Common Scams and How to Avoid Them The original version of this post was kindly typed up by Biggal over on Ankama Square. Many thanks!

INTRODUCTION TO SCAMMERS AND HOW TO DEAL WITH THEM:

Every online game has its scammers and its thieves. Learning to recognize and deal with them is part of every new players' training. If you find someone who is trying to pull off one of the scams below, please follow these directions:

1. Type /whois scammername
2. Take a screenshot.
3. Host that screenshot on Imageshack or Photobucket (or the image host of your choice)
4. Include that link in a support ticket

In-Game Scams (Scams that take your kamas and your items)
NOTE: Sometimes people are completely honest when offering one of the below "deals". However, there is no way to filter the scammers from those players that are legit. If you ever did one of the below trades without a problem - I am happy for you. However I take a "zero sum" approach to the below deals and encourage everyone else to do the same.

The below scams are rated at an estimate of what it is possible to lose to them. Here is a description of the rating system:

$ - Loss of a small amount of kamas, or some mildly useful items. Annoying, but probably not difficult to replace.
$$ - Loss of a decent amount of kamas, or valuable items. Somewhat difficult to replace.
$$$ - Loss of a large amount of kamas, or unique/rare items. Very difficult or impossible to replace.
$$$$ - Temporary loss of control of account, along with item/kamas loss. Account might eventually be recovered, but stripped of equipment. Very difficult to recover losses.
$$$$$ - Permanent loss of control of account. Account is either banned (participation in some scams - like downloading cheat programs - can result in both the scammer and scammee being banned) or not recoverable, characters deleted, personal information stolen. Impossible to recover losses.

The Philanthropy Scam and Other "HA-ha! Made You Click Accept!" Scams
(Possible Loss: $ to $$$)
Sometimes you'll start to make a deal with someone, agree to give them money for an item, and suddenly, they'll start filling up the trade box with a bunch of lower level items, making the box scroll. They say, "Take theses items too, I don't need them." What you don't realize is that they've taken away the item that you originally paid for, leaving you with a bunch of less-expensive items while they take your money.

Sometimes, players will also use items that *look* like other items to switch out at the last second. Usually, this happens with scrolls - some of them have icons that look similar to each other, but it can also involve two pieces of the same equipment, one with good stats, and one with terrible stats. Always check the item by clicking on it before you click "Accept." And if the button greys out for any reason, ALWAYS check before you click again.
Conclusion: Always make sure that you see the item that you want to buy in the box before you click "Accept."


The 10% Scam
(Possible Loss: $ to $$$)
Like the Philathropy Scam, this scam relies on the scamee to be less observant than the scammer. Usually the set up is someone announcing that they are quitting the game, and will give you 10% of all the money you have on you. They exchange you, asking to see all your money. You put the money in to show them. They put the 10% in... and you both click "Accept." The scammer hopes that you'll be too eager to get your 10% to take the extra step of removing your original amount of cash, which makes you the one having the "going out of business" sale. Please make a note - at this time, clicking on the kama field and typing "0" or clicking the "min" button will not remove all of your kamas. You will need to type "1" rather than trying to remove all of your kamas.

Some scammers have been doing this with pets as well. They will offer to buy your pet, then, when you put it into the trade window, they will say "His health isn't full, give him this powder" and attempt to trade you an Eni Powder, hoping that you'll forget your pet is still in the trade window and click "accept." Dirty, dirty pool.
Conclusion: Keep your eyes open and your wits about you. Scammers rely on greed to make their targets blind, so always look before you leap!


Selling Guilds
(Possible Loss: $$ to $$$)
Fairly often you will see people trying to sell an entire guild (of which they are, in theory, a leader). Not only is this highly unethical to the people still in the guild and you are being stuck with the chosen guild name, but this deal has a high chance of being a scam since there's no way for you to insure that the seller will keep his end of the bargain. Ankama will not help you if you lose money trying to buy a guild and no amount of in-game harassment or posts on Dofus forums will get you your money back.
Conclusion: This trade is against the rules of the game. Don't buy already-made guilds from other players.


"Trust me, I'm a Level 100 Crafter."
(Possible Loss: $$ to $$$)
This "deal" tends to wax and wane from time to time and it definitely represents a gray area. The setup is quite simple. After a player advertises a need for a high-level item to be crafted, he or she is approached by someone promising that they are a level 100 crafter in that category and promising to do the job. However as soon as the materials are handed over the would-be crafter disappears.
Conclusion: Now that the new crafting interface and the new Professional Book has been added to the game, you can avoid these scams. Make sure to always use the co-crafter interface so you'll be sure to get your item and not lose your materials. Check the Dofus Ladder to verify their claims. You can also check the list of level 100 crafters on the official and fan forums to avoid getting the wrong end of the stick. If the person offering you their services insists that they are what they say they are, politely ask them to first be officially listed before soliciting their service. If there is a moderator online at the time, you can ask the moderator to confirm that the person in question is a level 100 crafter as they claim to be.


