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Trading Blessed Items - Beware the Blessed Item Scam

Llewen

Grand Inquisitor
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Campaign Supporter
First off, a warning. There is a guy that has been transferring around to various shards trying to scam people by pretending to sell an original blessed gladiator's collar. He is currently on Atlantic running his scam there, a few months ago he was on Catskills. Without going into details on how the scam works, if you are buying a blessed item such as a real gladiator's collar, do it in the middle of a field, such as those in West Britain, and wait two minutes before you make the trade to make sure there aren't any other pack animals in the vicinity. Do not do it in Luna, or anywhere there are multiple floors, or the potential for more than one pack animal to be in the immediate vicinity.

Second, it is time to allow blessed items to be sold and traded normally. The way it works right now is an open invitation to scammers, and this particular scammer has probably scammed other players out of a billion + in gold. I know of two people who have fallen for the scam and between them lost over 200 mil, so you can be sure he has scammed many more. This guy is a veteran player who has been around for a long time, and who knows who the prominent personalities are in the game, and he will impersonate well known characters, and the friends of his victims. So even if you think the person selling you the item is a friend, make sure you contact them outside of the game to be sure that the character you are talking to is who they claim to be.
 

Nyses

Lore Keeper
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Yep, immediately before he was on Atlantic, He was on Pacific, doing that exact same scam. I told him I would not do the packy trade, instead I would give him a free vendor and he could then just take his gold and go. He would not have any of that, instead made up some crap about how is was worth more like 200 mill and he would just hold onto it. Too bad we cannot name names here, or I would tell you 4 or 5 of his characters to look out for.
 

yars

Lore Keeper
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
we on pacific are aware of said culprit, sadly the name can not be said, this person also tries to scam with dreadhorses and and a castle on ice island
 

Raptor85

Certifiable
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Caveat emptor

It's not the GM's job to enforce behavior in game, only the rules, and while you may not like it unless it involves an exploit (not just bait & switch which is I believe the method you're talking about...just a second packy nearby ) this isn't against the rules and is allowed in game.
 

Tjalle

Grand Poobah
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Campaign Supporter
Are similarities to a name allowed to be posted here?

Like if a name is Edward (Edward is just a random name I took) can you then post Schmedward?
 
T

Tazar

Guest
Are similarities to a name allowed to be posted here?

Like if a name is Edward (Edward is just a random name I took) can you then post Schmedward?
Bad example above - since the exact name is contained in the statement.

What we do not want (and what our rule is intended to prevent) is for an innocent bystander to be hit by the accusation. UO does not require unique names so with you make statements about this "hypothetical" Edward - you are also harming the reputation of all other Edward's out there.

Sadly, people will scam and people will impersonate. Use a trusted broker when needed.
 

MalagAste

Belaern d'Zhaunil
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Campaign Supporter
It's truly sad that the GMs and EA care nothing about this type of behavior in-game.

GMs should nail players like this in a sting and then confiscate their stuff and delete their accounts.
100% AGREED
 

Tjalle

Grand Poobah
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Campaign Supporter
What we do not want (and what our rule is intended to prevent) is for an innocent bystander to be hit by the accusation. UO does not require unique names so with you make statements about this "hypothetical" Edward - you are also harming the reputation of all other Edward's out there.

Sadly, people will scam and people will impersonate. Use a trusted broker when needed.
Yeah, and it just occured to me what if there IS someone named like what the similar name would be. So wouldn´t work at all anyways...
 

Mr. Smither1

Seasoned Veteran
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
I am a very cynical person so when I saw him in general chat offering an item for 120 mil that is worth 200+ I figured it was not legit in someway. I personally never do a deal over 25-30mil unless its thru a vendor and deals over 100mil I just use like transfer tokens.
 

Lord Nabin

High Council Sage - Greater Sosaria
Professional
Supporter
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Glorious Lord
When in doubt or you have that little tingle in the back of your mind,

Broker the deal or use the Vendor system.

Here is the very bottom line.

If you ever feel uncomfortable in anyway, Just pass on the deal! There is ALWAYS another deal right around the corner and that deal could be with someone you are very comfortable working with.
 

