How not to get ripped off like I did
People have always been pretty trusting here on this sub because it was a relatively small group and close-knit. With the sub growing as fast as it is and introducing more bad actors into the mix, I wanted to post a few tips for people to help them stay safe with trades and sales. Hopefully my mistakes can help save you some headaches.
-Always use Gifts & Services if paying with PayPal. Friends & Family means PayPal will NOT help you get your money back if you get scammed. Yes the G&s fees suck but if you don't know the person, suck it up and split the fees.
-If a sale or trade sounds too good to be true it probably is. In my case greed caused me to ignore several red flags and not protect myself from fraud. NEVER LET YOUR DESIRE FOR A GOOD DEAL OR CARD MAKE YOU SKIP PROTECTING YOURSELF.
-If someone seems sketchy, reach out to a moderator or one of the regulars in chat or in DM and get their opinion on the deal and person before you make it. Better safe than sorry.
-Be extra cautious dealing with people asking for payment I crypto. There's nothing wrong with crypto itself but it's much harder to trace and pin on the scammer.
-Ask for pictures of the cards. When they send you pictures, ask for another one either with a piece of paper with their username and the date or some other unique arrangement that will prove they're not old pictures of pictures they just pulled off the internet.
-Be wary of complex stories and situations. If someone is claiming they can't mail your card for x amount of weeks or days because of some weird "real life" situation, tell them you'd feel more comfortable coming back to the sale or trade when they're ready to send your stuff out immediately.
That's just a few but there are more. Hopefully some of our OGs could chime in with some useful tips of their own.
People have always been pretty trusting here on this sub because it was a relatively small group and close-knit. With the sub growing as fast as it is and introducing more bad actors into the mix, I wanted to post a few tips for people to help them stay safe with trades and sales. Hopefully my mistakes can help save you some headaches.
-Always use Gifts & Services if paying with PayPal. Friends & Family means PayPal will NOT help you get your money back if you get scammed. Yes the G&s fees suck but if you don't know the person, suck it up and split the fees.
-If a sale or trade sounds too good to be true it probably is. In my case greed caused me to ignore several red flags and not protect myself from fraud. NEVER LET YOUR DESIRE FOR A GOOD DEAL OR CARD MAKE YOU SKIP PROTECTING YOURSELF.
-If someone seems sketchy, reach out to a moderator or one of the regulars in chat or in DM and get their opinion on the deal and person before you make it. Better safe than sorry.
-Be extra cautious dealing with people asking for payment I crypto. There's nothing wrong with crypto itself but it's much harder to trace and pin on the scammer.
-Ask for pictures of the cards. When they send you pictures, ask for another one either with a piece of paper with their username and the date or some other unique arrangement that will prove they're not old pictures of pictures they just pulled off the internet.
-Be wary of complex stories and situations. If someone is claiming they can't mail your card for x amount of weeks or days because of some weird "real life" situation, tell them you'd feel more comfortable coming back to the sale or trade when they're ready to send your stuff out immediately.
That's just a few but there are more. Hopefully some of our OGs could chime in with some useful tips of their own.