Fraud & Scams Disclaimer

1. Our Commitment to Safety

At Upstream Creators, we are committed to creating a safe, trustworthy, and transparent environment for creators, fans, members, buyers, sellers, and other Users of the Platform.

As with any online platform that allows Users to communicate, make purchases, sell products or services, send messages, participate in challenges, and make or receive payments, there is a risk that individuals may attempt to engage in fraudulent, deceptive, or abusive activity.

This Fraud & Scams Disclaimer provides guidance on how to recognize potential scams, protect your account and personal information, and report suspicious activity.

By using Upstream Creators, you acknowledge and agree to the practices and limitations described on this page.

2. What Is Fraud or a Scam?

For purposes of this Disclaimer, fraud or a scam generally refers to deceptive, dishonest, or misleading conduct intended to obtain money, personal information, account access, products, services, or other benefits from another person.

Examples may include, but are not limited to:

• Pretending to be an Upstream Creators employee, representative, administrator, creator, or other trusted person.
• Creating fake creator accounts or impersonating legitimate creators.
• Requesting payment outside Upstream Creators for a transaction that is represented as an Upstream transaction.
• Sending fraudulent payment requests or invoices.
• Attempting to obtain another User's password, verification code, payment information, or account credentials.
• Offering fake products, services, events, memberships, or digital products.
• Providing false or misleading information about a product or service.
• Attempting to manipulate votes, rankings, challenges, engagement, or other Platform features through fraudulent activity.
• Using stolen payment information or unauthorized payment methods.
• Sending malicious links, files, or websites intended to compromise another User's device or account.
• Attempting to move conversations away from Upstream Creators in order to avoid Platform safeguards or payment processes.
• Promising unrealistic financial returns, prizes, opportunities, sponsorships, employment, or business arrangements while requesting money or personal information.
• Any other conduct intended to deceive, defraud, exploit, or unlawfully obtain a benefit from another person.

3. Important: Upstream Will Never Ask for Your Password

Upstream Creators will never ask you to provide your account password through:

• Email;
• Direct messages;
• Social media;
• WhatsApp;
• Telegram;
• Text messages;
• Telephone calls; or
• Any other unofficial communication channel.

You should never provide your Upstream Creators password to another person, even if that person claims to work for Upstream Creators.

You should also never share security codes, authentication codes, payment verification codes, or other account-security information with another person.

If someone claims to represent Upstream Creators and asks you for this information, treat the request as suspicious and report it.

4. Be Careful of Impersonation

Scammers may attempt to impersonate:

• Upstream Creators;
• Upstream employees or administrators;
• Creators;
• Influencers;
• Brand representatives;
• Payment providers;
• Customer-support representatives; or
• Other Users you may trust.

An individual may use a similar username, profile picture, name, email address, logo, or other information to make an account appear legitimate.

Do not assume that an account is genuine simply because it uses a creator's name or photograph.

If you are unsure whether you are communicating with the legitimate person or organization, stop the conversation and verify the identity through an official communication channel.

5. Never Make an Upstream Payment Outside the Platform

When making purchases or payments through Upstream Creators, Users should use the payment methods and payment processes made available through the Platform.

Be extremely cautious if another person asks you to:

• Send money directly to a bank account;
• Send money through a money-transfer service;
• Send cryptocurrency;
• Purchase gift cards;
• Send money through an unrelated payment link;
• Pay through WhatsApp or Telegram;
• Pay through another social-media platform;
• Send cash;
• Pay an additional "release fee";
• Pay a "verification fee";
• Pay a "withdrawal fee" directly to an individual; or
• Complete any other payment outside the applicable Upstream Creators payment process.

A person may claim that an outside payment is necessary to receive a product, service, prize, refund, membership, sponsorship, creator opportunity, or other benefit.

You should treat such requests as suspicious.

If a transaction is supposed to take place through Upstream Creators, do not allow another person to pressure you into paying outside the Platform.

6. Creator Store and Digital Products

Upstream Creators may allow creators and other eligible sellers to offer products, digital products, services, events, or other offerings through the Platform.

Before purchasing, Users should carefully review:

• The product or service description;
• Pricing;
• Product details;
• Delivery information;
• Digital-product information;
• Any applicable terms or conditions;
• Refund information; and
• Any other information provided by the seller.

