As scamming is an issue, there is the method of creating a new account from such as a public library or another computer to get past the moderator’s power of banning. I suggest we have a black list. This black list is basically a user name and parts of an address.
An example:
1xxx5 ABxxxxG Rd, New York, NY <— This is just an example. A black list will help with the scamming issue. I don’t know if people agree with me but I don’t tolerate these issues very well.
Yeah we have had issues with people scamming and then creating new accounts. Sounds like a good idea, but I don’t think posting ANY part of a persons adress is even remotely a good idea.
Simple posting their account names and pages realted to their scamming is good enough.
or, we can just IP ban them.
Won’t work. IPs can be changed easily… and I heard that they’re regularly switched by the Internet provider?
Yep, most of us are on a DSL line with DHCP address assignments. They change quite regularly.
There’s really not a good way to do what you want that doesn’t cross some lines of unacceptability or too broad of an approach that snags innocent bystanders as well. We had problems on another board with repeat scammers. It just takes some vigilance and watchfulness. Usually they will try to cover their tracks with a new name but usually slip up in other aspects that become obvious if you are watching for it. If you think someone is a repeat scam artist let one of the mods or admins know. We have some limited means of looking deeper at accounts.
The idea of a blacklist sounds attractive, but it needs to be done right. It can easily turn in to a vigilante mob affair unless handled correctly.
It would also need a less cool name. I’d kind of want to be on a “black list” - sounds pretty edgy :P. But I wouldn’t at all want to be on a “Scum you should never trade with” list.
In all seriousness, I get pretty riled about scamming too. I think jhb8426 hit the nail on the head - vigilance and watchfulness is where probably the best we can do. But the partial address thing sounds like it could be promising too. A person could always ship to a different address, but that’s much less easy than using public computers to change IPs.
In some cases publishing a partial address is counterproductive. It gives the guy a heads up to maybe use a different one. We had a case on the other board where the guy did just that. He used his girlfriend’s and relative’s addresses and went on another spree, scoring a few more. In both cases he took the time to build a fairly favorable impression, being a regular member, doing some low cost trades honorably. When he felt he had built a reputation he scammed some really good stuff both times.
One partial solution is to not allow new people to post for sale/trade ads until they have been a member for a specified amount of time and have a specified number of posts. That doesn’t get the guy like in the example above, but it does stop a few of them from coming back w/new names right away. Also trading requires some vigilance on your part. If the guy has no rep, make him send first. If he refuses, let it go at that.
The list could be sent to Mods/Admins, and then they could keep an eye out?
Sounds alot better in my head.
Common Sense.
Research.
These things should be done before any transaction on the BST. It’s not hard to figure out if someone is a scammer, and even easier to avoid being scammed
Not always Q. The person jhb8426 is referring to from the other board was very patient, racked up a good number of positive trades, and then struck. There was no way anyone could have seen it coming. And no one did. Your comment makes it sound like the victims of scamming are always to blame and should have known better, which is simply erroneous and unwarranted.
This sounds like a good idea, but I’m not sure how the Mods/Admins could orchestrate this.
on the topic of ip ban i get past forum bans all the time on proxys not that hard…
I don’t know… It sounds like a fairly good idea, but you gotta understand that there have been some times when people who aren’t scammers have got into a little mixup with addresses or something. Plus, you also have to remember a lot of the people on board are kids and I assume most people (especially parents) expect that their addresses be kept confidential. Now, if they are a scammer, they probably deserve it for the most part, but like I said, I’ve seen some mixups. Plus like jhb8426 giving out the address could be help the scammers. Although, mixups are far and few between so maybe it would be beneficial over all. Just something to consider.
Or… if your scammed then you give out his address and we send a mob! ;D
But honestly, I think mail fraud or something can be called… I was reading on YYN about trade scams (they do have an interesting history :D) and I think they were going to call mail fraud or something… and the guy fessed up and gave… not sure though…
Why don’t you do username, and location of residence i.e Boston Mass, or a zip code.
I can respect your position, and I see where my comment may be mistaken.
But most trade scams can be avoided if you do the research. I do realize that there are people who take it upon themselves to strike after giant feedback, but after that the damage is pretty much done. No?
It isn’t hard to get around a blacklist of any sort. I have relatives in different cities who would be more than happy to old a yoyo for me. I have friends in different states, more than happy to hold a yoyo for me. My point is, if someone wants to scam you, you are probably going to get scammed.
Although my argument for it seems like I am against it, I say that a blacklist would be a good idea, take every precaution possible. But scams will still happen.
You know… you can always buy a lock that goes around the axle, and then wait until they send the yoyo… and then tell them the combo? ;D But then it would have to wrap around the yoyo to stop them from just unscrewing it… OR, you can put it through the axle hole! 
If your last name is paranoid.
But then they’d have my lock.
On the other board I inhabit we have a trader feedback section similar to the feedback here. It is useful to a degree. Negative feedback can be put there as here and one should use it. Sometimes it is a matter of opinion or miscommunication on the part of one or the other parties. I think a blacklist needs to be moderated to some degree to only include the true scammers. It should not be for handling “minor” disagreements about trades that one or the other feel did not go well. That is what the feedback section is for. I just want to clarify that part.
On the bright side, I didn’t hear of any scammers yet, so that means no blacklist!
/end of thread ;D
I see where you guys are coming from. I do understand that it is our responsibility to take precautions and make sure that the guy is good or not. Then again some people to create that rep and then strike when least expected. I just recently got scammed off this site and talked to Icthus about it. This is one of the solutions that I could come up with to ward off future scams.
On the address issue: as users of the internet we have the right to post this kind of information as long as it isn’t the complete thing on a public community. Also as a victim of this site, I have the right to report a scammer on the very site that I was using. It may be an “at my risk thing” but it’s an action to prevent future issues from the same person. They may be able to change an address or use the address of someone else, with the address method it will eventually exhaust all options for them.
There has to be a way for this to work. We just need to come up with ideas.