June 6, 2026

Why I Finally Built bugbountyscam.com Graveyard for Fake Bug Bounty Programs

30 Years in Bug Hunting and I’ve Had Enough of the Scams 😤🔥

afaqain

1 min read

Bug bounty has existed for more than 30 years.

Let that sink in.

THIRTY YEARS of researchers finding real vulnerabilities, reporting them responsibly, helping companies fix their broken systems… and STILL getting treated like they don't matter.

And honestly? The frustration never went away. It just evolved.

Back in the early days, there were no platforms. No HackerOne. No Bugcrowd. No "structured programs." You found a bug, you reported it, and you hoped someone even replied. Sometimes you got ignored. Sometimes you got a "thanks." Sometimes nothing at all. 😑

Now fast forward to today…

We have big professional platforms like HackerOne and Bugcrowd and others.

Looks polished. Looks safe. Looks trustworthy.

BUT THE REALITY? 💥

If you get scammed inside a program, these platforms DO NOT save you.

Not really.

Not when:

  • Your bounty gets silently denied after a fix 😡
  • Your critical bug is downgraded to "informative" overnight
  • Scope magically changes AFTER you report the issue 😤
  • Programs ghost you for months after patching your work 🤬
  • Or worse… they retaliate and ban you after responsible disclosure

And what do the platforms do?

Nothing meaningful.

They stay neutral. They close tickets. They move on. You are left alone with the loss after doing real security work.

This is the part nobody likes to say out loud.

So over the years, I've seen it ALL:

💀 Silent fixes with zero payout 💀 Scope manipulation after submission 💀 Fake "out of scope" excuses 💀 Lowball bounties for critical issues 💀 Programs disappearing after confirmation 💀 Researchers being ignored after valid reports

And every researcher knows this truth… we just don't say it publicly enough.

Because if you speak too loudly, you risk your reputation or future payouts.

That silence is exactly what protects the scam behavior.

And I'm done with that silence 😤🔥

So I finally built something simple:

👉 bugbountyscam.com

A public wall of real scam patterns from bug bounty programs.

Not rumors. Not gossip. Evidence-based reports.

What it does:

  • Shows scam or bad-faith programs
  • Explains WHY they are risky
  • Allows researchers to submit experiences (with evidence/screenshots)
  • Lets the community vote and downvote 🚨
  • Helps others avoid wasting weeks or months on fake promises

No login traps. No hidden agenda. No corporate filter.

Just raw reality from the field.

Because researchers deserve to know BEFORE they waste their time.

If a program has a history of:

  • ghosting after fixes
  • refusing payouts
  • changing scope after reports
  • or punishing researchers for doing the right thing

Then it SHOULD be visible.

Not hidden.

Not buried.

Not whispered in private Discord servers.

We've spent 30 years doing the work that protects companies.

It's time we stop pretending the system is always fair.

And start exposing the patterns that keep hurting researchers again and again. 💥🔥