Wikipedia:Conflict of interest/Noticeboard#Lightning rod

• {{pagelinks|J-P Conte}}
• {{userlinks|MadelaineHS}}
• {{userlinks|MadelaineHanson}}
• {{userlinks|Thelmoine}}

Looks like a textbook COI situation but it would be good to get other eyes on this. Amigao (talk) 22:32, 28 April 2025 (UTC)

:If you Google the names, you can see a clear trail. Trying to do some cleanup but would be better to strip it to a stub and rebuild in my opinion. --CNMall41 (talk) 23:34, 28 April 2025 (UTC)

::Was just trying to clear up some sources, apologies. Definitely went into full resume territory. Please don't delete it, I'll stand back and won't make any edits. Didn't realize I was being so impartial, seems obvious now. Thanks! Thelmoine (talk) 01:41, 29 April 2025 (UTC)

:* {{userlinks|Socialio86}}

:Anyone looking into this might be interested to see this user, who coincidentally uses the same words on Talk:J-P Conte as the other account in the edit summary of {{diff|oldid=1287885136|label=this diff}} despite claiming to be another user. They have entered the AfD discussion regarding the mentioned article. MediaKyle (talk) 02:10, 29 April 2025 (UTC)

::I do not want to be involved in WP:OUTING so I will not post the link, but this is 100% WP:UPE. Some of the references are also going to be paid for. --CNMall41 (talk) 02:38, 29 April 2025 (UTC)

:::Yes, I just saw that. This is really bad. This should be brought to someone's attention. MediaKyle (talk) 02:39, 29 April 2025 (UTC)t

::::: I used checkuser and {{np|Socialio86}}, {{np|MadelaineHS}}, and {{np|Thelmoine}} are {{confirmed}} to each other. {{np|MadelaineHanson}} is {{IPstale}} but also a WP:DUCK. All of them blocked. PhilKnight (talk) 03:41, 29 April 2025 (UTC)

::::If anything, the company name and editor name found in Google search should be added to Wikipedia:List of paid editing companies. --CNMall41 (talk) 16:10, 29 April 2025 (UTC)

:An update on this situation: Following some investigation based on the above, I have identified the following articles which have a high likelihood of being linked to this UPE effort:

{{collapsed|

:* {{pagelinks|Tim Kane}} (cut this one back myself already)

:* {{pagelinks|Balance (2013 book)}}

:* {{pagelinks|WilkinsonEyre}}

:* {{pagelinks|Berwin Leighton Paisner}}

:* {{pagelinks|APCOA Parking}}

:* {{pagelinks|Young Enterprise}}

:* {{pagelinks|Vubiquity}}

:* {{pagelinks|John Mills Limited}}

:* {{pagelinks|JML Direct TV}}

:* {{pagelinks|Bluefin Labs}}

:* {{pagelinks|2 Sisters Food Group}}

:* {{pagelinks|Novo Nordisk}}

:* {{pagelinks|GreenPalm}}

:* {{pagelinks|Boston Consulting Group}}

:* {{pagelinks|Chrysalis Records}}

:* {{pagelinks|Compassion in World Farming}}

:* {{pagelinks|The Deal (magazine)}}

:* {{pagelinks|Association of Chartered Certified Accountants}}

:* {{pagelinks|Maritime UK}}

|List of articles}}

:I've omitted some articles which have already been fixed since I tagged them. These remaining articles will require greater scrutiny, and a few of them can likely be sent to AfD. MediaKyle (talk) 22:34, 30 April 2025 (UTC)

::@MediaKyle, @CNMall41 and others involved in this discussion; if you haven't already, could you please send evidence about paid edits beyond the Conte ones to the COIVRT queue? It'd make it easier for functionaries to help out here. Moneytrees🏝️(Talk) 16:44, 14 May 2025 (UTC)

:::The only thing I have is what can be found in Google when you google the subject name (J P Conte) along with the editor name (Madelaine Hanson). You will see the top two search results which is more incriminating than a red dye pack in a money bag. --CNMall41 (talk) 16:52, 14 May 2025 (UTC)

• {{pagelinks|Ahmed Mater}}
• {{userlinks|Arif11}}
• {{userlinks|Profarthist}}
• {{userlinks|AhmedMater}}

Would be helpful to additional eyes on this WP:SPA situation. Amigao (talk) 22:35, 4 May 2025 (UTC)

:Article is at AfD and user says they have no COI. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 20:39, 6 May 2025 (UTC)

