Scamming has plagued the OG scene since its very inception. As the technologies we utilize have progressed, so have the tactics used by scammers. However, the fundamentals of scamming remain the same, and so do the best practices for avoiding them: knowledge and attention to detail.

While scamming is somewhat unavoidable given the semi-anonymous nature of online communities and marketplaces, it doesn't mean that you have to become a victim of it. This guide has been designed to provide some examples of the most common scams that take place on OGUsers (and other marketplaces), and how you can do your part to avoid getting got by a scammer.

Always use a Trusted Middleman (MM) -You've heard it before, and you're about to hear it again. Whenever you're conducting a deal on OGUsers, you should ALWAYS utilize a Trusted middleman to complete all deals and trades. These users have been vetted by the OGUsers staff and are committed to ensuring that deals are completed safely. While you may be required to pay a service fee, it'll be well worth the piece of mind in knowing that your deal is secure. You can find a current list of all Trusted users via this page.

Always deal/confirm on-site - To ensure that you're avoiding some of these common types of scams, it's ideal to always ensure that your deals are taking place via the forum's Private Messaging (PM) system, as it's impossible to completely copy another user's profile on-site. However, if your deal is taking place off-site (for example, via Discord), you may not be talking to the person you think you are. For this reason, it's critical to send a PM to the user you believe that you're dealing with to confirm the authenticity of the Discord user. The other person should then reply to this message to confirm that the Discord conversation taking place is authentic. Any person that contacts you via Discord to initiate a deal but refuses to confirm on-site is most certainly trying to scam you. Be sure to read the notes below regarding Discord to avoid other scam techniques associated with the platform.

Check the Vouches! - While Reputation/Vouches are not a foolproof system to gauge a user's trustworthiness, it's a great place to start. With that said, don't just rely on the number. Be sure to review a user's vouches/rep before dealing with them to see exactly how they deal with their clients and whether or not the Community recommends dealing with them.

Common Types of Scams (and how to avoid them):

You go first while refusing a MM - Let's start off with an easy one. If someone (especially a less reputable user) refuses to use a MM and asks you to go first when dealing with them, you should pay a little closer attention to the deal, especially if you going first involves you sending funds

Triangle/Fake MM Scams - In this scam, the scammer will create a fake Discord mimicking a MM or Staff member using the method above, which they will then use to facilitate this scam. As you can see, a scammer who utilizes this method has the potential to scam both the buyer and the seller to obtain both the item being sold as well as the funds being used to purchase it.

Multis & Compromised Accounts - More notorious scammers will multiple accounts (multis), or utilize data breach password lists to gain access to OGU accounts belonging to real users. While OGU has systems in place to prevent their ability to do this, no system is fool proof and these scammers may sometimes slip through the cracks.

Above all, the key to avoiding any scam, no matter how intricate, is using common sense while maintaining situational awareness and attention to detail throughout the entire interaction with the person you're dealing with. Always remember that you have the power to end the deal at any moment before goods/funds are exchanged if you feel that something shady is going on.