# Suspicious email/possible poacher **URL:** \ **Category:** General\ **Created:** [May 11, 2019, 2:19pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/suspicious-email-possible-poacher/3147 "2019-05-11T14:19:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![leecain](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/leecain/32/2368_2.png) [@leecain](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/leecain)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2019, 2:19pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/suspicious-email-possible-poacher/3147/1 "2019-05-11T14:19:23Z")
I received the attached suspicious request in my iNaturalist email. It seemed odd, and when I looked at the individual’s profile they have uploaded zero observations or ID’s. I suspect an attempt to poach and have not responded to it. ![33%20AM](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/2X/0/0f400397870690cccc75fea2278f692c3a6fb85f.png) ---
**Author:** ![tjeerddw](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/tjeerddw/32/2371_2.png) [@tjeerddw](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/tjeerddw)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2019, 2:54pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/suspicious-email-possible-poacher/3147/2 "2019-05-11T14:54:52Z")
wise decision, would have done the same especially if its about protected or endangered species… ---
**Author:** ![robertarcher397](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/robertarcher397/32/57_2.png) [@robertarcher397](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/robertarcher397)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2019, 3:42pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/suspicious-email-possible-poacher/3147/4 "2019-05-11T15:42:54Z")
I agree. You could ask for proof of their photography. Flickr? ---
**Author:** ![kueda](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/kueda/32/20_2.png) [@kueda](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/kueda)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2019, 3:59pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/suspicious-email-possible-poacher/3147/5 "2019-05-11T15:59:33Z")
If the species concerned are sensitive then I would not respond with coordinates, but I also wouldn’t assume this person is a poacher. As we’ve written in our [Community Guidelines](https://www.inaturalist.org/pages/community+guidelines), “assume people mean well.” To me, this request seems perfectly legitimate, and if we’re going to assume that lack of observations / identifications means someone is a poacher, then I’m afraid many of my friends and family are poachers too! And I guess I was poacher my entire life until 2008. If it were me, I’d simply send a polite response saying that I don’t disclose locations of sensitive species to people I don’t know, but I wish her good luck on her visit. ---
**Author:** ![bobby23](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/bobby23/32/2990_2.png) [@bobby23](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/bobby23)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2019, 4:19pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/suspicious-email-possible-poacher/3147/6 "2019-05-11T16:19:20Z")
I assume the best in people, but this email is at the very least suspicious… ---
**Author:** ![RoseBones](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/rosebones/32/1625_2.png) [@RoseBones](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/RoseBones)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2019, 8:15pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/suspicious-email-possible-poacher/3147/7 "2019-05-11T20:15:53Z")
That does seem quite suspicious, would not respond ---
**Author:** ![diegoalmendras](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/diegoalmendras/32/1473_2.png) [@diegoalmendras](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/diegoalmendras)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2019, 1:15am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/suspicious-email-possible-poacher/3147/8 "2019-05-12T01:15:16Z")
this doesn’t sound good! I highly recommend you to change the geoprivacy of these observation to obscure or private, just in case! I googled its avatar and no info appeared, this is clearly a fake profile. Can we flag these profiles. is ok to do it? ---
**Author:** ![lotteryd](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/lotteryd/32/2490_2.png) [@lotteryd](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/lotteryd)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2019, 10:58pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/suspicious-email-possible-poacher/3147/9 "2019-05-12T22:58:04Z")
> [@diegoalmendras](#): > > I googled its avatar and no info appeared, this is clearly a fake profile. Normal well-meaning but cautious people can have single per-site avatars and usernames, similar to what is suggested for one’s site passwords, so googleability is not a good index of authenticity. Edit: FWIW as an experiment I just googled my own avatar that I’ve used variously (in perhaps non-googleable contexts) for decades on the internet and nothing related to me came up. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/2X/7/7831452cf7f0d653ff1ffd34176334b7ef1b6a17.png) [@system](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2019, 10:58pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/suspicious-email-possible-poacher/3147/10 "2019-07-11T22:58:06Z")
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