RoseburgFlyer
04-03-2019, 12:19 AM
How to scam ANYONE in the mermaiding community....
....So you know how to avoid being scammed.
-Photos. Always, ALWAYS get a dated photo. If a seller cannot provide a photo with a note saying their name on or by it, DO NOT BUY IT. Selfies aren’t proof as that could’ve been taken from another’s post. If a seller says it’s at a friend’s or parent’s or whatever, they should be able to still send a photo with a name and date. There is no excuse for this.
-Payment options. Any payment method where you are using your card is OK as you are protected by your bank, but, if you can, pay with your credit card as it’s much easier to get help then with your debit. You can easily pay it off with what money you have in your debit card.
~Do NOT use these payment options: Paypal Friends & Family, Facebook Messenger Pay, Venmo. They are not for goods/purchases and if you do a chargeback on your card these sites will fight you.
~It unfortunately has to be said: NEVER GIVE YOUR CARD INFORMATION OVER TEXT OR ANY MESSAGE APP. EVER. They’ll get way more than just your payment.
-Steal prices. If a popular and pricy item is being sold for a dirt cheap price, or a price that seems too good to be true, ASK the community for their thoughts, AFTER getting as much info and photos as possible. Different backgrounds. Up close.
-Return address or merchant address. Get a VALID ADDRESS from the person selling to you. If there’s a physical location you can check on Google Maps as being a valid place, then if you get scammed in any way, you have a place to report to your card company and the police to tie to whatever name the merchant gave you.
-Trades. Treat it as a purchase with everything above; and, if you are trading, make sure you ship on the same day with tracking. You could get stock photos at best or nothing at all otherwise. If they don’t ship you can take it back from the post; or, if they do ship but have tracking, you can reverse trace it to the exact post office and get time and date for the cameras if you file a police report.
-Sob stories and pushiness. If a seller gives you a story to play on your emotions and/or is super pushy/insistent, avoid, no matter how “great the deal” or how much you “want to help them”. This does not mean don’t avoid listings that are priced to sell; just pay attention to how the seller is treating you/the conversation. If they are sending you messages constantly, avoid, completely.
I’ve dealt with many scams and have been noticing several. Memorize this mers. Don’t be easy prey.
....So you know how to avoid being scammed.
-Photos. Always, ALWAYS get a dated photo. If a seller cannot provide a photo with a note saying their name on or by it, DO NOT BUY IT. Selfies aren’t proof as that could’ve been taken from another’s post. If a seller says it’s at a friend’s or parent’s or whatever, they should be able to still send a photo with a name and date. There is no excuse for this.
-Payment options. Any payment method where you are using your card is OK as you are protected by your bank, but, if you can, pay with your credit card as it’s much easier to get help then with your debit. You can easily pay it off with what money you have in your debit card.
~Do NOT use these payment options: Paypal Friends & Family, Facebook Messenger Pay, Venmo. They are not for goods/purchases and if you do a chargeback on your card these sites will fight you.
~It unfortunately has to be said: NEVER GIVE YOUR CARD INFORMATION OVER TEXT OR ANY MESSAGE APP. EVER. They’ll get way more than just your payment.
-Steal prices. If a popular and pricy item is being sold for a dirt cheap price, or a price that seems too good to be true, ASK the community for their thoughts, AFTER getting as much info and photos as possible. Different backgrounds. Up close.
-Return address or merchant address. Get a VALID ADDRESS from the person selling to you. If there’s a physical location you can check on Google Maps as being a valid place, then if you get scammed in any way, you have a place to report to your card company and the police to tie to whatever name the merchant gave you.
-Trades. Treat it as a purchase with everything above; and, if you are trading, make sure you ship on the same day with tracking. You could get stock photos at best or nothing at all otherwise. If they don’t ship you can take it back from the post; or, if they do ship but have tracking, you can reverse trace it to the exact post office and get time and date for the cameras if you file a police report.
-Sob stories and pushiness. If a seller gives you a story to play on your emotions and/or is super pushy/insistent, avoid, no matter how “great the deal” or how much you “want to help them”. This does not mean don’t avoid listings that are priced to sell; just pay attention to how the seller is treating you/the conversation. If they are sending you messages constantly, avoid, completely.
I’ve dealt with many scams and have been noticing several. Memorize this mers. Don’t be easy prey.