Dishonest and armed with bad intentions, they choose their prey viciously and attack easy targets in order to pull off their mean tricks. Here is an investigation into scammers and their favorite pastime: scamming!
Scams have always existed, and although certain real-life situations meddle in the game, they are no exception to the rule. Far from the vision of "everyone is nice, everyone is friendly", scams sometimes remind some of you of the stark reality of it.
Today, we're therefore going to explain some of them so that you know the right time to say "No" once a scammer has you in their crosshairs.
Selling Spell Scrolls Cheap
The purpose of this scam is to announce a sale of spell scrolls at a bargain price in merchant mode with a position you need to go to. Once the scammer deems they have attracted enough players to the scene of the crime, he or she will go into merchant mode with Lightning Strike spell scrolls… that cost ten times less than at the Marketplace! The other players, too enticed by the idea of spending little to gain a lot, are then likely to rush over there and end up with an item bought at a merchant value that is more than ten times greater than its average price.
So, be careful to always take the time to check what you're buying!
Offering 10% of Your Kamas
This is the most common technique in DOFUS Touch. The scammer offers to give the target 10% of their total kamas. To do this, he or she starts an exchange with the victim and asks them to put all their kamas in exchange, then puts around 10% of the total in return and takes the deal. The victim does gain 10% of the kamas they had if they take the deal as well… but will also lose the other 90%.
The best way to protect yourself from this scam is, as always, to be wary when a player offers to give you kamas!
Joe Bloggs, or... Joey Blogs?
Identity theft is a very deceitful practice: It consists of imitating the nickname of a well-known player whose close friends he or she knows, and from whom it would be easy to ask for goods. The scammer will therefore adopt the victim's nickname, create a character with the same physical characteristics, reverse or replace two letters in the original nickname, and contact his or her targets, demanding items or kamas.
The choice is usually not trivial and, most of the time, it will be a person who knows the players he or she intends to take down very well. Whenever a friend suddenly demands equipment, you need to check their account nickname using the command /whois PlayerNickname in the chat window, which allows you to view accurate information about another character. Thanks to this, it's impossible for you to be wrong!
Mugi, our dedicated community helper and YouTuber, with the help of Ravasz, has a small video for you about scams, along with a touch of humor – the secret to which only he knows.
I Got Scammed: Give Me Back What I Lost!
Unfortunately, scams are part of the game, and no one other than you, the players, has any direct control over them. In the cases cited above, the moderators will be able to intervene in the game and take action. However, they will not be able to give you back what you lost, and the same goes for the Support team.
Sanctions are taken against the scammers – make no mistake. Ankama is against these offenders, and the measures taken sometimes go right up to definitively suspending the account.
Finally, be careful not to get scamming and phishing mixed up; they are two very different practices. Scams usually involve the theft of goods when the victim doesn't pay attention during a secure exchange, whereas phishing is a practice aimed at stealing players' login details.
To learn more about this, you can always go to the file on phishing by clicking here.