Do not purchase an item solely because someone pressures you to act quickly.

Be cautious if a seller:

• Provides information that appears false or misleading;
• Refuses to use the Platform's payment process;
• Requests additional payment outside the Platform;
• Attempts to move the transaction to another platform;
• Promises something substantially different from the listed product;
• Requests your account password or security codes; or
• Uses threats, pressure, or unreasonable urgency to convince you to make a payment.

Upstream Creators does not encourage Users to complete Platform transactions through unofficial payment channels.

7. Creator-to-Fan Communications

Creators and fans may communicate through features provided by Upstream Creators.

Users should remember that communications may originate from independent Users and not from Upstream Creators itself.

A creator may ask a fan to communicate through another platform for legitimate reasons. However, Users should exercise caution when a conversation involves:

• Requests for money;
• Requests for personal information;
• Requests for account credentials;
• Investment opportunities;
• Financial promises;
• Employment opportunities;
• Sponsorship opportunities;
• Prize claims;
• Requests to purchase gift cards;
• Requests for cryptocurrency;
• Requests for payment outside Upstream; or
• Other unusual financial requests.

If you are uncomfortable with a conversation or believe another User is attempting to defraud you, you should stop communicating with that person and report the activity.

8. Fake Sponsorships and Business Opportunities

Scammers may target creators by pretending to represent:

• Brands;
• Advertising agencies;
• Talent agencies;
• Marketing companies;
• Upstream Creators;
• Event organizers; or
• Other businesses.

They may offer creators sponsorships, partnerships, paid campaigns, modeling opportunities, employment, product deals, or other opportunities.

A scammer may then request:

• An upfront payment;
• A registration fee;
• A processing fee;
• Banking information;
• Account credentials;
• Identification documents;
• Cryptocurrency;
• Gift cards; or
• Other sensitive information.

Creators should independently verify the identity of any person offering a business opportunity before providing money or sensitive information.

An offer that appears unusually lucrative, urgent, or too good to be true should be treated with caution.

9. Fake Prizes, Giveaways, and Challenges

Users may encounter fraudulent messages claiming that they have won:

• Money;
• A giveaway;
• A challenge;
• A competition;
• A sponsorship;
• A product;
• A membership;
• A promotion; or
• Another reward.

Scammers may then request an upfront payment or personal information before releasing the supposed prize.

Do not assume that a message is legitimate simply because it uses Upstream Creators branding or appears to come from a creator.

If you receive a prize or giveaway notification that you believe may be fraudulent, verify the information through the appropriate official channel before taking any action.

10. Protect Your Personal Information

You should avoid unnecessarily sharing sensitive personal information with other Users.

This may include:

• Passwords;
• Authentication codes;
• Banking credentials;
• Payment-card information;
• Account recovery information;
• Government identification numbers;
• Copies of identity documents;
• Private addresses;
• Security questions and answers;
• Personal financial information; or
• Other information that could be used to access or impersonate you.

Upstream Creators will not be responsible for losses resulting from a User voluntarily providing sensitive information to another User where the User could reasonably have protected that information.

11. Protect Your Account

You are responsible for taking reasonable steps to protect your Upstream Creators account.

We recommend that you:

• Use a strong and unique password;
• Do not reuse your Upstream password on other websites;
• Never share your password;
• Keep your email account secure;
• Do not share authentication or verification codes;
• Log out of shared or public devices;
• Be cautious when clicking links sent by other Users;
• Keep your devices and software reasonably up to date; and
• Contact Upstream Creators if you believe your account has been compromised.

If you believe someone has obtained access to your account, change your password as soon as possible and contact us.

12. Suspicious Links and Files

Users may send links, images, files, or other content through online communications.

Do not click suspicious links or open unexpected files.

Be particularly cautious when a message:

• Creates a sense of urgency;
• Claims your account will be closed unless you act immediately;
• Requests your login information;
• Requests a payment;
• Claims you have won a prize;
• Requests that you verify your account through an unfamiliar website;
• Contains an unexpected attachment; or
• Redirects you to a website that does not appear to be an official Upstream Creators or authorized payment page.

