The World of Magic Avoid Being Scammed Guide

The World of Magic Avoid Being Scammed Guide by FX

How To Avoid Being Scammed + What to do if you do get scammed

WTFisMaName. Don’t trust him. Not even with 1 gold.

I’ve been really annoyed about this issue. There are people in this game, that scam someone, then brag all over shout about what they just did. Maybe 10 minutes later, I hear some guy begging to have his money back, oh yay, another victim. In this post, I will try and keep you protected from scammers.

If you think most of this is common sense, good for you. This post is directed to people who are likely to get scammed, and thus should read through this. If you want me to add scammers to the list of examples, make a post.

Update Dec. 30 Updated end note to discuss selling/buying for real money.

Types of Scammers

First we will talk about ways to identify a possible scammer before trading with them. Before dealing with a person, it is good to think about how likely they are to screw you over.

Here are some ideas.

The Classic Scammer

These are people that scam for their personal gain. They are not the easiest to detect sometimes, but there are cues you can look for. Do they act suspicious, or seem to want to rush the trade? Are they willing to answer your questions? Do they open and close the trade window multiple times? (check carefully if the item being offered is the one you want) The good thing is that the victims of these people usually shout about this person, and being the smart person you are, you should know to avoid them. Sadly, there are many cases, such as Lazi, where well known scammers continue to be able to find new victims.

Examples: Lazi, lvvl, 0Saphire0, 2xPWNAGE, Klade, xxONExx, xcrasch, and many more.

The Troll

Oh look, its Fortinet!

There are people in this game that play solely to piss off others. They will be haters, spam on shout, do whatever that annoys other players. This includes scamming. These people scam to make others angry and to perhaps for their personal gain. Be cautious in dealing with people that enjoy ruining the game for others.

Examples: Ladeith, Xestal, others..

The “Friend”

This one is so common…and happens so many times. It’s happened to many people I know, I’ve fallen victim to it partially, so it deserves a part in this post.

Basically, you meet someone that seems pretty decent, alright to talk to. No problem with that, right? Until they ask to borrow some items, or even to use your account? This is the stupidest thing you could do until you get to know them better. I’ve seen so many threads about friends stealing items, accounts, whatever. If you’ve just recently met someone, and they are asking you for your money or your account, that’s a red flag. Be cautious in who you trust.

But let me make this clear. I am not trying to say every single person that seems nice to you is out to scam you. There are genuinely nice people in this game that I would easily trust my account to. But again, make sure you know that they are trustworthy. Also, maybe see if they are generous to you as well, maybe reciprocating for your kindness.

So you’ve decided that the person seems alright, and you are in the trade window. If you’ve made it to this stage, here are some tips to avoid being scammed.

Scamming Techniques

Bait and Switch

The classic scam technique. The desired item is shown on the trade screen by the scammer, and then switched with a similar looking item that is most likely worth far less. It is also important to check for gold amounts too, the difference between 1,000,000 and 10,000,000 is quite a big one.

Also, make sure to carefully check the enchant level and stats of weapons/armor as well.

Price Inflation

This one is ridiculously simple, but I’ve seen it happen before… usually with obscure items.

Person A and B are going to work together to scam Person C. Let’s use an example.

Person A shouts: Buying Ganoderma lucidum, 500k!

Person C checks the Black Trader, only to find one being sold by Person B, at only 150k! Person C excitedly buys the item, hoping to make a quick buck. Sadly, he later finds out that the item he bought wasn’t worth anywhere near 150k, and person A and B have logged off.

Misinformation

This is an extension of the scam technique above. Always make sure you know what the item you are buying does. This happened to a friend of mine. He was told that the item, Phoenix Eye, was used to make the Cloak of Fire. There was no other reference price on the Black Trader, so he quickly paid 2 million for it, only to learn that

A. It could only be made by a Siras.
B. It was used to make Kataru Boots, only worth 500k-700k.

The lesson? Find out what that item does before buying it.

But wait! I got scammed already! What can I do?

If you have read this guide, then you shouldn’t let yourself fall victim to a scammer. But let’s say it does happen. Sadly, there isn’t much you can do. First off, asking the admins will not help. Scamming is not a technical related issue, so do not bother PMing them or posting in the Game Support/Feedback section.

However, there are things you can do to prevent others from being scammed. Warn your friends about this person, make a shout, maybe make a thread on the forum. If it’s not a big deal, then don’t make a big fuss about it. There is nothing more annoying than someone spamming shout complaining about losing 10k. People who see that end up ignoring the message anyways.

Ending Notes
But I will restate, avoiding getting scammed is not hard. If something is too good to be true, it probably is. Just follow what I’ve said in this guide, and be cautious.

Important Note: This isn’t really related to scamming, but many people have gotten scammed through trades involving real money. Any deals that involve an exchange of gold for real money/items are against Com2uS rules. While you may not suffer consequences by engaging in these trades, think about it. Someone who disregards Com2uS rules can just as easily con you, right?

~FX