New scamming tactic? - Guild Wars Guru archive powered by Guild Wars Legacy

valitorz

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Jan 2010

usa, GA

Killing Is R Business [Inc]

A/

24 Feb 2010 at 06:06 - 1

I'm not sure on how new this is. in fact it may be old, but i just wanted to make people aware that others are in fact trying to use it. The scammer has 2 accounts, running at the same time. on one account he says something like"i want to buy your item but there's a guy here that wants to buy my item. tell you what, i'll just give you this item and you can sell it to him"

Scammer on account 2" WTB (item scammer has on account 1) for xxk or xxecto pm me!" (ofc in all chat to where you see it)

The way i find out if its a scam or not-

msg to scammer "all i want is gold/ecto for my item. y dont you go ahead and sell the item to the guy thats wanting to buy, that way i get what i want and you get what you want"

9 times outta 10 if the guy refuses, or says why dont you just trade me for the item and sell it yourself, then it's a scam.

I hope this made sense and has helped a few people not get scammed. If there's a proper place for this then mods please move it there. I'm still trying to find my way around the forums

~Valitorz

Del

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Sep 2009

In a van, down by the river.

RED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GO if I know, ask Lynette.

R/

24 Feb 2010 at 06:09 - 2

pretty old, just use common sense when someone offers you something common for something of value.

Trader of Secrets

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jun 2006

24 Feb 2010 at 06:46 - 3

Yea old scam. I think this was used with crystal snowflake.

Kamatsu

Moderator

Join Date: May 2005

Australia

24 Feb 2010 at 07:02 - 4

Yeah, pretty old scam - it crops up all the time in slightly different forms. Bit of common sense and you'll be safe..

sad fact is... if these scams didn't work.. they wouldn't keep cropping up.. lolz.

Olle

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Aug 2008

Ign: Miniature Julia

Teh Academy[PhD]

W/

24 Feb 2010 at 07:08 - 5

also a funny "scam" when i entered pre yesterday. a Pm straight away said
" Hello! is this your first time playing Guildwars?"
no clue why, but i thought it was a guildinvite, so i said "yes"
and the repsons made me lol
"I work for Arena Net staff, and we located some minor bugs(misstakes) on the newest 1,000 copies of Guildwars."
"This bug will make it impossible for you to earn any gold/equip weponds."
"wow, how do i fix it???" -my respons
"Well, YOU cant, because i have to have contact with the Account-Server here."
"so if you could just lend me your account info, hotmail and Password, ill fix it in no time!"

then i just went "[email protected]"
-----------
seems like a kinda waste of time, a pretty long scam, but then again, for newer people it might seem logical...
just a headsup

Hyperventilate

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Nov 2007

Somewhere in California

I Gots A Crayon [Blue]

Me/Mo

24 Feb 2010 at 07:16 - 6

Quote:

Originally Posted by kajusbonus

also a funny "scam" when i entered pre yesterday. a Pm straight away said
" Hello! is this your first time playing Guildwars?"
no clue why, but i thought it was a guildinvite, so i said "yes"
and the repsons made me lol
"I work for Arena Net staff, and we located some minor bugs(misstakes) on the newest 1,000 copies of Guildwars."
"This bug will make it impossible for you to earn any gold/equip weponds."
"wow, how do i fix it???" -my respons
"Well, YOU cant, because i have to have contact with the Account-Server here."
"so if you could just lend me your account info, hotmail and Password, ill fix it in no time!"

then i just went "[email protected]"
-----------
seems like a kinda waste of time, a pretty long scam, but then again, for newer people it might seem logical...
just a headsup

Would've been funnier if you just screenshotted and got the guy permabanned.

Huzzah for pretending to be A-net staff AND scamming.

Bob Slydell

Forge Runner

Join Date: Jan 2007

24 Feb 2010 at 07:28 - 7

There really aren't any new scamming tactics, unless there is a new item added to the game sharing it's icon with another popular item (all current ones are documented, thus old tricks) or any other new thing is added into the game to exploit people through trading.

