This is part two of the publication of 'PROTECT IT: Fortifying and Securing Your IMVU Avatar Account.' This one is different because it deals with self-auditing the content of your own account. Other topics I'll discuss are 'Links,' 'Scams,' and 'False Impersonation of IMVU or its personnel'.

Retaliation Flagging and Reporting

There are responsible individuals who report legitimate, serious, crazy, or exaggerated infractions, and if you enjoy IMVU and want to keep the platform and your experience on it safe and good,... I believe we should all be a little proactive.

On the other hand, there are trolls and bullies who have nothing better to do than to point out things and deliberately report individuals out of spite, sometimes as retaliation, with the sole purpose of getting the person into trouble with IMVU hoping they will take action. They comb through a person's entire account looking for things they can flag and report to cause trouble, even if they are just "borderline." Here is the basic explanation of GA and AP:

• GA - General Audience, includes everyone (including those under 18), or Goods Available to All Users.
  
• AP - Access Pass, includes only those users who have purchased AP and have been "Age Verified" as 18 or older. Only those with AP can go into AP rooms, purchase AP Items and Music from the IMVU Shop, and visit avatar pages set to "AP only". It also describes rooms and items that have been tagged as AP.

It's important to note that IMVU doesn't have a team constantly monitoring their site for infractions. They simply don't have the time or resources. IMVU relies on 'other users' to flag and/or report these issues, and all the flags and reports IMVU receives... keep them plenty busy.

That being said, here's a list of things you can do to block content and try to ensure that your account complies with IMVU's guidelines and remains Secure & Safe against 'flagging retaliation' trolls.

1. Your IMVU profile and posts on the IMVU feed are considered "GA only" territory. If you have anything (photos, images, or text) on your avatar profile or in any of your feed posts that is on the edge or beyond the line in terms of nudity, threatening others, or could be considered cultural, racial, or sexually offensive or LGBTQ+, it would be a good idea to edit, change, or delete it. If the images depict anything known or considered as AP, it would be prudent to keep it out of the Feed.
   
   Another issue to consider pertains to "Tags". When taking photos using the IMVU camera tool, the room where you take them and specific clothing items are automatically tagged. Typically, IMVU's camera tool will prevent you from taking these photos if you're in an AP room or if there are AP clothing items present in a GA room. However, from experience, I've learned that depending on the client you're using (or phone app), this "IMVU protection" doesn't always activate. Even if the room and clothing items are AP, IMVU can still detect it through the tags in the image, so caution is advised. IMVU won't hold itself accountable (as it should) and will point the blame at you.
   
   NOTE: One way to avoid "tagging" is by using alternative methods to take photos (device screenshots, LightShot, Gyazo, SnagIt) and uploading the photo to Feed from your device. However, remember, you will still be accountable for the content of any image if IMVU flags it and then visually identifies it.
   
2. If you have images in any of your IMVU photo albums where access is set to "Everyone," the above criteria apply. If you have questionable images, you should set the album access to "Only me," move the images to another album set to "Only me," or delete them. You may choose to change the album access to "Friends only" if you know you can trust those on your IMVU friends list.
   
3. If you have photographs, images, stickers, words, or statements on your IMVU avatar webpage, and it's set in your GA settings as "default" for everyone, the aforementioned criteria also apply here. Keep in mind that not only can everyone on IMVU view and visit it, but anyone outside of IMVU (those who aren't logged in, and even those who don't use IMVU) can also see it. However, this is easily fixable and it's a good idea if you want a bit more security for your webpage. Go to your "Account" page on the IMVU website and in "Privacy and Security/Homepage Settings," change the access to your homepage from Open to "Everyone" to Open to "Visitor Access Only." If you don't want to do this and you have questionable content on your avatar webpage, I would recommend editing and changing things on it.
   
4. Take note of what you say in your IMVU messages and room chats. Think before typing anything and hitting the "Enter" key or "Send" button. This may seem trivial, but people do take note of messages, as well as chat in rooms, especially trolls and bullies. I've found it's best NOT to respond or engage in conversations with anyone trying to stir up trouble. In a room, if necessary, a) I completely ignore them as if they weren't even there, b) I leave the room, or c) if I'm a moderator or room owner and if the issue is "justifiable," I eject them from the room.
   
   IMVU messages are more fragile because you can't retract anything once it's sent. While you can delete the message from your end, it won't erase from the recipient's account. If someone gets angry, starts trouble, or harasses you through messages, ignore, delete, or (if necessary) report and/or block their account.

