Bait and Switch

This is unfortunately a common trading scam. Many icons for items in Guild Wars look very similar but come with very different inherent bonuses. When trading be sure to scroll the mouse over the item and make sure it's exactly what you're trading for prior to accepting the transaction. Also, if you're trading for gold, verify the amount of gold hasn't been reduced either. Those that try to pull off this scam will often modify their trade a number of times, hoping you won't notice that they swapped it out for something that has the same icon, but of lesser value.

 

Unfortunately I was caught in one of these such scams when trading 14 ectos for 90k. The trader showed 80k a couple of times while I reminded him we had agreed on 90 before he switched the amount traded to 90 gold not 90 platinum. I was tired at the time and not paying attention and missed the switch and found myself duped, losing 14 ectos for a pitiful 90 gold (and I wonder why I spend so much time farming)!

 

Be careful with Victos Bulwark as it looks identical to a Shadow Shield and while the Bulwark can be selling from 30-80k it is high in its value for the +30 health always bonus which is why I wanted one for my Warrior to be used in GvG. My Guild Leader was buying one on my behalf and was caught in the dupe when the trader modified the trade and ended up giving him a worthless shadow shield for the 35k he offered.

 

I recommend that all players be wary of trading with others and work to protect themselves. Personally I refuse to trade with people either giving items to Guildies or selling to the NPCs but trading can be fun, just be careful and it wont cost you anywhere near what it has cost me.

 

Guides on EBay

There are "guides" being sold on EBay that are nothing more than pages of guides copied from fansites and forums. The Official Guild Wars fansites are here to provide information to the players without cost and I would suggest that there is no reason to purchase guides at all. If there is a guide that you would like we’ll be happy to see what we can do about writing it so email me: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

Account Theft

Account theft is a serious scam and a threat to all gamers. The greatest benefit of Guild wars is that you have no need to run scripts, bots, calculators, hacks, mods or any such programs and to my knowledge there is no way to gain an advantage through the use of downloadable programs. Should you come across a program purporting to grant the user an advantage if you run it prior to logging into the game be suspicious as it may be nothing more than a key-logger looking for your password. If you see or hear of any of these programs please let us know.

 

Guilds stealing from members

While it isn’t the most common ‘scam’ I have heard from some players that Guilds have recruited them and then looked to have donations of Gold to go toward items like Guild Hall purchase. There is nothing wrong with wanting to contribute to your Guild but I’d suggest you get to know the Guild before handing over any items or Gold. Once you’re established in the Guild and have had an opportunity to meet its members you will know whether you’ve joined a Guild that believes in helping each other and whether it is one that you wish to stay with.

 

Members Joining Guilds To Steal From

Here’s one I was caught with a bit in the early days with newbies joining the Guild and then announcing that they need help with gold or items (usually a weapon or crafting materials). Wanting to make the new member feel at home and help them out I had a few players leave the Guild after receiving what they wanted. I gave a new guildie 3k today but I’d suggest using your discretion on your new guildies motives.

 

Buying Customised Items

Armour comes customized as standard and weapons can be customized for individual users. Once an item has been customized it cannot be worn/wielded by another character. Just be sure that if buying a weapon that it is not customized (there will be an alert message as well) and ensure that the only armour you purchase from other players is the white/blue/purple/gold type from a monster drop.

 

Favour Areas Entry Fees

The entrance to the Underworld and Fissure of Woe comes at a cost of 1k which needs to be paid by one member of the group. There have been times when people demand monies up front and then leave the party with your gold, or you pay with others promising to pay upon entry and no monies are forthcoming. These are not as common as the bait and switch type scams and I’d suggest that the bigger scam may be accepting a player into the group who is set up to solo a particular area who can then agro and ensure the demise of the party for their own gain (I have seen this a few times with Mo/W in both UW and FoW and on odd occasions with Warriors set up for soloing).

 

Power Leveling/Running

The power leveling and running seen in game are services that some players provide to either improve their skills, or make some in game gold and I’ve even known the odd player who just enjoyed a bit of company while farming for materials. The word of caution relates to those who ask for an upfront payment for their services as in many cases these have been people who will disappear as soon as they have your gold. One strategy I would suggest is that you show them that you have the amount they require and at some interim point pay ¼ to 1/2 of the total with the balance upon completion. I have had characters run before and haven’t had this method fail to date.