When in doubt, do not click the link.

13. Fraudulent Payments

Users must not use Upstream Creators to facilitate fraudulent or unauthorized transactions.

Prohibited conduct may include:

• Using another person's payment method without authorization;
• Using stolen payment information;
• Attempting to reverse legitimate transactions through fraudulent claims;
• Creating fraudulent purchases;
• Creating fake transactions;
• Attempting to manipulate refunds;
• Engaging in payment laundering;
• Using the Platform to transfer funds obtained through unlawful activity; or
• Any other attempt to abuse the Platform's payment systems.

Upstream Creators may investigate suspicious transactions and may take appropriate action, including cancelling transactions, restricting accounts, withholding or reversing transactions where permitted, or suspending or terminating accounts.

14. Fake Accounts and Impersonation

Users must not create accounts for the purpose of impersonating another person, creator, business, organization, or Upstream Creators representative.

If you believe someone is impersonating you or another person, please report the account to Upstream Creators.

We may investigate reported impersonation and take action where appropriate.

15. Manipulation of Votes, Rankings, and Engagement

Upstream Creators may provide voting, rankings, challenges, engagement, and other community features.

Users must not use fraudulent, automated, deceptive, or otherwise prohibited methods to manipulate these systems.

Examples may include:

• Fake accounts;
• Automated voting;
• Bots;
• Purchased fraudulent engagement;
• Vote manipulation;
• Coordinated fraudulent activity;
• Exploiting technical vulnerabilities;
• Using stolen accounts; or
• Other deceptive methods designed to artificially influence rankings or Platform results.

Upstream Creators may remove fraudulent votes or engagement and may take other action against accounts involved in manipulation.

16. Reporting Fraud or Suspicious Activity

If you believe you have encountered fraud, a scam, impersonation, suspicious payment activity, or another form of abuse on Upstream Creators, please report it as soon as possible.

When reporting an incident, provide as much relevant information as reasonably possible, including:

• The username or profile involved;
• The name of the creator or seller;
• Screenshots;
• Relevant messages;
• Transaction information;
• Dates and times;
• Links to relevant Upstream pages; and
• A description of what happened.

Do not delete relevant evidence if you may need it for an investigation.

You should also immediately contact your bank, payment provider, or other relevant financial institution if you believe an unauthorized financial transaction has occurred.

For urgent account-security issues, contact Upstream Creators through the official contact information provided on the Platform.

17. What Upstream Creators May Do

When we become aware of suspected fraud, scams, abuse, or other prohibited activity, Upstream Creators may take reasonable steps to protect the Platform and its Users.

Depending on the circumstances, this may include:

• Investigating reported activity;
• Restricting or suspending accounts;
• Removing content;
• Removing fraudulent votes or engagement;
• Cancelling or restricting transactions where permitted;
• Restricting access to Platform features;
• Removing products or listings;
• Suspending creator or seller privileges;
• Terminating accounts;
• Cooperating with payment providers;
• Cooperating with law enforcement or other competent authorities where legally required or appropriate; and
• Taking other actions permitted under our Terms of Service and applicable law.

We may not be able to disclose all details of an investigation or enforcement action.

18. No Guarantee That Fraud Will Never Occur

Although Upstream Creators takes reasonable measures to maintain a safe Platform, no online service can guarantee that fraud, scams, impersonation, account compromise, or other harmful activity will never occur.

Users interact with other independent Users at their own discretion and should exercise appropriate caution.

Upstream Creators does not guarantee the identity, intentions, conduct, representations, products, services, or transactions of every User or creator on the Platform.

Users should independently evaluate information and exercise reasonable judgment before communicating, purchasing, transferring information, or entering into arrangements with another User.

19. Third-Party Services and Payments

Upstream Creators may use third-party payment processors, service providers, hosting providers, communication services, or other third-party technologies.

Transactions processed by third-party providers may also be subject to the applicable terms, policies, and security procedures of those providers.

Users should carefully review relevant payment information and confirm that they are using legitimate payment processes.

Upstream Creators is not responsible for fraudulent activity that occurs entirely outside the Platform or outside services controlled by Upstream Creators.