:@Amigao, I think you have a point. I also noticed something unusual between the two accounts, {{u|Arif11}} and {{u|AhmedMater}}. Netherzone (talk) 17:58, 8 May 2025 (UTC)

::AhemedMater has created a draft, Draft:Arif Alnomay, which is the same name as Arif11's [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Arif11&oldid=1284828053 original user page]: And now a brand new editor, {{u|Profarthist}}, is adding back unsourced or poorly sourced content that was removed from Ahmed Mater during article clean up. Very interesting coincidences. Netherzone (talk) 20:09, 8 May 2025 (UTC)

::User {{u|AhmedMater}} had previously disclosed that they had a conflict of interest on Draft:Arif Alnomay, then removed both the AfC template and their statement that {{tq|I disclose that I have a conflict of interest regarding the subject of this article.}} [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Draft%3AArif_Alnomay&diff=1288557271&oldid=1288477833] Whether or not this is UPE, it is clear that there are COI's between the accounts and the articles they edit in coordination with one another. Netherzone (talk) 23:58, 8 May 2025 (UTC)

:::@Arif11, may I ask if you have edited with any other user names, such as {{u|AhmedMater}} or {{u|Profarthist}}? Netherzone (talk) 13:42, 11 May 2025 (UTC)

::::Dear editors,

::::I am Arif11, and I would like to offer a final and clear clarification:

::::I have never used the “AhmedMater” account to make any edits. That account was used only for reading, following discussions, or training to understand how Wikipedia works. All of my contributions were made solely through my personal account (Arif11) and with completely sincere intent.

::::I also affirm that I have absolutely no connection to the account Profarthist, and I have not coordinated with any other users.

::::Unfortunately, the responses I received — including replies to earlier messages written in good faith — were filled with suspicion and accusations, and lacked a spirit of collaboration or respect. This kind of treatment discourages serious contributors and undermines the core purpose of Wikipedia as a free and cooperative encyclopedia.

::::My contributions were aimed at improving content related to respected cultural figures. One of the removed sources — published by The London Publisher Edward Booth-Clibborn — is a reliable, high-quality art monograph, and it was unjustly dismissed without proper review.

::::Therefore, I no longer wish to continue. I respectfully request that the current article and all related drafts be deleted. I will advise the artist’s studio to contact Wikipedia directly through official and neutral channels to ensure appropriate documentation in the future.

::::— Arif11 Arif11 (talk) 16:12, 12 May 2025 (UTC)

:::::Except, as noted above, and as anyone here can see, User:AhmedMater created Draft:Arif Alnomay. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 19:54, 13 May 2025 (UTC)

::::::Arif11 has continued to edit the Ahmed Mater article despite strong evidence that they have been a close associate of Ahmed Mater, (or are Ahmed Mater). They first claimed they were not a close associate, and were just "doing research" on him. However there is very strong off-wiki evidence (in addition to the on-wiki evidence) that they have been closely connected with one another for years. Now Arif11 has re-uploaded a photograph of Mater (that was previously deleted as copyvio), claiming that they took the photo back in 2004. In 2011 they created the article on him, and continued to add unambiguous promotional content (see the article page history and the AfD). As to the off-wiki evidence, there is evidence that Arif Al-Nomay (Alnomay) has worked for Ahmed Mater, been in exhibitions with them, and has been associated with him for years. They recently claimed that Commons has accepted the copyright claim for the image, yet there is no evidence of a ticket being submitted or approved. I am not exactly sure what is going on, whether this is a "simple" COI or if UPE, meat or sock is applicable. I've tried explaining these problems to the editor several times in multiple venues including their talk page and other talk pages, however things are just not adding up. I can provide diffs upon an administrator's request. Netherzone (talk) 21:13, 13 May 2025 (UTC)

• {{al|Scopely}}
• {{userlinks|Yoyoma129!}}

User Yoyoma129! has been exclusively editing the Scopely article for four years, and in revision [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Scopely&diff=prev&oldid=1287106312 01:27, 24 April 2025], Yoyoma129! clearly obfuscates that the company is a subsidiary of Savvy Games Group, deletes the company’s cited valuation in October 2021, and unnecessarily simplifies language relating to the company’s IP partnerships. 2600:4041:454F:6E00:89D6:334D:FF63:96DD (talk) 16:35, 12 May 2025 (UTC)

:Per the banner at the top of this page, you need to notify the user on their talk page about this discussion. DoubleCross (‡) 16:53, 12 May 2025 (UTC)

