NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT POST SCAMMER LISTS OR IGNS/GUILDS HERE.
Is the person you are trying to deal with on an alt or a main character?
- As having a scamming reputation isn't something anyone wants (it makes it harder to scam people if you are a known scammer then if you are unknown), something to look for is if the character is a newer character or an alt.
- One easy way to spot this is via CP or Combat Power, is the person under 1000? If so they are most likely a newer player or an older player using an alternate character.
- Another way to spot if this is in fact an alt, is by adding the person to your friends list. By default the friend's list status is the player's name. Has that person bothered changing that? If not, that character is most likely not used often, or is brand new.
- Ask your friends! See if anyone else has heard of this character's name or if it hasn't been seen around.
- Many social networks sites (Facebook groups, Mabinogi Forums, etc.) have scammer lists, know where these are and actually look over these lists, chances are you will see at least one name on there you've never heard of before, but seen in game.
Examine what you want to buy carefully.
- Some items in game, have very similar looks, names and descriptions, in which Nexon has left very few ways to differentiate between them (See Kitsune/Tanuki Headbands), I think everyone has at least once bought a REGULAR dye ampule thinking it was a FIXED.
- If you or someone who you know uses mods (again not promoting them as they are against the Terms of Service) then something to pay attention to is the Item ID (for example the Kitsune Headbands have two separate Item IDs, one for the moving version, one for the non-moving version).
- In the event you don't have mods/can't find someone who does, ask the person to equip the item in game so you can visually see that it is in fact the item you want. Chances are if they are unwilling to do that, they are trying to scam you and you are better off dipping on that right now. In the event that the person isn't the right race/gender to equip the item for you, ask if they have a friend that they trust that could equip it, and again if they aren't willing to chances are you are better off leaving now.
- Lastly examine the item in the trade window/mailbox closely, ensure that it is definitely the item you want, clicking blindly only leads to bad things.
Count your zeros!
- This may seem silly but often happens, people miss a digit, sometimes by accident sometime on purpose. I think everyone has seen those shops in Belvast that are called "200K Fine Reforges" but upon opening the shop, the reforges are actually priced at 2,000,000g, which is...needless to say a LITTLE BIT STEEP OF A PRICE don't cha think?
- As stupid as this may sound, I've always counted in groups of threes with my finger. Put my index finger on my screen and covering up the 3 zeros to the furthest right as it makes it easier for me to ensure I'm paying in the hundred thousands and not in the millions or ten millions.
- If you are a mod user, then some modifications allow for there to be commas within numbers/prices which can greatly assist, it is a lot easier to read five million when it is separated like 5,000,000g than compared to 5000000g.
- Now in these situations it can honestly be a mistake made by the seller, so don't assume that everyone doing this is instantly a scammer and you should never deal with them again. However chances are if the same person has that same reforge shop up all week with the same falsely advertised prices, they are trying to catch that one person who isn't paying attention. The best thing you can do in this situation is note/add/whisper the person, try to make some form of contact and see if they chance the price.
"We have to drop trade the item"
- While some items do in fact have to be drop traded such as various inventory bags (not the coupons, but the bags itself), most items do not.
- If it is something that requires a drop trade, then do this somewhere in game, other then a homestead, in the event that it has to be done in a homestead, do it in the homestead of a neutral party, this will prevent the other person from expelling you from the homestead the second you drop your item.
- "I'm glitched and I can't open a trade window," ask the person to relog or change channels, as 9/10 times this will fix any issues with the trade window glitching. If they refuse to do so or come up with other excuses then best to leave now, they are most likely trying to scam you.
- Scammers will often use their ego/spirit weapon in order to make it appear that they are actually trade glitched and telling the truth, please don't fall for this con.
NX Buying
- Please note that buying NX in game with the use of gold is against the Mabinogi Terms of Service, and I am not promoting it in any way, shape or form, however it is something that is done often regardless.
- All Karma Koin Codes are 20 Digits long, COUNT the digits in the code you are given, sounds stupid but everyone has done this at least once where you type in a code and it is 1 digit short.
- NX Scams are the MOST common forms of scamming, please keep this in mind when buying off of other players, try to find someone who is reputable as well as has a list of customers that you may contact to confirm that this person isn't a scammer.
Common Scamming Methods
- Asking someone to drop the item then expelling the player from the homestead.
- "I'll pay you later," yeah guess what they aren't going to pay you now, later or ever.
- "I just want to try it on, then I'll give it right back," if you don't know the person, chances are they aren't giving it back.
- "I'll let you hold my item A, while I try on your item B, it isn't worth the same gold wise but it is really special to me because..." chances are the item isn't actually special and you are allowed to hold it because they don't care about the item, and just want to run off with yours.
- NX scamming is the most common/easiest way to get scammed as this form of trading requires the most amount of trust because there is no sure fire way to release the code and the gold at the same time.
The only real way to prevent yourself from being scammed is to act logically and use some of that common knowledge (that isn't as common as you'd think)! Merchant Safely!
I also posted this onto my Tumblr page, if you would like you can share it there to keep the awareness up too.