Someone tried to phish me - update

Support only communicates through official channels

Good catch. Honestly, I got hit with something similar a while back. Some rando DM'd me claiming to be a "forum admin," saying my account was flagged and I needed to verify my password to keep it from getting banned. First red flag? Legitimate staff never, ever ask for your password. If they need to verify something, they'll ask you to reset it through the official system or contact a known mod through the main channels.

Other concrete red-flag signals I've seen include rushed language, threats of immediate suspension, and links that look like the forum URL but have one extra letter – like "novelty-id-community" vs "novelty-id-commmunity". Also watch for DMs from accounts with recent join dates or very low post counts. Scammers pretty much always create fresh accounts to avoid getting banned. Another pattern I've seen is they'll mention a "special offer" or "vendor discount" that requires you to log in through their link. That's almost always a trap to harvest your credentials.

Best way to protect yourself? Enable two-factor authentication if the forum offers it. Never reuse passwords across different communities. Check the URL in your browser manually before typing anything. And if someone sends you a DM out of the blue asking for personal info, just report it and block them without engaging. I've also started using a password manager so I don't accidentally type my real login into a fake site — the auto-fill won't match a lookalike domain.

Stay sharp out there. These phishing attempts keep getting more convincing, but the basics still work: slow down, verify through official channels, and never hand over your password to anyone.