Selling a House
(Possible Loss: $$ to $$$)
Sometimes you'll find people claiming to sell their house. They might want a sum of money, or they might ask for items. They may tell you that they'll page you the code when you give them the cash. They may claim to be your friend. They are lying. The only way to properly buy any house it to click on the front door and select "Buy" from the menu. If you can not select this option, the house is not for sale. Be very careful, these scammers are known to take names smiliar to the names of the real house owners, hoping to trap the unwary.
Conclusion: The house buying menus are there for your protection. Use them!

Out-Of-Game Scams (Scams that could put your real money at risk)

Dofus Cheats
(Possible Loss: $$$$ to $$$$$)
There's a new website out there the claims to have a kama hack for Dofus. In fact, there's even a handy, dandy little form that you can fill out that will hack your account for you! All you need to do is provide your user name and account password..... Unfortunately, it sends your information, not to Dofus, but to a hidden guestbook for the website owner to collect later.
Conclusion: Websites like these are always frauds. There are no Dofus cheats, and anyone who tells you differently is trying to steal your account.


Dofus Account Hacking
(Possible Loss: $$$$ to $$$$$)
Similarly, there's an old Runescape hack that says "I got the secret e-mail account that lets you hack other people's accounts. Just send an e-mail to it with your account name, your password, and the player name you want to take control of" (embellished with all sorts of bizarre %=xx^^ signs to make it look code-y), and it's been making the Dofus rounds now, with very little changed. The e-mail address, of course, is that of the scammer, not a secret password-distribution address, and all you'll be doing is giving him control of your account.
Conclusion: Like the similar website scam immediately above, this is an account-stealing fraud.


DofusTools
(Possible Loss: $$$$ to $$$$$)
Our illustrious script kiddeh is back on the prowl with a new page featuring the GhostMouse.exe Trojan Horse Virus. Make no mistake, this executable will help him steal your account instead of letting you "quickly and easily" make tons of kama. No such thing as a free lunch, remember?
Conclusion: If it sounds too good to be true, ("I made 330kk last night!") it probably is.
Moderator's Note: Using third-party programs to "enhance" Dofus in this manner is against the rules of the game. If someone tells you to download a cheating application, please report them with a ticket. Even if a program isn't made for cheating, it can still be malicious. Remember, all third-party application downloads are at your own risk. So be careful what you install.


Look-ALike Websites (aka Phisher sites)
(Possible Loss: $$$$ to $$$$$)
Recently, there have been a few ankama-games.com "look-alike" websites that have sprung up. These sites look almost identical to the official Ankama Games website, but logging in to these sites gives your password to a scammer. These websites often lure you in by offering free "upgrades" to full member status or with stern email warning message about someone trying to access your account to agitate you into logging on to the site without looking twice. They also tend to spring up more frequently when there are closed betas (such as the closed Wakfu beta or the closed 2.0 beta) to offer keys. For maximum security, keep your own bookmark of http://ankama-games.com on your computer and use that to log in to the Ankama Games website. Always be aware of what's in your address bar.
Conclusion: Don't forget that there's no such thing as a free lunch. Never enter your login name and password on a site that isn't official: even if it LOOKS official. If you get a scary email from Ankama, don't panic and keep your eyes open.


Fan Websites
(Possible Loss: $$$$ to $$$$$)
When a game like Dofus becomes popular, there are usually people who open up forums and other websites about the game for their fellow players. Some of these websites are benign and helpful, but sometimes, unscrupulous people use the trust of the community to cause havoc while pretending to help. If any fan website ever asks you to give them a screen name and a password, make sure that you do not use the same login and password as your Dofus account. Also, make sure that you don't use the same password as your email address - someone who has control of your email address could pretend to be you and gain your information in that fashion.
Conculsion: Practice good internet security, never use your Dofus login name or password on any fan website.


Selling P2P Account/P2P Codes
(Possible Loss: $ to $$$$$)
Beware a scam whenever someone is offering to sell an existing p2p account or offering to "upgrade" your account to p2p. Even if a person gives you the correct log-in information for a p2p account, it's extremely easy for them to get their password back (after you change it) using the "forgot password" feature. As such, they will have the money you paid and the account back in no time. In order for your account to be "upgraded" to p2p, that person will need your login and password to access your account. Not only are you paying money upfront (or even half and half) without any guarantee of a return in both cases but in the latter case you have the opportunity of having your OWN account stolen.