Links, 3rd-Party Offers, and Scams

In general, clicking on links (anywhere) is the primary way people can become vulnerable. Links contain embedded code and can not only do what was intended (take you to another webpage) but sometimes there can be much more within that link's code. The "cybersecurity" industry refers to the use of embedded malicious links as "social engineering" because in these cases, it's the "recipient" who "clicks the link" and initiates what happens next (not the h4c|<7r or scammer)... they simply set it up, like a trap), and it's hard to know "what" might actually happen. IMVU has implemented some security measures on its site and platform regarding links,... but at the very least, links have the potential to lead you to a malicious, insecure, or fraudulent website,... even to a well-designed phishing site made to closely resemble a legitimate and reputable site,... even a site page or pop-up window that appears authentic from IMVU.

To be honest (and as a side note), I receive more IMVU messages from IMVU or third-party offers than regular messages from friends and others. Now, I understand that not all offers are scams, fraudulent, or dangerous,... but unfortunately, many of the messages most people typically receive can be. I'm not going to tell you to ignore all of them or any of them, but use your brain and do a little research "before" responding... or clicking on any link in an IMVU message or chat room. The main rule regarding links is "Do you 'know' and 'trust' the source (sender) who sent it to you?

Let me issue a caution about offers and sites that promise you "Earn Credits". Yes, there are legitimate ways to earn credits and many people take advantage of their programs, but caution is warranted. With many fraudulent schemes, credits get deposited into your IMVU account from somewhere or someone, but perhaps not in the "right" way. Just be careful if: ...a) you end up on a suspicious site or are redirected to one, ...b) you have to do something to initiate the transfer in some way, or ...c) you're asked to give up certain account information that you shouldn't disclose to anyone else,... so be wary. I'll make my point...

Regarding the sale or "resale" of credits,... any credit transactions 'outside' of the IMVU platform are prohibited. The permitted transactions on the IMVU platform are: a) Purchasing credits directly from IMVU for yourself, b) Purchasing credits directly from IMVU "as a gift" for another account, c) Gifting (transferring) credits to another account using the IMVU website or clients, d) buying and using an authentic IMVU gift card, and e) arranging a credit transfer to another account through IMVU customer service or VIP support chat. Now, I know there are so-called "resellers," but hear me out. I don't claim to know it all, but what I do know for certain is... IMVU is currently "permanently disabling" accounts for "Unauthorized credit reselling".

False Impersonations of IMVU or IMVU Staff

Unscrupulous individuals scare, prank, or "lure" people into visiting another site or revealing their account information by posing as IMVU or one of its employees. I've seen this happen several times over the years through "IMVU Messages," and (I'll say this) some of them were quite professionally crafted and "convincing." The good news is that these fraudulent accounts don't last long, and IMVU swiftly removes them. However,... if you receive a message from IMVU that appears to be from IMVU or one of its employees:

1. If it's a general announcement or promotion, do not click on any links in the message until you can positively "verify" that the message is really from IMVU.
2. If the message is directed only to you personally, and is asking you to "verify" or give additional information about your account or yourself, or they're describing an infraction you are supposedly guilty of (a warning, ban, or disablement), and even asking (or demanding) you to take action with a "reply" to the message or clicking on a link, "DON'T DO IT". Contact IMVU Customer Support by alternate means, ...by email or by phone, or through the VIP Customer Service Chat to verify the 'validity' of the message. I'm not making this up. I received one of these years ago informing me my account was disabled and to contact them using the link in the message. People are truly sick in the head.
   
   An imposter avatar account and profile card is created to look like a real IMVU Staff account in every way they can, ...the avatar name, the picture, even the "Staff" Badge, but if you look closely, you will notice things may be "off" or "not quite right" in the name or images. One of the "safeguards" IMVU instituted is the use of a STAFF "Watermark" that is "angled" & printed multiple times on all of the real staff profile cards. If it doesn't have this specific watermark, the staff avatar account that is messaging you is an imposter.

The vast majority of the above has happened to me, haha. Only this business of buying credits doesn't, because I don't do it, because in the country where I live, it's more compensable to buy directly from imvu than from outside. I've already published an item that was considered AP, imvu itself changed it to AP, I've been punished for two weeks for it at other times. I've already deleted posts in the feed for complaints made, usually people who don't like my face very much, haha.So I literally took it to the extent of 'living and learning'

mmm, they banned 3 main accounts for me and then about 5 secondary ones. The first account was banned for DMCA, (I will make a post about this later), the culprit of this were very well-known brands, which imvu took action and took a large number of accounts, then I borrowed an account for a while and They banned it for being on a different IP than usual... then the other accounts were banned by one of the points there, reselling credits, although currently I continue doing it I assume the risk that I have, so the best solution to resell credits is use secondary accounts