Just simple tips that you should follow so you that you reduce your chances of getting scammed. Too good to be true...? - If you trade listing isn't that spectacular and you're getting an offer that seems to be out of this world, more than like its fake. Its like the ol' saying...if its too good to be true then it probably is. Confirm the trader - Most of the time, scammers have been banned from GZP so they are probably lurking. If you posted your contact information, they will just add you without responding to your thread. If you received a random add from someone you don't know, ask them to send you a PM or reply to your thread. Can't reply/PM? Probably a fake. Fake e-mail/contact - Similar to 'confirm the trader' its in your best interest to make sure you add the right person/don't get confused by some common e-mail impersonation tricks. e.g. i / L trick Exception: Users with below 15 posts cannot send private messages, however, they are more than able to reply to a thread/post. Screenshot of trade listing - Most of the time, a simple screenshot can prove whether or not the trader has the account. Just have them take a screenshot of their account saying "Hello [your username]. Its [their username] from GZP." If they're indeed a scammer making up the account, they'll probably give you some common excuses. Such as...Oh, I'm sorry, I don't have MapleStory on my computer...I'm too lazy to download MapleStory...etc. Meet in-game - There is a reason for some traders to avoid this as they probably don't want random people knowing the IGN (in-game name). However, if you are serious about purchasing the account, let them know and have them meet you in-game. Past History - The search button is a lost item, but a useful thing. Simply searching the users name/contact information may bring up some interesting things. You may find information of the user attempting to scam, however, a moderator may have just forgot to ban him/her. Feedback/Reputation - Similar to past history, just judging by a users feedback can tell you much about him/her. If a user has a negative feedback its usually not a good thing. Ask him/her about it and look it up! MiddleMan - There is a big question when using a middleman and its usually this. "Should I trust [middleman] with my [trade]?" There is always a risk with a middleman but sometimes it can actually help you. MiddleMen are usually traders who have been recognized by [name of game]'s trading community. They are often trusted among their peers and to some others they can do no wrong. They are also used in a lot of MMing situations for the trading of [name of section]. Log Chats - Remember to log chats just in case he attempts to scam or you do get scammed. If you haven't learned how to save your chats, visit this detailed *****************************************************. Also, if you use websites where you can login to chat (such as meebo), just making an account of that site will allow you to save your chats. Always take precautions - Remember, this isn't the kid down the street that you can just beat the horse poo out of if he scams you. This is probably someone thousands of miles (and possibly a continent) away from you. Take precautions, use your common sense, and always be on your guard. -- If you guys/gals have anything else to add, feel free to drop me a PM and I'll see if it should be added. -- Taking Screenshots and Reporting Scammers - If you were scammed and you don't know how to take screenshots, follow the steps below. Open the conversation If you're on a desktop press PRT SCR and CTRL + V it in Microsoft Paint. If you're on a laptop press FN + PRT SCR and then CTRL + V it in Microsoft Paint. Save the image. Upload it to image sharing website (imageshack, tinypic, etc) Report it here: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]Be sure to include the screenshots of the attempted scam/scam or your thread will not be looked into. Happy Trading!