So any scam done against you these days has basically already been said and done before.

brody1

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Dec 2007

live in australia :)

Luxon All Stars

E/

24 Feb 2010 at 07:52 - 8

yeh not really. one time i was selling a few ecto....mind you this is back in the day.
this guy pm's me...hey you know ou can duplicate that? i was like what! i need proof
so he takes me to some place in the crystal desert we go into a mission i stand in a certain spot so does he, he drops 40e then activates the cutscene gets back there before me with run skills and drops 40e more in another spot so it look duplicated.
So then it was my turn. i dropped my ecto he ran the cutscene and started running back.....Luckily i had run skills to so it was no loss to me.

One of the more smart scams if you ask me

Gift3d

Forge Runner

Join Date: Feb 2007

Las Vegas

Enraged Whiny Carebears [oR]

W/E

24 Feb 2010 at 07:59 - 9

i remember falling for this way back when in diablo 2. damn guy cost me my immortal king's maul!

Spiritz

Forge Runner

Join Date: Apr 2007

DMFC

24 Feb 2010 at 09:26 - 10

One scam i always remember and still see a bit - but isnt a major scam
p1 has been offering an item in trade for quite a while
p2 wants to buy it
p1 says wait a min ive someone interested and they then quote a higher price hoping your desperate to pay a few k more.

Always say nah leave it and sell to them and usually they pm after a few mins and make excuse the deal fell thru and try and sell at advertised price.
Imagine ingame trading standards - you stated x price so u have to sell at x price.Tho one time i actually said soz ive found one 5k cheaper and left and the seller must have been that desperate he dropped the price but i cba to deal with them so i left.

its only a small scam to squeeze a few more gold out of a sale but a scams a scam regardless of how it works!

shoyon456

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Jul 2006

D/

24 Feb 2010 at 09:40 - 11

I admit I fell for this, but it wasn't a common item. It was a Wintergreen weapon. The guy had a ridiculous offering price up and another guy was selling it at about what I had thought it was actually worth. The second I bought it, both people disappeared.

It was a long time ago, and my fault. Always remember kids, if it's too good to be true, it probably isn't. And you don't get something for nothing. Hopefully you won't have to learn the hard way...

dr love

...is in denial

Join Date: Sep 2006

Hyperion

starcraft 2

P/Me

24 Feb 2010 at 11:00 - 12

i can't wait till gw2

Astramancer

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Feb 2010

The Cake Arguement

R/

24 Feb 2010 at 13:01 - 13

I never understood people who fall for scams. It's really easy to avoid scams: Check what's being traded to you, and only do a trade for what you wanted.

If someone tries to get all complicated, just say "Look, I just want to trade X for Y, if you don't want to, I'll find someone else.

On the other hand, simple price-gouging is really easy to fall for, but that's inherent in a barter system like we have. Heck, sometimes I accept the Gouging just to get the item I want fast (I treat it as a rush delivery charge and move on). If I really want, say, a dagger tang of enchanting, I'll just offer to pay twice as much as the going rate, and I'll usually get 2 or 3 whispers within seconds. I don't mind paying the extra few K to not have to stand in kam for an hour.

Saph

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Feb 2009

R/

24 Feb 2010 at 13:22 - 14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Astramancer

I never understood people who fall for scams. It's really easy to avoid scams: Check what's being traded to you, and only do a trade for what you wanted.

It's usually people who don't know the market/item too well, or who are trying to pull one over (i.e the OP's example) that usually end up scammed. It all boils down to people not wanting to do a few minutes of research or take a few extra seconds to check what they are trading for.

chaosincarnate87

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Oct 2006

Behind You ;)

DPR

24 Feb 2010 at 13:27 - 15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gift3d

i remember falling for this way back when in diablo 2. damn guy cost me my immortal king's maul!

I was just thinking the same thing personally, i lost my first lightsabre in diablo 2 to this.

plus personally i enjoy the OP's scammers, because the only people getting taken advantage of are people that are greedy in the first place and let greed override a normal amount of common sense.