The same principle applies when it comes to P2P phone codes. There's no reason for a seller to give you correct codes, or any information at all. Once they have your money, they can simply ignore you and log out. This is one of the more common Astrub scams.
Conclusion: Do not purchase existing Dofus accounts nor have anyone "upgrade" your account to p2p.
Moderator's Note: Selling and buying of accounts and P2P codes is against the rules of Dofus. If someone offers to sell you an account or "upgrade" your account for real money OR for kamas, please report them with a ticket


Trading Dofus Items for Items From Another Game
(Possible Loss: $ to $$$)
There is lots of gray area here, both ethical and "legal". Regardless to say, since you have no way of insuring that the trade goes through on both sides of the table, I recommend you stay away from these "offers". You can try the half-and-half approach, but there's nothing stopping the other guy from taking your half and logging off. Sure, he might not have gotten everything, but he got something and left you the sucker.
Conclusion: Don't agree to these kinds of trade.
Moderator's Note: Selling and buying of items with real money or money from other games is against the rules of Dofus. If someone offers to sell you items or accounts from other games in this manner, please report them with a ticket


"Trust Me, I'm a Moderator"
(Possible Loss: $$$$ to $$$$$)
Some players have recently tried to imitate moderators or GMs to trick players into giving them their login names, sometimes even under the guise of helping players get back items that they have lost to one of the scams above. If anyone ever messages you claiming to be a moderator, a GM, or a member of the Ankama Support team, type /whois character name. Members of the admin staff, game masters, and modos will have a tag in their /whois information telling you who they are. They will also very likely have [MOD] or [GM] in their name. Regular players cannot put brackets in their names, so make sure to notice this important detail. Members of the official moderation team and the developers of Ankama will never ask for your password. They don't need your password to check up on your account.
If anyone who claims to be a moderator or a staff member asks for your password, take a screenshot and send it to support.
This is what a real moderator's /whois information looks like.

Conclusion: Never give your login away to anyone, even a moderator.

Fake Friends
(Possible Loss: $ to $$$$$)
There has recently been a rash of "friendalike" scams. Someone creates a new character with a similar name and colors to a higher-level player, and then tries to borrow equipment or accounts from their friends. When the trade is made, this impostor vanishes with the equipment or account. This scam takes advantage of those who may have a guild that is friendly with sharing equipment or accounts. The only way to avoid this is to pay attention when someone asks you for anything of yours.
Conclusion: Always be extra careful when lending your items or equipment. Even when it's with your friends. Don't forget that account lending is against the rules, and these rules are there for your protection!

Honorable Mentions
I. "Please give me #kama to access the bank/Zaap!"
Most of the time a player simply made a mistake and really would appreciate your help. Be wary of amounts that seem a bit "too" high (in my opinion, anything 50kama and more) or people asking for "vault money" far away from banks. The bank will automatically extract money from your bank account if you do not have enough kamas to open the vault in your inventory, try informing beggars of this fact to see if they are sincere.

II. "I just got hacked and have nothing!"
Times were the community would come together to help the less fortunate amongst us. This phrase, however, has seen an incredible share of abuse in Dofus and other games. If someone you don't know proclaims to have been hacked you are welcome to offer your condolences and maybe a starting item or two - but that's it.

III. "I'm a girl!" or "Wanna cyber?
Women play online games and many do so very well. A small segment of them, however, like to exploit the "I'm a girl on the internet" status in trying to score free items. Worse, some men like making female avatars for the express purpose of "flirting" and begging for items. The (thankfully small) trend of female avatars (note, not women... just female avatars) offering cybersex around Zaaps is even more disturbing and degrading to real female players. You are free to ignore any advances made by female avatars unless you yourself feel like giving something away.

IV. "I'll give it back tomorrow!"
Lending is a tricky business in real life and on Dofus. The general rule of lending is - if you ever want to see it again, don't lend it. If you couldn't bear to give that item away as a gift, don't lend it to your friends. It can be difficult to get your items back, even from friends that are trustworthy and reliable. Their computer could get stolen, a downed power line could black out internet access for days, a natural disaster could happen... These things aren't likely, but they are possible, and if they happen, or if the person you lent to refuses to return your gear, Ankama will not help you get the item back, it'll be gone forever. This doesn't mean that you can't be a nice person and lend things out, but be aware of the risks.

This post has been edited by [MOD]Wish: 15 Nov 2009, 17:53

UPDATE! There is a new scam on the list. Please take a moment to read it and familiarize yourself with the premise, then keep your eyes open!

Fake Friends
(Possible Loss: $ to $$$$$)
There has recently been a rash of "friendalike" scams. Someone creates a new character with a similar name and colors to a higher-level player, and then tries to borrow equipment or accounts from their friends. When the trade is made, this impostor vanishes with the equipment or account. This scam takes advantage of those who may have a guild that is friendly with sharing equipment or accounts. The only way to avoid this is to pay attention when someone asks you for anything of yours.
Conclusion: Always be extra careful when lending your items or equipment. Even when it's with your friends. Don't forget that account lending is against the rules, and these rules are there for your protection!

Be safe out there, everyone.

-Wish

This post has been edited by [MOD]Wish: 25 Jan 2009, 23:58