• {{pagelinks|O. P. Singh}}
• {{userlinks|NoorM2}}

User has said [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=O._P._Singh&diff=prev&oldid=1288560299 The changes were made per the requirements of Mr OP Singh. He has informed me to make the changes in education and career]. User has added peacock language ("eventful tenure ... successfully led ... global recognition"). I have added a CoI template to the user's Talk page and followed it up, but not had a reply, and the user has continued to edit the article. Tacyarg (talk) 09:39, 13 May 2025 (UTC)

:Other issues notwithstanding, it should be noted that in one edit NoorM2 removed a false claim that the subject had died. Such edits are welcome, from even the most conflicted editors. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 19:42, 13 May 2025 (UTC)

• {{pagelinks|Boaz Levy}}
• {{pagelinks|Matan Yaffe}}
• {{pagelinks|Ksenia Ovsyanick}}
• {{pagelinks|Ran Balicer}}
• {{userlinks|MrEksh}}

User:MrEksh is undisclosed paid exitor in each of his edits, check his Hebrew wiki page

[https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%9E%D7%A9%D7%AA%D7%9E%D7%A9:MrEksh MrEksh]. He disclose there he wrote Boaz Levy un English for payment, but didn't disclose it in here. Many of the articles he created in English. He made full disclosure for the parallel articles he created in Hebrew, all of of his edits are paid. [https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%A9%D7%99%D7%97%D7%94:%D7%90%D7%9C%D7%99_%D7%9B%D7%94%D7%9F_(%D7%A4%D7%95%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%98%D7%99%D7%A7%D7%90%D7%99,_1972)#%D7%A2%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%9B%D7%94_%D7%91%D7%AA%D7%A9%D7%9C%D7%95%D7%9D here he confess for editing the Hebrew for payment] of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eli_Cohen_(politician,_born_1972), which he simultaneously edited in English]. IN the Hebrew [https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%A9%D7%99%D7%97%D7%94:%D7%A0%D7%90%D7%95%D7%95%D7%99%D7%98%D7%A1_%D7%A4%D7%98%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%95%D7%9D talk page, he confess for being paid], but conceal this the corresponding english [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Navitas_Petroleum talk page]. HE MADE disclosure [https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%A9%D7%99%D7%97%D7%94:%D7%9E%D7%AA%D7%9F_%D7%99%D7%A4%D7%94 in Matan Yaffe hebrew], but not in the corresponding enhlish version Talk:Matan Yaffe.

2A0D:6FC7:604:18C5:73CF:842:AC56:239B (talk) 10:27, 16 May 2025 (UTC),

:They did indeed make those disclosures on he.wiki; I would imagine that they will be willing to similarly comply with WP:PAID here? _signed, Rosguill ^talk 15:51, 16 May 2025 (UTC)

::User:Netherzone. 2A0D:6FC7:623:D69E:21A5:8CB7:3D6:198 (talk) 09:15, 20 May 2025 (UTC)

:::Thanks for the ping. I also noticed this while doing NPP, and left a message on the editors talk page re: UPE and WP's guidelines. @MrEksh, you need to read and understand these English Wikipedia guidelines for paid editors and kindly abide by them. If you have been paid to create articles for various individuals or companies, this needs to be properly disclosed, see WP:UPE for information on how to do that. You should make these disclosures for all articles for which you have been paid or have a COI. Moving forward, it is advised that you stop editing these articles directly, and instead use the COI Edit Request System to propose changes to these articles so that other unconnected editors can evaluate the requested changes and either make them on your behalf or not. Info on paid edit requests is here: WP:EDITREQ, and a link to the Edit Request Wizard can be found here: WP:ERW which makes that task easy. Netherzone (talk) 13:04, 20 May 2025 (UTC)

{{userlinks|Brennonhope}} Possible Conflict of Interest. See this [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Brennonhope&oldid=1290883388 edit] Pibx (talk) 18:11, 17 May 2025 (UTC)

:{{Ping|Pibx}} This is not a matter for this noticeboard; there is no ongoing problem with article content and there has not been the required prior discussion with the user concerned. Just tag the user page as spam, and/ or report to WP:AIV as a "promotion-only account". WP:Twinkle will help you do the latter. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 11:57, 18 May 2025 (UTC)

• {{pagelinks|Chad Lupinacci}}
• {{userlinks|68.195.64.95}}

IP 68.195.64.95, which geolocates to the subject's general area, has been adding unsourced promotional content.   –Skywatcher68 (talk) 20:31, 19 May 2025 (UTC)

• {{userlinks|Therpaistny25}}

Possible Conflict of Interest. See this [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User%20talk:Therpaistny25&oldid=1291584784 edit]. Pibx (talk) 04:44, 22 May 2025 (UTC)

