Thread: Spotting a Scammer or Cheater

Spotting a scammer isn't always easy but it can often be done if you're careful.

• First of all, before you open a giveaway spend some time getting to know the community. After a while, it becomes easy to see who is trusted and who is not. Do not automatically assume that because a person has the VIP gold bar that they are worthy of your trust. Remember anyone can donate on their first day here to buy access to the VIP forums. Make friends and ask for references.

• Second, don't give invites away easily or to the first person who asks. Carefully scrutinize each applicant's post history, site reputation, and manner of conducting themselves. Check out their iGiver - do they have a history of trading? In my experience, traders and cheaters go hand in hand. iGiver can also tell you if they have received an invite to the same tracker in the past. If they have, this is a MAJOR sign of scamming and you should not give them the invite. Most trackers insist on one account per lifetime. Abide by this.
  

• Third, examine their application thoroughly. Look for signs of shady Photoshop editing. Ask for profile links as well as ratio proofs. Look for any discrepancies or unusual numbers. Examine speed tests and compare them to upload numbers. Do the math. Cheaters often forget to crunch the numbers and that's how they get caught.

• Fourth, check out their profiles to see how long they've been a member at their current trackers. Are they claiming to have torrented for years but they've only been a member at their current trackers for under a month? This can indicate (but doesn't always) that they've been banned in the past and sneaked back in.

• Also, look at the taskbar of the proof they are offering. Are there shady icons? One of our members diligently looked up the icons associated with ratio cheating programs. See below for a handy image, showing you what to be on the lookout for. If any of these icons appear in a ratio proof, do NOT give the invite and contact a staff member immediately.
  

• And finally, go with your gut. If it doesn't feel right, don't do it
  

Well said Jen!
These are some excellent tips.
I feel the best way to avoid cheaters is by saying you may/will ask for profile links.
This scares away the photoshoppers for sure!

Good point, Kon. Also, comparing the profile links to the ratio proofs ensures you aren't looking at stolen proofs.

The good old "type this in this search bar and press enter and take a SS" works out pretty well too. Wouldn't know how to fake it. Combine this with Jenna's other tips and you'd have a cheaterproof G/A.

One thing I'd like to point out is that the person giving out their profile link needs to be careful too. Some trackers have your Passkey listed on your profile page. So folks should investigate the invite giver before allowing access to that info.

Originally Posted by flutrose

One thing I'd like to point out is that the person giving out their profile link needs to be careful too. Some trackers have your Passkey listed on your profile page. So folks should investigate the invite giver before allowing access to that info.

That information is never made viewable to the public. The passkey will never be shown to anyone but the person who owns the account.

Thank you for the tips, bookmarked :). Something to add when checking someone's profile is to skim through their post history - it usually tells a ton about the person and their reliability/dedication.

I have a question. Regarding iGivers, how can you tell what it was for?

Originally Posted by bogdancro

I have a question. Regarding iGivers, how can you tell what it was for?

On your iGiver page, click on the comment they are required to leave (usually something like "thanks mate" or "thanks for the invite!") This will bring you to another page where you will see the same comment. Click it again and it will bring you to the giveaway that the iGiver is linked to.