Title: Editorial: Beware Of Online Scammers
Author: NiteFenix
Recovered Author: NiteFenix
Published Date: 2016-11-01
Original URL: https://geeknode.co.za/2016/11/editorial-beware-online-scammers
Wayback URL: https://web.archive.org/web/20170920140217id_/http://www.geeknode.co.za/2016/11/editorial-beware-online-scammers/
Recovery Confidence: high

- NiteFenix

- 10 months ago

- 0 0

The views contained in this article are that of the author and should not be taken as the opinion of Geek Node as a publication.

I bring you this editorial today at the cost of, oh, about R300. Look, yes it’s not a lot of money, but I now know enough to relay the bit of information that I learned in the last week.

The Setup

Most of us are on social media. Whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or any of the other plethora of social media services that are available. I for one am an avid user of Twitter, which is where this happened to me.

So what happened, you ask? Let me tell you. On Monday 14 November, I was casually browsing my feed on Twitter when someone’s retweet of a PS4 giveaway popped up from what appeared to be a company called “Gaming Shop USA”. I retweeted it as one does because it’s always nice to win something. I didn’t think anything further of it, not expecting to win anything. As I arrived at an event that evening I got a DM from Gaming Shop USA saying “Congratulations, you’ve won a PS4”. I was elated, thrilled, happy.

I already own a PS4, bought for me lovingly by my fiance, Mindless Pixie last year at Christmas, but since we’re both gamers and we like to play games together it would have been awesome to have another PS4 so we could play some of those games together. I read further and I see they want me to pay for shipping. Reasonable I think, $20 isn’t much, even if there is an issue with shipping, or it gets lost in the post as things sometimes tend to do in South Africa, and I guess anywhere else really.

So I ask them how they’d like me to pay. The simple answer Paypal .Ok great, so I ask how it works because I don’t use Paypal that often. At this point Pixie indicated to me that some people had been replying to tweets on Gaming Shop USA’s Twitter feed, indicating that they hadn’t received their prizes yet and that they suspect they might be scammed.

I dismissed this indicating that I had done a bit of research into Gaming Shop USA and they looked legit. Maybe they were a small upstart looking to gain Twitter followers with competitions, I reasoned. Maybe I was naive, I admit, but the prospect of receiving a brand new PS4 was too good to pass up.

The first red flag for me was when I started asking for a tracking number after paying the $20 into their Paypal account. A day, maybe 2 went by and no answer. Then when I asked again, they said “Oops made a mistake. Sent off your package and accidentally added an extra controller and some games, please pay an additional $10”. I replied simply with “I didn’t ask for the extra controller or games, so no I will not be paying for it. I’d be happy to pay for it when I get money again and after I’ve received the package.” Their answer? “Ok.” Although I think that was a different way of saying “Oh shit, didn’t work.” than a “Ok that’s fine we’ll wait for your money”.

Next red flag came when days went by without any email coming in with a tracking number. I asked several times over a few days and finally I got a reply of “You never sent your email address” to which I replied “Yes I did, I sent it immediately after you asked for it”. Now let’s be honest for a second. When was the last time Twitter DM’s lost a message? It just doesn’t happen that often anymore these days. The other possibility would be that their device, whether it be a phone or a computer, might have lost the message somehow, but surely they would have been able to pick up on it on another device, or asked me when nothing was there.

The final straw for me was when I asked again for the tracking number, today on 22 November, 2016. I get told that the money didn’t come through “Can you please send another $20?”. Ok so two things jump out at me in that question.

1. Do you remember earlier on in the article when I mentioned that they had already sent the package? Yeah? It was when I mentioned they included the controller and the games. Yeah? Ok. So, ponder on that for a moment.

2. Why would they use the word another? On the one hand, it might mean that Paypal fucked up, which I highly doubt. On the other, it might even be that they gave me the incorrect email address for Paypal, but no, I don’t think that’s the case at all. The only logical conclusion I can make is that they did receive the money and they slipped up by using the word “another”.

In a nutshell, I have given up on the prospect of the shiny new PS4 that I supposedly won. I am about R300 poorer, but I have learned a great deal, which I’d like to teach you, dear reader.

Helpful tips for avoiding Scammers

- If you see someone sharing a competition on Facebook or Twitter, always bear in mind that it might not be real. Do research on the people running the competition. See if you can track down previous winners and check if they received their prizes.

- Be extra vigilant of international giveaways, especially if its lesser known companies or people running the competition.

- When using international payment systems such as Bitcoin or Paypal, be aware that using options such as Friends and Family payments are not reversible. If a person or company asks you to make payment using this method, think twice. Reference the first tip above.

- Pay close attention to how the suspected scammer speaks in their communication to you. If they make mistakes, such as what I mentioned it might be a warning sign. If they ask for more money, whether it’s because they say something didn’t come through or that they added stuff for you and its going to cost more, it’s probably a warning sign.

- Above all else pay attention to your significant other, because more often times than not they can be more perceptive to these things than you might be at that very moment.

In closing, I’d just like to name and shame these con artists so that you guys can avoid them at all costs. I admit I was an idiot for believing them for even one second, but life is full of lessons and this is just one of them.

Twitter details : https://twitter.com/GamingCityUSA

Paypal Email Address: GamingShopUSA@usa.com

Apparent Real Name as per Paypal: Max Sanders.

According to his Twitter profile, he is based in New York, although this might be false. Update: I see he has now changed it to California.

He advertises a lot of products on sale and does regular PS4 giveaways on his feed. So be aware people.

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NiteFenix

Editor-In-Chief / Entertainment Editor at Geek Node

Jonathan has been a journalist for several years. Writing primarily about video games, and occasionally films and television series.

He spends most of his time talking crap on Twitter and looking for the meaning of life in all the wrong places.

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Article Tags:
Beware Of Online Scammers · facebook · fake giveaways · gaming shop usa · scammer · social media · twitter · Video Games

Article Categories:
Editorial
