Culture

Cruel trolls trick disabled, trans streamer into thinking she’d received a life-changing donation

Twitch Redvines

Redvines, who originally created the fake donation emote. (Twitter)

A Twitch streamer has been called out for using custom emotes to fake donations, later used to harass a trans streamer.

Last month Twitch introduced custom animated emotes, of which partnered streamers can use five.

However, partnered streamer Redvines took advantage of the new emotes to fake bit donations.

Bits can be bought and then donated to Twitch streamers, with a notification visible in chat. Redvines’ animated emote looks very similar.

“I made the $100 bit donation into an emote,” Redvines said in a recent stream. “I’m gonna go troll some [other] streamers.”

His first target was FaZe Mew, who appeared to receive 50,000 bits (roughly $500). FaZe Mew was initially ecstatic, until Redvines admitted it was a prank.

He then spurred his fans on in the chat saying: “Clip it if you troll people, I’ll make a video lol.”

Spammers soon descended on Emmagination’s stream, who appeared to have had $5,400 donated.

This would have been a life-changing amount for the trans streamer, who took to Twitter after her stream.

“Today Twitch hit a new low for me,” she said. “I was just telling my community how I am in risk of ending up homeless after my divorce because of my government’s inability to support disabled people and then this happened in my chat.”

Emmagination has received plenty of support from fellow streamers, including TiffanyWitcher who offered to help out.

“THIS is what our community is. Someone who has never even heard of me before offering to do such a kind thing,” said Emmagination. “We won’t let bullies and vile people take this from us who so often rely on the community for support, kindness and an escape from isolation. This is OUR space.”

Redvines’ emote has since been removed by Twitch. “My new emote is no longer available, thought it would be a funny prank but some people used it maliciously. Sorry,” they said on Twitter.

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