: The user has been blocked indefinitely for "advertising or promotion." -- Pemilligan (talk) 19:46, 22 May 2025 (UTC)

:{{Ping|Pibx}} As I advised you above: Please do not use this page to report simple cases of spam. Report that to WP:AIV. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 15:57, 23 May 2025 (UTC)

• {{pagelinks|David Assia}}
• {{userlinks|Itamar Sade}}

He is undisclosed paid editor. Each one of his edits are paying for. The last one, David Assia, declined twice (and years ago other paid editors failed to create it), last time yesterday and amazingly it is published today. User:S0091, User:Gheus, User:Explicit, Netherzone.— Preceding unsigned comment added by 2A0D:6FC7:703:A0CB:8794:FD1D:A5C:2ED4 (talk) 09:25, 22 May 2025 (UTC)

:I've requested a cleanup of the botched talk page move at Wikipedia:Administrators' noticeboard#Draft talk page moved to main space and overwritten.

:But where is the prior discussion, as required at the top of this page: {{Tq|1="

:This page should only be used when ordinary talk page discussion has been attempted and failed to resolve the issue"}}?

:IP also failed to notify the subject of this discussion, also as required. I have now done so.

:Also, note that IS has a CoI declaration on their user page, albeit malformed. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 15:52, 23 May 2025 (UTC)

::he disclose various paid entries in his [https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%9E%D7%A9%D7%AA%D7%9E%D7%A9:Itamar_Sade Hebrew User page] — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2A0D:6FC7:720:AFAF:5F12:EEA1:C6B0:7C1D (talk) 17:20, 23 May 2025 (UTC)

:::Yes, and I've disclosed here before that i'm a paid writer. Please tell me where I should disclose it and haven't. Thank you. Itamar Sade (talk) 17:33, 23 May 2025 (UTC)

• {{pagelinks|List of philanthropists}}
• {{userlinks|Vikash Thakkar}}

Editor Vikash Thakkar keeps adding Faruk G Patel to this article with awful sourcing. Thakkar is a clear WP:SPA, hasn't responded to my COI request on his talk page but found time to restore the entry on the article. Previous contributions to articles such as Wind power in India have included the classic edit summary, "As a Leading Wind Energy Company In India, We Have added our Few Wind Sites which are fully commissioned". COI seems crystal clear to me... Best Alexandermcnabb (talk) 14:37, 22 May 2025 (UTC)

:Thakkar has since responded and denied any COI. Given the SPA and the edit summaries, I am disinclined to AGF here and don't believe him. Best Alexandermcnabb (talk) 13:39, 23 May 2025 (UTC)

:Please be sure to notify any editor you report here, as required in the notice at the top of this page (I have done so for you in this case). Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 15:33, 23 May 2025 (UTC)

• {{pagelinks|Enhle Mbali Mlotshwa}}
• {{userlinks|Lihlesdue}}

Lihlesdue tripped the edit filters while I was monitoring the edit filter log, so I reverted their edit due to cited content being removed without an edit summary and as a previous editor had already reverted an identical edit. This continued, with another editor reverting their edits. I then noticed [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Enhle_Mbali_Mlotshwa&diff=prev&oldid=1291539668 this edit] on my watchlist, where the user said {{tq|"I am Enhle's PA and she has asked me to remove outdated private information which is her spouse information. And she asked me to add her children's names so its not just left as 2. She also asked me to add her mother and update her information"}}. Another editor had already added a COI notice on the user's talk page, so I reverted the edit as it was unsourced and added a warning on their talk page. Due to the user's disclosure as the article subject's PA, I then added the {{tl|Connected contributor (paid)}} tag to the article's talk page and the {{tl|Undisclosed paid}} tag to the article. I would like to AGF due to the user's contributions of the names of the article subject's family members, which just need to be sourced. However, I'm not sure about the continued attempts at removing details about the article subject's divorce. Since adding the {{tl|Undisclosed paid}} tag to the article, the user has reflected on their actions, and has requested that the tag be removed {{tq|""If the article is now in line with Wikipedia policies"}}. Another editor has helped to clean up the language of the article, but I'm concerned by the user's comment that {{tq|"[I] would like to confirm that i was not paid to do any edits"}} as this does not seem consistent with their earlier disclosure. Thanks, Referentis (talk) 17:02, 22 May 2025 (UTC)

:I would like to sincerely apologise for any confusion caused. I’m still new to editing on Wikipedia and wasn’t aware that stating I wasn’t paid could conflict with my earlier disclosure. That was not my intention at all, and I regret any misunderstanding it may have created.

