Anybody who knows D2jsp knows that scamming has been around, will be around and is always around. these are some things I've collected to make people more aware of scamming to prevent it.
Scam on D2jsp
Disclaimer: I am not nor have I ever been a scammer. I have never stolen anything on JSP. The content provided here has been obtained solely through observation of the Scammer Accusations forum, and is meant to show legitimate users how to protect themselves.
Step 0: Always Scam at Night
There are fewer mediators around at night, so it is easy to say, "Go first, or I'll just find another trade. I don't have time for a med." A lot of people really don't have time for a med, especially since one can take upwards of 2 hours late at night.
Step 1: Choose Your Target
Before you decide to scam someone, check for the following:
1. Do they have donor stars?
2. Do they have trusted/mediator member(s) in their friend's lists?
3. Are they buying items?
If the answer to to either of these questions is "Yes," choose a different target. Although officially everyone is protected equally, a quick browse through the S/A forum will show you that most cases with heavy proof that remain pending for extended periods of time are made by people who have no donor stars and no trusted friends.
Also, you'll want to focus on people who are selling their items rather than buying yours. Items are more difficult to trace and more difficult to prove.
Step 2: Send An Ambiguous PM
Example: BIN Treks
You want as little PM traffic with this person as possible. That means, don't haggle. Don't post in their thread. Also, make sure that you do NOT send them to your game. Make them send you to theirs. The majority of users do not select the "save message to sent folder" option, because it clutters the inbox. If they send you to their game, and you never reply, they will not have a record of the game name in their PMs.
Step 3: Use a "Credible" Character
The character you join the game with should be relatively high level (60+), and should have a non-spam name. It need not have gear. After your scam is complete you will never bring this character/account to another JSP trade game again. Keep that in mind.
Step 4: Keep It Short
Avoid chatting it up. Just join the game, give your account (preferably with some sort of unnoticeable typo), and demand they go first. Once you have the item(s), leave the game. Do not stop go, do not collect 200 dollars, and most certainly do not say t4t, gg, thanks, or anything else hinting that you are confirming the trade went through. If possible, drop the game via bonewall spam/meteors. If not, you should be okay anyway.
Step 5: Take a break
Do NOT try to trade the item(s) you just scammed, trade or trade for any other items, or even post in any threads. Do not even visit the scammer accusations page that will most likely be written about you unless a moderator PMs you asking for your input. If you are really curious, log off of jsp and look at it anonymously. Do NOT, i repeat, DO NOT, admit to anyone, in PM, and ESPECIALLY in a thread, that you have committed a scam. This is the single best way to get tagged.
Why? At this point, any post you make in the trade forum or in scammer accusations will just bring attention onto yourself. You'll likely not be able to trade while the person you've just scammed is actively reading threads for a few days to a week. Don't worry, it will eventually blow over. Also, posting their scammer accusations thread will cause all of their friends to jump in, rapidly bumping the topic over and over, and forcing it into the attention of the moderators.
Step 6: Clean Your Stolen Item(s)
Trade them in game for HRs or some other highly liquid goods. Then trade those goods for Fg. Attempting to trade the item for Fg directly risks the person you scammed or their friends noticing their items and going after you in your threads again.
Step 7: Do Not Go On A Spree
Just about the only way to get immediate moderator attention as a scammer is to go on a spree. Never scam more than one person at a time. Never scam when there is a scammer accusation open on you that has been bumped within the last week.
Step 8: Ignore Ignore Ignore
Do not under any circumstances engage in a flame war with the person you scammed or their friends. If they attack one of your threads, report them for spam and make a new one. The less you say about the scam, the better. This applies to PMs too.
If you follow these steps, it is highly unlikely that you will get tagged as a scammer. Here is a list of Scammer Accusations threads these steps have been based on:
http://forums.d2jsp.org/topic.php?t=39320520&f=250
http://forums.d2jsp.org/topic.php?t=41340809&f=250
http://forums.d2jsp.org/topic.php?t=42984715&f=250
http://forums.d2jsp.org/topic.php?t=43949387&f=250
http://forums.d2jsp.org/topic.php?t=45502536&f=250
http://forums.d2jsp.org/topic.php?t=45842945&f=250
http://forums.d2jsp.org/topic.php?t=46329859&f=250
http://forums.d2jsp.org/topic.php?t=47088884&f=250
In addition to the scam above, there are some scams which a user will almost NEVER get tagged for. For example loan scams. Pretty much, the only way you can get tagged for a loan scam is if you outright say that you scammed/were out to scam someone. The same can be said of betting scams. If you return someone's Fg without their winnings after losing a bet, it is highly HIGHLY unlikely that you will get tagged. Both of these trades are "at your own risk" according to moderators. In fact, these scams are so prevalent that third party members have implemented a loan/betting rating system through a firefox plugin, that labels people who are known to abuse this loophole. You can find it by googling "d2jsp betting userscripts".
Why have I posted all of this?
The D2JSP system is flawed, very flawed. Scammers are running rampant, and the moderator team has become slower and slower at responding. Combine this with the small mediator team in comparison to the size of JSP, and you've got the makings of a scamming disaster. Above are links to 8 different S/A posts all in the first 3 pages with heavy evidence that have been open for months. And the accused hasn't even posted in them! That is how bad things have gotten.
I hope some time in the near future D2JSP takes steps to correct these blatant shortcomings. In the mean time, I hope that those of you reading this can benefit from my research to figure out how to not be a target for scams.
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