How to encourage users to report scammers in private settings

Question

The Context:

Recently in a Discord server which I moderate, I've noticed there are a few problem users which pop up every now and again, which Direct Message random users, with a standard scam which goes along the lines of: "you won a giveaway, please enter password and private info now".

The Issue:

I've only noticed these scammers as my account was also sent the message, multiple times. Furthermore, my alt accounts have also been sent the scams, which confirms this likely isn't a targeted attack. However, the issue is that community members are not reporting the problem users, which results in them staying hidden and probably scamming some community members before we (the moderators) find out and ban them.

How can I encourage users to report these users? I've already tried setting up a dedicated channel where users can report scammers, but this channel is very inactive and reports are very rare. Users simply don't come forward.

Answer 1

This issue is one I have encountered a lot too and sadly enough there isn't a great way to fix it. The main reason people don't report scams is because it is too much effort for them specifically. You have to remember that you as a moderator are one of the people who cares the most about the well-being of the community and thus will take the most effort to protect it. Many users won't take the time to message a moderator and accuse someone of scams.

However there are a few things you can do to ensure more people report scams. It is important for people to know how to report scams. As you said it should go into that channel and that seems great. Where you explain how to report a scammer should be some place obvious someone who has not opened the server can find by looking at channel names ideally. Here you should also tell everyone what to include in a scam message, probably a screenshot of the message plus name/id. The last thing is to follow back up with the people reporting. Let them know their report mattered.