
unnamed395×512 77.1 KB

Copied from:
52.763138, -1.220988

image
image841×416 105 KB

Not the same photo on this one, but I think it’s from Hartlepool and not Scunthorpe..

Cilia Park Zeppelim Bomb 1916 Mural

53.560838, -0.677242

unnamed
unnamed388×512 115 KB

Looks like..
54.685824, -1.242041

image
image843×418 114 KB

In Lightship, not in Ingress..
53.560921, -0.673454

image
image841×414 111 KB

“Welcome to your local canal”.. there is no canal here.

There are lots more fakes ones in this location, does anyone else want a look?

1 Like
12

Have you reported them in game?

1 Like
13

I think this is getting too complex for that. Maybe we need to leverage @NianticAaron or some other Niantic staff.

2 Likes
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Silica Park Riverside & Cafe Trail Marker

53.561352, -0.676627

unnamed
unnamed386×512 128 KB

Taken from:
52.175304, -2.29649

image
image843×414 132 KB

Silica Park ‘Fold’ Nature Trail Sign

53.560607, -0.6789459999999999

The origin for this is right next to the first one..
52.176004, -2.2983789999999997

image
image836×416 106 KB

I’m going to suggest this pair is fake as well, good StreetView on the first one and no sign of this post. Same terrible spelling too.

Scunthorpe Bird Watches Trail (Ospray)

53.563676, -0.678748

unnamed
unnamed393×512 93.8 KB

Scunthorpe Bird Watches Trail (Frog)

53.563268, -0.679431

Can’t find a source for this one, but the photo shows a hedgerow which is not visible on satellite view. I’d expect an LFL to be roadside.

Silica Park Community Free Library

53.561175999999996, -0.6808029999999999

unnamed
unnamed385×512 86.5 KB

Similarly, the background in the photo doesn’t match the location. Also, this isn’t part of any parish (typically that would be a village), so there would be no Parish Council noticeboard.

Silica Northern Lincolnshire Parish Council Notice Board

53.561164, -0.681406

unnamed
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This “public footpath” sign is not visible on StreetView. There is no public footpath here anyway.

Silica Park Public Footpath Entrence Trail Marker
Silica Park Public Footpath Entrence Trail Marker411×512 120 KB

Silica Park Public Footpath Entrence Trail Marker

53.561133999999996, -0.682199

For this one, there is a public footpath but the background building is not visible in satellite view. Like many of the others, it’s right next to the boundary of this park near a house. Same terrible spelling.

Cilia Park Public Footpath Trail Marker

53.560688999999996, -0.6815289999999999

9z0GfoqcSoX-KJ2J_Km9e41_SogDjg3Kjx6dB8Ux7I-yRUXFl6-jjeMhHUesMipU1r8BCMpPwVNnhPYOUUm9NrSk_Iw_ZwETUMomZpfOJg
9z0GfoqcSoX-KJ2J_Km9e41_SogDjg3Kjx6dB8Ux7I-yRUXFl6-jjeMhHUesMipU1r8BCMpPwVNnhPYOUUm9NrSk_Iw_ZwETUMomZpfOJg399×512 98.3 KB

This public footpath marker makes no sense in the context of its location. There’s no such junction here - see Way: 143573139 | OpenStreetMap

Cilia Park Directional Trail Marker Post

53.560627999999994, -0.680321

For this one, I can’t find the source but also I can find no trace of “Leroy Channel” as a wood carver. Like all of the others, this is in Silica Park.

Bear in the woods

53.561144, -0.67647

unnamed
unnamed382×512 86.7 KB

Going further afield..

Nelson Mandela Memorial Tree 1918 - 2013

53.565067, -0.6756019999999999

Taken from..
52.040243,-0.761809

image
image839×411 96 KB

Just next to it, the background on the photo does not match the location

Dryden Road Little Public Library

53.565745, -0.676223

unnamed
unnamed382×512 80.5 KB

These markers are all fake too..

Buzzy Park Nature Preservation Trail Marker 4

53.566255999999996, -0.676277

unnamed
unnamed395×512 78.8 KB

Taken from
52.712948, -2.53664

image
image847×413 123 KB

These are all copied from the same area of Telford..

Buzzy Park Nature Preservation Trail Marker 12
Buzzy Park Nature Preservation Trail Marker 12408×512 80.7 KB

Buzzy Park Nature Preservation Trail Marker 12

53.567173999999994, -0.676507

image
image849×410 96.2 KB

Buzzy Park Nature Preservation Trail Marker 43

53.567809, -0.676449

image
image853×408 115 KB

Buzzy Park Nature Preservation Trail Marker 40

53.566148999999996, -0.6735249999999999

image
image847×418 96.3 KB

Buzzy Park Nature Preservation Trail Marker 48

53.568070999999996, -0.6723359999999999

image
image838×407 104 KB

Buzzy Park Nature Preservation Trail Marker 11

53.568556, -0.6718189999999999

image
image836×406 93.5 KB

Buzzy Park Nature Preservation Trail Marker 3

53.568777999999995, -0.6721509999999999

image
image840×416 89.4 KB

Guilder Rose 45 Natural Preserve Trail Marker

53.565712, -0.670627

image
image843×410 112 KB

Buzzy Park Nature Preservation Trail Marker 46

53.565957999999995, -0.670526

image
image840×413 107 KB

The following are present in Ingress but not Lightship, so perhaps deleted already..

Buzzy Park Nature Preservation Trail Marker 14
Buzzy Park Nature Preservation Trail Marker 40
Buzzy Park Nature Preservation Trail Marker 10
Buzzy Park Nature Preservation Trail Marker 9

1 Like
15

Wow how do u locate the original wayspot? Google lens? Anyway. Have u submit abuse report?

16

The team have previously picked up on posts like this, so I would wait and see.

Tempting to drive over to look :zany_face:

2 Likes
17

As it happens, the Ingress Mission Creator has a great search function.. some of the other ones show up on Google Lens.

2 Likes
18

@shritwod

Regarding “Buxton Sea Cadet Unit In Memory Of HRH Prince Philip”

I think it was you that referenced this wayspot? Can you confirm whether you think it is fake or that it has been resubmitted somewhere else?

In the Pavilion Gardens in Buxton, I found a number of plaques like this that weren’t in Ingress or
Pokemon Go. I spent 5+ minutes on site for each one, taking google photospheres, uploading them onto Google maps and then writing up the wayspots once I could confirm they were visible. For this one, the photosphere is Buxton Sea Cadets Plaque Photosphere

It’s only been in wayfarer since the April 4th this year

1 Like
19

The one in Buxton is the genuine one, but someone has copied it in Scunthorpe.

It’s possible that other Buxton wayspots have been copied as well, if you have the Ingress Intel Map or Lightship you might want to check around 53.559349, -0.676717

1 Like
20

Thanks, found them. First time I’ve known one of my submissions to have been stolen. I’m immediately confused as to how they got accepted. A quick look on google satellite shows how many are clearly not there (topography simply wrong) and the supporting photo would have to be the submission photo.

This makes me feel better about insta-rejecting anything where the supporting photo is the main photo or doesn’t show the submission object, and can’t be confirmed on streetview.

1 Like