Template talk:Scam warning

Wording

The template is a good idea. However

SCAM WARNING! The red triangle shows that it's a warning. Perhaps simply "SCAM!".

If you have been contacted or solicited by anyone asking for payment to get a draft into article space, improve a draft, or restore a deleted article, such offers are not legitimate and you should contact paid-en-wp@wikipedia.org immediately.

"Article space" may not be understandable to those who aren't already familiar with Wikipedia. How about something like this?

Any offer to

• create an article or draft
• convert a draft into an article
• improve a draft or article
• prevent the deletion of a draft or article
• restore a deleted draft or article

for payment is illegitimate. Don't fall for it. And please forward any such solicitation to paid-en-wp@wikipedia.org

But I'm sure that other editors can improve on this. -- Hoary (talk) 22:13, 7 June 2024 (UTC)

@Just Step Sideways and Hoary: Many times, both admins and non-admins are impersonated, so how about rephrasing it like If you have been contacted or solicited by anyone, including me, asking for payment... ? — Saqib (talk I contribs) 10:28, 26 July 2024 (UTC)

New wording

@Waddie96 I don't think the new wording is an improvement. It is longer, less emphatic, and unnecessarily increases the reading level while providing the same amount of information. Ca ^{talk to me!} 03:14, 1 August 2025 (UTC)