Suggestion Will maintaining a separate list of scammers' details help to check scamming?

I think we should maintain a separate list on DP of the names and email/payment addresses of users who have scammed others. This way, it will help people who are dealing with new or unknown users to cross-check their details before conducting any kind of business or carrying out any kind of financial transaction. What happens is when a reported scammer gets banned, he/she can easily come back with a different user-name and account. These people even fake their IPs using some tool or software so that their actual location remains untraceable. If a list of all such users and their details is kept, it will at least save some people from getting deceived. I know this is not a foolproof solution, but it can somehow put a sound check on the scamming that goes around.
Thoughts? (Do cast your vote above.)

Thanks in advance.

 

I do agree with you. I think that there should be some accountability when it comes to people coming to a particular marketplace with the intention on swindling people.

One thing that I do want to call caution to is that because two parties disagree, it cannot automatically be called a scam. For example, if I hire someone to write an article for me and I am not happy with the work because they did not follow the directions, turned in low quality work, turned it in majorly late, or even plagiarized, I should not be automatically be added to the bad list. Does that make sense? There would need to be some kind of proof that would prove beyond reason that this person intended to commit a fraud.

I think that may be the challenge with this situation.

 

A guy with following details is a scammers, he will take your money and make your Paypal account limited!

DigitalPoint user: kylegreene86
Email: ,
Skype: kyle.green86
​

Keep away from him!

Amin, please add him to scamming list!

How can we know that's him if he use a VPN software to fake IP? I think we should share the way that he did with victims!

 

You're right. Need to define first what's exactly meant when you say 'a person scams someone'.

Users can change their IP addresses, login names and email addresses frequently, but I don't think they change their payment address every time. If we add the payment addresses of those who have scammed others to the scammers' list, people can at least cross-check the details of users they are dealing with before carrying out a financial transaction. The real danger lies where the actual money is transferred.

 

User can add his payment address, but he scams by using another person's account not his one (Like kylegreene86), so the victims would be someone else, not him!

 

If the scammer is using someone else's payment account so that he/she stays safe when a dispute is opened, kudos to the person who allows such a scammer to use his/her account. I would never allow anyone to use my payment account unless I ABSOLUTELY trust that person.
You're right. A scammer can use another payment address when the first one leaks out. But how many such payment addresses do you think the scammer will use? Well, some people will get scammed because the new payment address used by the scammer is not in the list or doesn't appear fishy. But if the person who's affected reports that address, it'll at least prevent the scammer from using the same payment address again.
I know it's not a foolproof technique (and I've already said so). It cannot stop scamming ENTIRELY but can put a check on it leastways.

 

I temporary agree with your point of view, because in fact there is no perfect method. We ourselves must guard alone, and I also had a lesson for me.

 

You got it quite right friend. The good thing is you at least learned a lesson. Next time, you'll be on your guard when dealing with someone new or unknown (as all of us should be).

One more thing -

1. Be very careful about offers that promise the first payment after a week/15 days/ a month etc. NEVER submit your work before you get paid for it. NEVER give away samples of your work for free. ALWAYS insist on an upfront payment. People who intend to scam mostly withdraw or hesitate when you ask to be paid upfront.
2. HOWEVER good the credentials of a buyer/an employer appear to be, NEVER assume COMPLETELY that the person is trustworthy. Save a copy of all your correspondence with that person; it can come in handy should you ever fall into some unforeseen and/or troublesome situation. WHATEVER the person has stated in his/her communication, NEVER accept it outrightly.
3. NEVER carry out any sort of financial transaction unless both of you (the buyer/employer and the seller/employee) have settled on MUTUALLY agreed terms of payment.
4. DON'T reduce your charges for someone just because that person promises long-term work or orders your services in bulk.
   Such kind of deals rarely go through as expected, at least from what I have experienced. Promises of 'long-term work' or 'bulk orders' are mostly meant to lure you into working for rates lower than you normally charge and giving your best/delivering the best quality you can in the fake hope of getting more work down the line.
   Well, you may consider offering a discount ONLY after you have continuing and trustful business relations with your buyer.
5. 'I have ordered your services in bulk. I expect a discount on my order.'
   Ha, you ordered in bulk, so what? Not doing me a favor!
   Just as the market out there is big for buyers, so is it for the sellers.
   'This other guy is offering it much cheaper than you. If you don't bring down your price, I'll go to the cheaper guy.'
   Well, then go to the cheaper guy, buy cheap and get cheap.
   There's a reason sellers put up a certain price for their work. You spend time and effort in creating a product and ask to be paid in proportion to that. If the buyer is undervaluing your time and effort, leave him to the cheaper guy.
   Don't ever fall for such BS string of excuses buyers use just to bargain. Ask for a price you TRULY think is fair.
   PS: I am NOT AT ALL saying that you should be rude to your clients. You should ALWAYS respect and value them, but the clients should ALSO be worth it. You can reason with clients who are worthy, but NEVER with cheapskates.

….. blah-blah-blah, same old 'anti-scamming' stuff you'll hear everywhere.
Have something to add? Then please do.

My 2c. Hope this helps.
Best of luck.

 

So it appears by and large that this isn't really a feasible idea. So is doing one's due diligence the only way out of getting scammed?

 

Yep. One of the basics we mostly forget when coming across an unbelievable (too good to be true) offer.

Verifying the real identities of buyers/sellers on the internet is always a bother. If it's one person or a small group operating independently, there's no way to check into their legitimacy. If it's an organization that operates under a registered and certified name, you can at least cross check certain 'facts' they claim about themselves (like registration number, postal address, contact numbers etc.) ….. but that too not always.
Any online marketplace, at least IMHO, will always remain susceptible to scamming unless you have some kind of solid systems in place to curb it.

I guess that's why I said we need to define what's exactly meant by 'scamming'.

The second one's more likely.

 

Your tips are really excellent.

I also would like to add one more tip to secure sellers:
1. There may be some buyers having plan to not pay anything. Such buyers mostly do not talk about terms and requirements so much. They just want to get work-done as soon as possible. They can also offer very higher rate and very big order.

Good Luck

 

Thanks @veena ali.
I don't think any seller, in any case a sensible seller, will start (or sell) his/her work unless the pay and payment terms are finalized. Just because the buyer is in a hurry to get the work done is no reason for not stating the terms and requirements clearly.
Very high rate and big order? Read it as 'SCAM ALERT'.

 

Great Idea boss , This will help the newbies on the forum or even the old members to avoid being scammed by dirty members ...
So , my vote is yes DP staff should maintain a separate list of scammers details and ban their Ips at least

 

Isn't the HUGE volume of this forum another reason for infeasibility of the said idea? o.o?

 

I've recently seen some threads where users are discussing about possible scamming issues. They are mostly meant to make people aware that a particular user is a POSSIBLE scammer.
These threads are created in sections like General Chat, General Business, Legal Issues, Programming etc. I wanted to suggest a SEPARATE and DEDICATED section for such threads so that they will not be scattered all across the forum. (Will also keep the other sections clean.)
I guess it will also help to make everyone aware about some Marketplace/BST users with questionable credibility.