Eragon Zarroc

Atra estern?? ono thelduin

Join Date: Jan 2008

Madness Incarnate

[Duo]

W/P

24 Feb 2010 at 13:41 - 16

oldest scam that pre-dates this game ;-)

Yasmine

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Nov 2007

The Lost Souls Of Jugdement [KJCD]

24 Feb 2010 at 14:17 - 17

Quote:

Originally Posted by shoyon456

I admit I fell for this, but it wasn't a common item. It was a Wintergreen weapon. The guy had a ridiculous offering price up and another guy was selling it at about what I had thought it was actually worth. The second I bought it, both people disappeared.

It was a long time ago, and my fault. Always remember kids, if it's too good to be true, it probably isn't. And you don't get something for nothing. Hopefully you won't have to learn the hard way...

Uhm, since it is a limited weapon, didn't it eventually raise in price anyway?

untouchable

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Oct 2005

Winnipeg, Mantioba Canada

Terra Noise[Zraw]

Mo/E

24 Feb 2010 at 14:25 - 18

I always hated when 2 people would work together, and one advertises wtb xxxx item for say..100k+xxe, then right under that his friend would have wts xxxx item for 95k. The first time I saw it I wasted my time going through all my heros just to get this damn green weapon that I was going to sell to the guy for only 15k cause it wasn't worth 100k+xxe.

Felt like such a goof after the guy wtb wasn't responding because he was waiting for someone to buy that item from his friend, so whoever did it could attempt to sell it back to him and they could leave.

Baku_The_Killer

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: May 2008

Spain

My heros are my own guild.

W/

24 Feb 2010 at 15:27 - 19

I like that scam when you see:

A : Buying ecto's 10k!
B : Selling ecto's 2k!
Me to A : The guy B sells for 2k, you can buy 5ecto for same price of 1.

I like becouse they usually SDFU

Zebideedee

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Sep 2007

55?? 57' 0" N / 3?? 12' 0" W

N/Me

24 Feb 2010 at 16:08 - 20

I'd send these greedy fools loads of photocopied money if they want fake cash that badly! (as long as they pay the P&P etc.)

Warvic

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: May 2009

The Netherlands

A/W

24 Feb 2010 at 16:50 - 21

Haha, I know a similar but better one! I will give WoW for example. Because that's where I tried it long ago.

You put an unique item on the auction house. Add super crazy high price. Then you can just log off. On your other toon, You spam in trade channel. WTB [item] for SUPER high price. Some people will tell you that it is for sale in the auction house. Ignore those. Wait till you see people /w you that they have it for sale. Then you check the auction house, If it's indeed sold. you can log off. You just sold an crappy unique wepon for alot of money, because some dude thought he could powertrade. I haven't tried this in GW yet. But it can be done by running 2 accounts, and trying to sell an item that nobody else has.

ac1inferno

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Aug 2007

Boston

We D Shot Your Stances [GODS]

A/W

24 Feb 2010 at 17:29 - 22

It's a common trade scam that's documented on GuildWiki:

Quote:

Originally Posted by GuildWiki

=== Deferred Trades ===
This is a broad category of scams, but they all have the same scam element: the scammer will have you trade him an item or money, in return for an item or money he (or some other scammer) will supposedly trade you right back. This often takes the form of the three-way trade. The scammer says "I have Item A, which this guy here wants. I want Item B, which you have. And you want Item C, which this guy here has. So, you give me Item B, I'll give him Item A, and he'll give you Item C." Of course, as soon as you part with your Item B, they both leave or log off.

Another variant of this scam is where one player says something along the lines of "WTB: Ecto 15k". His partner is nearby, deliberately ignoring him, and advertising "WTS: Ecto 10k". Even though the price of the ecto is too high, there is a 5k profit to be made from trading the ecto between them. If you buy from the first player you'll find yourself in a sticky situation as they both log off suddenly, leaving you several thousand gold down (depending on ecto prices). The most dangerous part of this is that it is not considered a scam by ArenaNet.

I'm not too sure on the validity of that last sentence though.

Martin Alvito

Older Than God (1)

Join Date: Aug 2006

Clan Dethryche [dth]

24 Feb 2010 at 18:29 - 23

Closing this before someone can post the "I like where this thread is going" pic.

The question has been adequately answered. It's an old school scam that dates to at least Diablo 2. It's not on the wiki page about scams. But it should be.