Great Guide For Trading, Buying, And Selling Virtual Items : Trading Discussions, Help, & Rules

Trading Guide for Buying, Selling and Trading of Virtual Items and Game Accounts.

Please take the time and read through this page and make yourself familiar with the forums and how things work. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and trust your instincts . If something does not feel right to you don’t do it.
[edit] Known Scams/Phishing/Spoofing /Key-loggers /Viruses

In the cyber-world phishing (also known as carding and spoofing) is a form of illegal act whereby fraudulently sensitive information is acquired, such as passwords and credit card details, account details, by a person/entity masquerading as a trustworthy person or business in an apparently official electronic communication, such as an e-mail or instantaneous communication.

E-mail spoofing is a term used to describe fraudulent e-mail activity in which the sender address and other parts of the e-mail header are altered to appear as though the e-mail originated from a different source. E-mail spoofing is a technique commonly used for phishing to hide the origin of an e-mail message.

Ways you will encounter phishing : Examples :

Blizzard uses a Yahoo Account

Blizzard on MSN

Blizzard uses g-mail

Beta Scams

BLIZZARD WILL NEVER ASK FOR YOUR ACCOUNT INFORMATION VIA EMAIL OR MESSENGER !

DO NOT follow any links contained in such emails or respond to such an email regardless of how real they look.

We recommend that you : DO NOT POST YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS THAT IS ATTACHED TO YOUR GAMING ACCOUNTS ANY PUBLIC FORUM!
[edit] Key-logger & Exploits, Protect Yourself!

Before you click on any link, mouse-over and take a glance at your URL bar, anything .EXE, .SCR, or .BAT is probably going to be bad. Don’t click it. Do not download /accept any files from people you do not personally know.
[edit] Spy-ware/Ad-ware Prevention & Removal

Spy-Ware-Blaster

Spy-Bot

AD-Aware

Advast

KasperSky

[1]

AIM Trojan & Virus Help

Always remember to check for updates for your Anti Virus Software, on a regularly bases , to ensure you are covered by the latest protection ,that is available. Also be sure you understand how those programs work.
[edit] Establishing whom you're dealing with!

Google is your best friend when trying you check out the person whom you are dealing with online.Copy and paste the AIM/email and read through your results. Pay special attention to the spelling of the AIM name hence copy & pasting is vital. Take extra caution when your search yields no results at all.
# Ask for their MD-name. If they don't have one say no thank you!
# Check if the MD name and the AIM listed match.
# Check their TWV-Feedback ratings found under their name!
# Require a PM via the MD Boards. No excuses accepted!
# Require a new post made on the MarkeeDragon.com Forum.
# Ask if they are Trust-Who Verified.
# Send an email to their Trust-Who verified email address found in their TWV Tag in their signature and require them to respond to the email you send. (Search for their TWV email address)
# Ask for a brief Phone-call from a (land-line)! If the caller is listed as private ,do NOT ACCEPT the call until he can call you and a number is visible. You can do a reverse look-up here,and check if the information you were supplied with is correct.
# Conversations conducted in Vent are pretty much useless.
# If the person your speaking with sounds very young ask to speak with an adult in the home.
# Keep good records of names , AIM , Dates, accounts, SAQ, MM, OO etc.
# All agreements made should be written and not verbal. You will thank me later for this!
# Don't forget to check out your middle-man ( if your using one)! Middle men can be scammers as well. Use only people the community trusts.
# Save your chat-logs and or screenshots
# Have ALL your information on hand !
# Be very clear you know what your trading for !( active-banned,frozen,trial )
# Does he/she have SQA to the account in question?
# Does he/she have the CD Key to the account in question?
# Is he/she the original account owner?
# How many owners has this Account had? (If more than one you stand a huge risk of someone recalling an account. Don't forget that!
# Ask for Names ,email addresses, AIM etc from previous owners.
# Require to see the account in game !No Excuses accepted!
# Do not accept WoW armory links, or any files as proof.
# Make sure to only trade during business hours. Have the Phone number for account support handy!
# DO NOT CHANGE E-mail FIRST
# Once log-in info is exchanged , log on to make sure that the account is NOT a trial account.
# Remain civil even if the person your talking to is a schmuck, if an issue should arise, those chat-logs will be your proof and posted for everyone to see ! After the Transaction
# If you had a positive experience exchange appropriate feedback
# If not: Recall your account as soon as possible.
# Leave appropriate feedback
# Make a report in the scammer forum on Markee Dragon
# Remember to include screen-shots/chat-logs etc
# If the person that scammed you was TWV contact forumsupport@markeedragon.com and let them know.
# DO NOT feel silly filing a police- report!
# Don't freak out! Stay calm.
[edit] Tips from experienced traders
# Make sure to never use the password on 3 method of trading, never works.
# Common sense, any AIM name like 'boobsarecool124' or anything obviously made 30 seconds ago to screw you over is not going to go over well!
# I never change account info first.. Why? Because people won't pay once it's changed. Then there is always the recalling of the money or account. Here is my previous methods of selling or buying: Sell them the account with just the account info name / pass. Then in a week or two you change the email for them. Then after a month you give them sqa. (this prevents from recalling on pay-pal). Also for trading use LEGIT high rep middle-man. Prevents you from getting scammed. Also if you use a random middleman with like 1 positive you have a better chance to get scammed.
# COPY+PASTE into notepad the aim name, and see if its capital i or L.
# Always take screen-shots, they are way more believable then aim log. Also search for the account he/she is offering to sell/trade. Some accounts change users more than they change their underwear. I would not consider that a safe trade.
# Look at the register date. If he registered that day wait. There are some new legit users out there but I wouldn’t hand you my account.
# I don’t care what the reason he/she gives you. Everyone has a story and most of them are BS.
# Be cautious of users that share too many personal details like their Wife/Girlfriend's name, their latest personal drama, the hard luck story etc. People that offer too much information or are way too chatty usually try to distract you with useless information and give you a false sense of security