Basic Guide: How to not get scammed / How to prove you've been scammed!

SshinigamiS' Guide to make scammers GTFO.

Throughout the past few weeks, there have been many scams going on in this services section of Osbot.

And in many cases, the apparent "scammer" always wins, as there is not enough sufficient evidence.

This guide is for everyone that buys services such as Firecapes/Torsos/Powerleveling/Questing etc.

1. Initial precautions you must take.

Check if they are currently in a dispute or not. If they are, do not use them for any service.

Always ask for a PM, no matter what. Even if you're 100% sure you've added the right Skype name, ask for a PM via Osbot. It only takes a few seconds, and it prevents you from being scammed by an imposter.

Put a bank pin on your account to secure your valuables. If you do not have a bank pin, or the service requires your bank pin - transfer your items to a mule. If you do not have a mule, you can ask a trusted MM to hold it if they're willing to, such as Skype, Occazn, Moderators/Admins, or even myself.

Assess how trustworthy the service provider is. The less trustworthy they seem, the higher the chance that they may scam you. So leaving 2mil on your account for a person that joined yesterday with no rank/feedback/40 posts, you're asking for trouble.

QUESTION THEM ABOUT ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE REGARDING THEIR ToS. Don't be afraid to ask questions, you're trusting them with your account after all. Make sure you are both on the same page of understanding when it comes to the ToS so there's no confusion.

2. What to do after you've decided you want the service done:

Getting a middleman is an extremely good option. You give your osgp to a middleman, and the service provider completes your service. Once you've confirmed the service has been completed, the middleman gives your osgp to the service provider.

3. What MUST do. Gather evidence in case you're getting scammed.

For Firecaping: Record/screen shot your Range XP, without any editing to the picture. Better yet, use a program such as "Hypercam" To record your stats. You can easily calculate the XP difference to check how many npcs they've actually killed. So they won't be able to say "I died at jad" when they've only gained 5k range xp throughout the whole service.

First and foremost, upon logging in after the service, take a screen shot of the IP address.

Taking a video/screen shot of your stats along with the conversation you're having with the service provider is the best way to prove they've scammed you (If they did).

ASK THEM TO CONFIRM YOUR SKILL XP WHEN THEY'VE LOGGED IN (the skill xp that will be increased during the service), you can also ask them to confirm the items that you're trusting them with, even though you should've printscreened it already.

Also, ask them to take a screen shot during the service too, it takes literally less than 2 seconds to take a screen shot, so it's not really asking for much. Even if people don't ask me for printscreens, I send them printscreens as a method of updating them on the progress.

4. What I personally do:

I personally would never trust a newbie with anything over 1mil. If you do decide to trust a person that doesn't seem very "trusted" due to feedback or whatever, make them go welfare if you're paying for a firecape service. No need for a fury, use a glory. Archer's ring? No, ring of recoil. Ranger boots? No, Snakeskin.

Ask them all the questions you want regarding the service, and see how they respond. If they give out a negative vibe, or an agitated response, that's generally not a good sign. Also, check if they know their stuff.

Risk items that you won't mind potentially losing. I'm sure everyone has an amount they won't cry over if they get scammed. Don't go over that limit, unless you absolutely have to (depending on the service).

5. What's happened to me in the past:

A newbie wanted to join my thread for Firecaping, and I geared up one of my accounts to see if he can get a firecape on it. Before I gave him the username/password, I decided to test his knowledge on the fight caves, in terms of luring methods/supplies/armour/stats etc. One of my questions was "How many super restores should you have used by the time you reach up to wave 30 on a 70def 74range 43pray account?" His answer was 6 full super restore pots. That means, he should gtfo and stop wasting my time.

Someone told me they could help powerlevel my slayer legit, none botting. I asked how long for 20 to 77. He said a few hours. That = Gtfo.

Make sure they're knowledgeable on the service they're providing. Question them.  They're providing a service, they should know 100% about it. You can come to the Osbot chat room and ask if the information the Service Provider is stating is correct or not.

Message to moderators/admins:

Edited September 3, 201312 yr by SshinigamiS