20. Off-Platform Transactions

Users may communicate with one another outside Upstream Creators.

However, when a User voluntarily moves a transaction, payment, communication, or business arrangement outside the Platform, Upstream Creators may have limited or no ability to verify the transaction, protect the User, investigate the conduct, or assist with recovery of funds.

For this reason, Users should exercise additional caution when engaging in off-platform transactions.

Never assume that an off-platform transaction is protected, guaranteed, approved, or endorsed by Upstream Creators simply because the parties originally met through Upstream Creators.

21. If You Have Been Scammed

If you believe you have been scammed, take the following steps:

Step 1 — Stop Communicating With the Suspected Scammer

Do not send additional money or personal information.

Step 2 — Secure Your Account

If you shared your password or believe your account may have been compromised, change your password immediately.

Step 3 — Contact Your Payment Provider

If money was transferred without authorization or you believe you were defrauded, contact your bank, card provider, payment provider, or other relevant financial institution as soon as possible.

Step 4 — Preserve Evidence

Keep screenshots, messages, transaction records, usernames, links, receipts, and other relevant information.

Step 5 — Report the Incident to Upstream Creators

Provide the relevant information so that we can review the matter and take appropriate action where possible.

Step 6 — Contact the Appropriate Authorities

Where appropriate, you should report suspected criminal activity to the relevant law-enforcement or regulatory authorities in your jurisdiction.

22. No Guarantee of Recovery

Reporting a scam to Upstream Creators does not guarantee that lost money, products, accounts, or other property will be recovered.

Where possible, Upstream Creators may take reasonable steps within its control to investigate reported activity and protect the Platform.

However, transactions may involve third-party payment providers, banks, independent creators, sellers, buyers, or other parties beyond our direct control.

You should therefore contact your financial institution or relevant authorities as soon as possible if you believe you have suffered a financial loss.

23. Users Are Responsible for Their Own Decisions

Users are responsible for exercising reasonable judgment when using Upstream Creators.

You should consider whether:

• An offer appears legitimate;
• The identity of the person is verified;
• The requested payment method is appropriate;
• The product or service description is clear;
• The price is reasonable;
• The communication appears suspicious; and
• You are being pressured to act unusually quickly.

If something feels suspicious, stop and verify before proceeding.

24. No Endorsement of User Claims

The appearance of a creator, seller, product, service, message, advertisement, offer, or other content on Upstream Creators does not necessarily mean that Upstream Creators endorses, guarantees, verifies, or accepts responsibility for the accuracy of every statement made by that User.

Users should conduct appropriate due diligence before entering into significant transactions or arrangements with another User.

25. Changes to This Disclaimer

Upstream Creators may update this Fraud & Scams Disclaimer from time to time.

Changes may be made to reflect:

• Changes to our services;
• New Platform features;
• Changes in applicable law;
• New security threats;
• Changes to payment systems;
• Changes to our policies; or
• Other operational or legal requirements.

The updated version will be posted on the Platform with an updated "Last Updated" date.

Your continued use of Upstream Creators after an updated version becomes effective constitutes acceptance of the updated Disclaimer to the extent permitted by applicable law.

26. Relationship to Our Terms and Other Policies

This Fraud & Scams Disclaimer should be read together with the Upstream Creators Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, Refund Policy, and other applicable Platform policies.

If there is a conflict between this Disclaimer and another Upstream Creators policy, the applicable terms of that policy will govern to the extent of the conflict.

Nothing in this Disclaimer is intended to limit any rights or obligations that cannot legally be limited or excluded under applicable law.

27. Final Safety Reminder

If something seems too good to be true, take a moment to verify it.

Remember:

• Never share your password.
• Never share security or verification codes.
• Never send money because someone is pressuring you.
• Be cautious of people impersonating creators or Upstream Creators.
• Use official Upstream Creators payment processes for Platform transactions.
• Be careful with links and unexpected files.
• Verify business and sponsorship opportunities.
• Report suspicious activity.
• Contact your bank or payment provider immediately if you believe you have experienced financial fraud.

Your safety is important to us, and we encourage every Upstream Creators User to remain alert and informed.

Stay safe. Stay smart. Stay Upstream.

Upstream Creators

Discover. Support. Rise.