[Dismas]

In the past there haven't been that many scam reports, with the most recent ones being the highest profile. As such, I decided I'd make a brief announcement to explain what staff can (and can't) do in terms of scam reports, how you can protect yourself, and what to do if you've been scammed.

Spoiler: What Staff Can/Can't Do

What staff can do:

• If there’s actionable evidence (i.e. proof two people made an exchange and one didn’t receive what he paid for) – we can ban the person for 3 months, to permanent.
  
• Dictate that a ban will be placed after a certain period of time, if someone hasn’t been paid for goods or services rendered.
  
• Stop previous scammers from utilizing the marketplace in the future, with a permanent ban if they try to use it anyways.
  

What staff can’t do:

• Grant amnesty to someone that has had accounts compromised and used to scam. Except in extraordinary circumstances.
  
• Verify logs from 3rd party software, such as Discord, XMPP, or Skype.
  
• Ban buyers/sellers, without solid evidence (see below) that they have scammed someone.
  
• Recover goods/services or funds lost to a scammer.
  

Spoiler: Protections & What to Do

What you can do to protect yourself:

• Avoid going first - if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Use a universally trusted middleman, if you can. Likewise, avoid sketchy buyers/sellers.
  
• Complete transactions via private messages, mentioning all steps of the transaction (i.e. Agreements for the transaction, proof of delivery for goods/services, proof of payment) This allows us to see all communication and verify things quick.
  
• If a 3rd party software must be used, send PMs verifying your identity on the 3rd party software. Like so: “Hi, this is Oni#1234 on Discord. I need to verify that you are Username#1234”
  
• If 3rd party software is used, make sure that the main details of the transaction are stored in our database (via PMs). This would include what each party is exchanging (i.e. BTC/service), an agreement of what each party should receive, proof payment has been sent, and proof that the good/service has been rendered.
  

What to include in a scam report if you have fallen victim:

• Screenshots/copies all private messages pertaining to the transaction.
  
• Logs from 3rd party software that correspond to those private messages.
  
• Proof of what both parties agreed to, i.e. “Oni said he would give me $1 for a Snickers bar”
  
• Proof the good or service has been delivered, or payment was provided
  

Hopefully this explains the recent actions of staff, and gives you guys a good idea of how to make exchanges safely.