My proposition was to filter out potential abusers using my script, then manually verify the list and only punish those that received merits for posts that are complete garbage...
This leaves the possibility the shitposter received Merit without buying it. The sender on the other hand is for sure guilty in this scenario.
Your project deserves it's own thread!
I hope your works can be done as soon as possible @mocacinno. I am sorry to say that and it sounds kinda annoying but if the works can be done as soon as possible, then people can really use it to mark that "lucky member" so they can not advance to upper rank. At least I would do that if no one doing it, with my ignore button.