:Since then, I have undone all of my previous edits and will make sure to follow all Wikipedia guidelines going forward. I appreciate the work the community does to uphold Wikipedia’s standards and I’m committed to contributing in a responsible and transparent way.

:Thank you again for your understanding. Lihlesdue (talk) 17:18, 22 May 2025 (UTC)

::{{ping|Lihlesdue}} ZeroGPT says that your response was 100% generated by an AI tool. Please don't do this, because it makes anything you post look disingenuous. To be clear, you are a paid editor. It does not matter whether or not you are receiving specific payment to edit Wikipedia. Your employment as this individual's PA is, by itself, enough to trigger the paid editing disclosure policy. You need to learn how to use the edit request wizard to request changes that can be reviewed by independent editors.

::{{ping|Referentis}} Good call on the using the {{tl|connected contributor (paid)}} template on the talk page. If all of this editor's changes have been removed, then the {{tl|undisclosed paid}} tag can be removed. --Drm310 🍁 (talk) 16:21, 23 May 2025 (UTC)

:::Thank you for all the advise you have given me. I will make sure to put to use. I am sorry for using AI, I did this to articulate my thoughts well as English is not my first language. I will refrain from doing this going foward. Thank you for clarifying the meaning of paid as l thought l should have received payment to fall under that category. Thank you and my apologises Lihlesdue (talk) 16:33, 23 May 2025 (UTC)

• {{pagelinks|Sunil Dutt}}
• {{userlinks|Gooshh}}

This s.p.a. is obsessed with accumulating huge and fawning chunks of material about the subject's legacy, tributes to him on his death (from such reliable sources as his own son), etc. I applied TNT to the worst of it, but the whole thing reeks of idolatry and hagiography. They seem determined to maintain this as a memorial to the subject. Orange Mike | Talk 20:27, 22 May 2025 (UTC)

:I never thought that my contribution will be hopeless. I am not doing it again. I am not obssessed with anyone. I may not be experienced but atleast i contributed.‬ Gooshh (talk) 09:47, 23 May 2025 (UTC)

::@Orangemike i not going to contribute anything to this page. You know how to improve it. I contributed because the page of this particular person was incomplete before. Kindly remove my name from conflict interests. Gooshh (talk) 12:02, 23 May 2025 (UTC)

:{{Ping|Orangemike}} As you know, and as stated at the top of this page, {{Tq|1="This page should only be used when ordinary talk page discussion has been attempted and failed to resolve the issue"}}. Where did such discussion take place? Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 15:29, 23 May 2025 (UTC)

:Sir I apologise that my work hampered the page since I am new to wikipedia. But I will take care of these things. Please remove my name, I would more careful furthermore. Gooshh (talk) 16:44, 23 May 2025 (UTC)

::@Gooshh, I think that the description at WP:POETIC might be helpful to you. The main problem is stylistic. I suspect that in your culture, when you write about a successful person, there is a lot of description to really draw the reader into the subject, and you are accustomed to writing in a lively, interesting style. The English Wikipedia, by contrast, is written in a very boring, brief, more "northern European" style. That means that instead of writing something like "He also spent the last couple of decades of his life as a tireless campaigner, raising money for the help of poor cancer patients through charities and fundraisers all across the world", we would write "Later in his life, he raised money for cancer patients".

::Sometimes, especially when experienced editors are unfamiliar with the ordinary, normal writing style that's common in much of Africa and Asia, then they worry that the subject of the article is actually paying a new editor to write about how wonderful they are. I'm sure you can imagine what happens to articles about some politicians: their supporters take out everything negative and add fluffy praise, and their opponents do the opposite. We sometimes make wrong guesses about why editors are writing in a rather poetic or gushy way. But usually, if you just tell us what your connection is (whether that's "He's my grandfather, and I'm fixing up the article as a Father's Day gift" or "I've never met him but I've watched his movies" or "I got hired to improve this article" or anything else), then we can try to help you. In return, we would appreciate it if you tried to help us by reducing the poetic content on this and any other article you happen to see it in. WhatamIdoing (talk) 18:04, 23 May 2025 (UTC)

:::Excellently put! You might consider expanding that into an essay, that we can all link to, from here and the teahouse/ Help Desk. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 18:09, 23 May 2025 (UTC)

:::@WhatamIdoing thank you for your suggestion. Please guide me further. I really want to improve this page. Please don't get me wrong. Gooshh (talk) 18:28, 23 May 2025 (UTC)