- Trade Scams - An attempt to scam another user using the Trade function of Gaia.
--------------------------------------------------------------- Trade Scams ---------------------------------------------------------------
Common Trade Scams:
- Trades Not Working - [x] Someone sees you selling an item on the Market Place, and offers a fair deal. You agree to it, and send the trade. The person cancels. Confused, you read the next message in your inbox, asking you to send the items through gifting (or through "giftbox") (normally, you will be asked to send it first for some reason or another), because the other person's trades aren't working. So, you send the item and wait... And wait... And finally you realize that the item they were offering isn't coming. REMEMBER: TRADES ARE ONLY EVER "DOWN" FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD THEIR TRADES SHUT DOWN FOR SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY; AKA, SCAMMING OR BOTTING.
- Look-Alike Items - [x] Someone offers you a fair trade. You accept and as you finish the trade, you go to put the new item on. Just then, you realize that the item you accepted in the trade was not the one promised to you. REMEMBER: ALWAYS CHECK THE ITEM IN THE TRADE BEFORE ACCEPTING IT.
- Give Me Your Password - Someone offers you an AMAZING item for FREE! How could you loose?!?! All you have to do is send that person your password and username (just to make sure you get the item, just to make sure the trade is completed quickly, just to make sure you don't lie about not getting the item to scam the other person out of another amazing item, etc.). You give away your password and wait 48 hours before logging back in. You realize that your password isn't working, and when you go to your profile, some of the items you were wearing are gone... REMEMBER: NEVER GIVE AWAY YOUR PASSWORD FOR ANY REASON EVER.
- Multiple Trades for One Item - Someone offers you an item you've ALWAYS wanted, but you don't have the gold for it. =( Determined to get the item, you offer them over 12 items, knowing full well that your offer will probably get turned down... You take one last look at your inbox before giving up hope and, wouldn't you know it, your offer was accepted! There is one condition, though: the person does not want to be scammed, so they are only putting the item in the LAST trade. You eagerly accept, and send your first trade of 12 items, which is accepted immediately. Then you send your second, third, etc. until you get to your last trade. The user cancels the trade, and puts you on his ignore list. You lost all of your items, and never got the item you were promised! REMEMBER: ONLY ACCEPT TRADES THAT ARE FAIR, MEANING THAT THE EXCHANGE HAPPENS AT THE EXACT SAME TIME.
How to Prevent/Spot Trade Scams:
- Keep Gaia's Premium Sparkles option on; if the item doesn't sparkle in the right color, it's probably not the one you were looking for.
Open up the marketplace listing of the item being offered to you PRIOR to making the trade; compare that image with the one in the trade. If they are not 100% the same, cancel the trade. It is a scam.
Never send items through gifts; nobody with a clean trade history (as in, no history of previous scamming, botting, etc. attempts) has their trades down. Remember that even if they DID have their trades down, it was probably because of said violation, and trading with them puts your account at risk anyways.
Nobody needs to complete your side of the trade; never give away your password to trade with someone or get a good item.
Use common sense; nothing of value is free or easy to achieve.
If you absolutely must make a multi-trade offer with someone, use a Middleman that you can trust (such as a moderator). Both parties must trade the item to the middleman. As soon as (s)he gets all of the agreed-upon items, each party will receive their respective trades. If a user refuses to use a middleman, then that person is most likely trying to scam you.
// White Star Face Tattoo (6k) 
// Gimpi (25Ok) 
// Gogh Reed (1Mill) 
// Giacomo's Charm (25Ok) 
// Two Turtle Doves (75k) 
// Sharp Fish Teeth (1Ok) 
// White Rose Wristlet Corsage (35Og) 
// Rose Shower (5Ok) 
// Aquarium Cloud 1 (1Ok) 
// Marital Pendant (18k) 
// omnomnom Hat (25k) 
- Submitted By Azna The Forbidden One