Can this be called Merit abuse and Account farming?

[amicrypto]

While going through some of the threads, I came across these accounts and wanted to understand if this can be called a Merit seller.
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=profile;u=1199685   (possibly a Merit Seller)
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=profile;u=2159844   (possibly a Merit Buyer)

Then I also came across a Legendary account.
lyka
If we look at his Merit history, he dishes out 50 Merits to such posts, another post and ANN threads. Looks suspicious and also if we look at the recipient and the donor they have striking similarity. As if the same person runs both the accounts.

Is there a group that handles such queries like the SPAM buster group?

[Veleor]

Then I also came across a Legendary account.
lyka

Legendary lyka wrote in the Russian section that he has sent 50 merit to his wife lybship53 because he wanted to make her a "deserved present for her experience, age, enthusiasm and persistence".
Should also be said that lybship53 has been banned for plagiarism.

[mOgliE]

Both of them:
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=profile;u=245492
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=profile;u=221481

Are most certainely either buying and selling merit or simply altcounts.

The excuse for the wife is ridiculous. It's still an abuse of the merit system. If lybship53 has been banned there is a good chance lyka is simply an alt that should be banned too...

But I'm a bit more skeptical on:
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=profile;u=1199685

Why do you call him/her a possible Merit seller? Only one merit sent from what I see

[atinaditya]

Legendary lyka wrote in the Russian section that he has sent 50 merit to his wife lybship53 because he wanted to make her a "deserved present for her experience, age, enthusiasm and persistence".

We all know that it is a pretty lame excuse and also this can allow legendary to create multiple accounts in the name of family and keep meriting it in the name of a gift. It is a blatant abuse of Merit.

Should also be said that lybship53 has been banned for plagiarism.

But the account is up and running. Last login done today.

[S_Therapist]

But the account is up and running. Last login done today.

Banned accounts are read only mode. He only can read/browse the forum, can't write or pm anyone.

[The Sceptical Chymist]

Legendary lyka wrote in the Russian section that he has sent 50 merit to his wife lybship53 because he wanted to make her a "deserved present for her experience, age, enthusiasm and persistence".
Should also be said that lybship53 has been banned for plagiarism.

If all of that is true, then yeah that's a case of merit abuse.  There's no way you should be giving your "wife" (which I highly doubt is the case, but who knows what goes on in Russia) as any sort of present or incentive or whatever.  People shouldn't be giving merits to their friends unless they make outstanding posts, and even then it's a very gray area.  

If lybship53 has been banned there is a good chance lyka is simply an alt that should be banned too...

I would agree with that only if you could really prove those two accounts are alts.  They might actually be husband and wife caught up in a pathological relationship whereby both of them are spamming on bitcointalk, abusing the merit system, and plagiarizing.  If they wound up robbing liquor stores sometime in the future, it wouldn't surprise me.

The Jonezhols and kalunomics accounts don't seem to be abusing anything, but who knows.  There's just not enough evidence to tag them even if Theymos didn't state that he doesn't want minor merit infractions punished via the trust system.

[mOgliE]

If lybship53 has been banned there is a good chance lyka is simply an alt that should be banned too...

I would agree with that only if you could really prove those two accounts are alts.  They might actually be husband and wife caught up in a pathological relationship whereby both of them are spamming on bitcointalk, abusing the merit system, and plagiarizing.  If they wound up robbing liquor stores sometime in the future, it wouldn't surprise me.

The Jonezhols and kalunomics accounts don't seem to be abusing anything, but who knows.  There's just not enough evidence to tag them even if Theymos didn't state that he doesn't want minor merit infractions punished via the trust system.

You sir, quite made my day xD

I suppose you're right though and I didn't manage to find evidences. They seem to use different facebook account, different twitter accounts and different adresses...

Though I'm all ready to get advices on how to lurk and detect alts. The only way I try to do so is by looking at all the posts made by someone page after page to find crypto addresses then I search for them using the forum search tool.

Is that the most efficient way to do so? Seeing how some members manage to find tons of alts I can't help but wonder if there isn't a more efficient way to check this?

[DdmrDdmr]

<…>

The 1 sMerit TX looks suspicious. At least meriting a post for social reporting seems odd at best. Yet another example that goes against the whole aim of the Merit System.

The @lyka case looks pretty clear: He’s sent 150 sMerits to @lybship53 in just 5 merit TXs between the 13/07/2018 and the 20/11/2018. More than a one time 50 sMerit present to "his wife" (which is also not acceptable).
The other big TX performed by @lyka is one of those you get, whereby the Ann thread owner get merited. Normally this happens when the meriter participates in the thread, which is not the case … but @lybship53 did post on that same thread (and was merited there by @lyka). This TX is more difficult to classify, and sometimes it is done to give more credibility to the Ann thread where one participates. Even so, it’s another 50 sMerit TX …

[The Cryptovator]

Thread isn't belongs to meta please move it on Reputation from lower left.

Legendary lyka wrote in the Russian section that he has sent 50 merit to his wife lybship53 because he wanted to make her a "deserved present for her experience, age, enthusiasm and persistence".

Thats true, I have checked by google translate,

Archived post. Forum doesn't allow to send merit to alt account. And obviously wife account should consider alt account. Although its directly not consider alt account but its really not fair huge amount merit to wife/friends. According to me laky deserve negative feedback. I don't know other but may be suchmoon will consider it

I will continue to red-tag users who send merits to their own alts. Beyond that I don't consider merely sending or receiving merits (without proof that the users are connected) as evidence of wrongdoing, even if it's large amounts / shitty posts / etc.

If all of that is true, then yeah that's a case of merit abuse

No doubts its true. He has self admitted you can see my translated screenshot and I have archived too. I believe its obvious abuse and he deserve red tag from DT,