This guide is useful if you actually want to trade, or if you're trying to scam someone and you're failing because the people you're trying to scam are scammers themselves. Or if you are using the scam where you actually REQUIRE a Paypal scammer.
For the purposes of this guide, Paul is the person you're trying to scam. Because the name Paul is fit only for a tool.
Telling Scammers from Legitimates
First Impressions
- When the Paul uses proper grammar (doesn't have to be 100% accurate) but no capitalization and some wrong (whether on purpose or not) spelling, he or she is usually legit. In this situation, Paul has some mastery of the English language (and he is now eliminated from the category of: paypal scammers, or those who hack paypal accounts and dispute the money after paying). If Paul uses 100% accurate punctuation and spelling (formal English, like a research paper), our Paul is either an uptight bastard or is trying too hard (scammer!). He is usually the uptight bastard. You should make an excuse and block Paul in this case, because the uptight bastards want EVERYTHING verified and checked, including exchanging phone-numbers, e-mails, addresses, AND Paul will want to talk to you FOREVER to see if he can trust you. This is a waste of energy and time.
But if Paul is the scammer, he is the scammer that is trying way too hard to be legit. The only way to tell the difference between the scammer and the uptight bastard is the technique listed below.
Ask for middleman
- This will eliminate all the stupid scammers, and the lazy scammers. Ask if Paul is willing to use a middleman. Say the middleman will be paypal verified, trustwhoed, etc. If the person says he doesn't trust middlemen or offers an alternative solution, 99% of the time he is a scammer.
Questions scammer will ask
1. First, the scammer won't tell you anything about him. Not his account on the forum or anything. He'll maybe give you the link to your thread to remind you of it.
2. The scammer will ask you to go first.
If this happens (in that order), then he is a scammer without a doubt. Not a paypal scammer, but a take and run scammer.
Eliminating the Paypal scammers (once again, those who hack Paypal accounts and dispute money after you give him information)
- First, almost everyone who IMs you will be a Paypal scammer if you post on Markeedragon or other forums like that. So be weary, or in certain cases, excited.
- Ask for a ridiculously high price. 300 dollar account, ask for 500 dollars. Paul will agree ALWAYS if he is a Paypal scammer, because it doesn't matter if he spends all his money. The only time they will refuse is if they don't have enough money in the Paypal account, then lower the price.
- This is what Paul will say if he is a Paypal scammer:
1. Hey I want to buy your account
2. I have questions. Are you OO? Is there gametime? Do you have the cd-keys?
3. (If Paul is a pro scammer at this) Paul will give you a copy and pasted message stating how much he can give for your account, and will add an extra 20 bucks if you have the cd-keys.
4. He will accept any offer you make unless he doesn't have the money (in which case lower it or ask how much he will sell it);.
5. He will say he is paypal verified and ask if you are the same.
6. He will ask for your paypal and say he will send the money first.
7. He will be in a BIG ****ing hurry and he will agree on the trade within 5 minutes or so.
Phishing
- If you post your e-mail publically or tell it to someone and you get the "You are selling your account.. give information" e-mail within that same day, this is a phishing e-mail.
- If the URL link IS a Blizzard domain but is really long and is something like wowarmory.com/redirecturlwow/members.php or something like that, it is a phishing site. He just merely registered that super long domain and it DOES look like a real blizzard website.
- If the e-mail tells you to give them your information by THIS time or else you will be BANNED, it is a phishing e-mail.
Hm. That's it.