Nimuaq

Lore Master
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
The link "Avoid Scams" on UOHerald unfortunately doesn't work anymore but here's the article it should have linked to:

Safeguarding From Scams

GMs will not return items lost through scams, so we encourage all players to take an active role in protecting themselves against scams. Use the in-game tools provided for secure trades, and investigate before you buy!
and MyUO's role in avoiding scams (we really need to have it back):

Know the other player: Note that if the character doesn't appear in a MyUO character search, it may be because it is a new character (it takes a day or two for characters to appear in MyUO), and this should raise a "red flag" of caution when trading. Many scammers create new characters (with extremely common names) for their scams, and delete those characters 7 days after creation in an attempt to make it more difficult to track the perpetrator of the scam.
Also, for the distinction between a scam and an exploit: ORIGIN - Ultima Online - Main

A scam is the act of acquiring item(s) from another player through misinformation, confusion and pressure, or by taking advantage of basic trust. A GM will not be able to intervene in such instances.

An exploit is defined as intentionally bypassing normal game mechanics through a bug or other loophole in order to gain an unfair advantage.
 

lucitus

UOEC Modder
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
But if it is a good automated scam with a system bug in it, you have to go more in detail, not how to do it, only howto avoid it. I mean waiting 3 minutes on Trammel WBB is far away from trading reality. If we know what could happen we can avoid it!

Iam of the opinion the trade window should be a safe place for trading! Or isnt it possible to trade blessed items via the trade window?
 
K

Keep Hope Alive

Guest
I am a very cynical person so when I saw him in general chat offering an item for 120 mil that is worth 200+ I figured it was not legit in someway. I personally never do a deal over 25-30mil unless its thru a vendor and deals over 100mil I just use like transfer tokens.
Holy heck! Doesn't it shock you that Ultima Online has come to the point where people have 200 million gold to buy a single item with? Is gold so devalued now that it takes millions upon millions of gold to buy items? I remember the good old days when 100,000 gold was a fortune! This is EXACTLY why I'm not playing EA's Ultima Online anymore.

*wanders back to troll cave*
 

Cirno

Purple Pony Princess
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Regarding the naming of names, imagine a scenario where there are two reputable traders; let's call them Lawrence and Cole.
Along comes a person of disreputable trading practices, who for the sake of naming my hypothetical characters, we'll call Gary.
Gary creates a character called Lawrence, impersonating the legitimate trader and thereby benefiting from that trader's reputation.
He then conducts a scam.
By naming him as Lawrence, the reputation of the real Lawrence is being harmed, while the actual scammer may already be trading under a character named Cole.
So, at the end of the day, all the naming of names has done is harmed the reputation of an honest trader.
 

SlobberKnocker

Slightly Crazed
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Caveat emptor

It's not the GM's job to enforce behavior in game, only the rules, and while you may not like it unless it involves an exploit (not just bait & switch which is I believe the method you're talking about...just a second packy nearby ) this isn't against the rules and is allowed in game.
this is a terrible comment. the original poster did not question whether this is against the rules. he just put out a warning. another poster offered an optional way to help the community. your post accomplishes neither and speaks as if your all for this type of behavior in game.
 

Lord Nabin

High Council Sage - Greater Sosaria
Professional
Supporter
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Glorious Lord
Holy heck! Doesn't it shock you that Ultima Online has come to the point where people have 200 million gold to buy a single item with? Is gold so devalued now that it takes millions upon millions of gold to buy items? I remember the good old days when 100,000 gold was a fortune! This is EXACTLY why I'm not playing EA's Ultima Online anymore.

*wanders back to troll cave*
If the Scam is for 200 mil or 100,000 it really is irrelevant. Hard earned gold for a player is valuable at any level. For most I think its not the loss of the Gold that really upsets them its the fact that they were "Scammed"

For the Most part the Community as a whole operates above board in a straight forward manner the "Scam" operators are in the small majority. That small majority sets off the larger community who finds their activities not in line with the Eight Virtues which we all aspire to.
 

Petra Fyde

Peerless Chatterbox
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
I think there have been enough hints dropped here for most people to have guessed the identity of the culprit.

Take precautions. Most of this person's numerous scams involve switching the real object for a 'ringer' hidden elsewhere.

If I remember right, disallowing blessed items in the trade window was a fix for an exploit.
 

Nyses

Lore Keeper
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Its not a scam, its just a illusion theft using legit game mechanics.
Sorry, but a price and an item were agreed upon. The price was paid, but the item was not delivered. That is a Scam, simple theft if you prefer, but not "using legit game mechanics", which would sound like an ok way to "earn" gold
 

MalagAste

Belaern d'Zhaunil
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Campaign Supporter
Unlike many other games unfortunately UO does not have a unique name base... it could if it wanted to force everyone to create a "last name" and make everyone have a "unique" name.... however this in my opinion is against reality.... because honestly there are a million Suzy's in the world... John's have to number in the millions... And even John Smith has to be at least in the hundred million... So no one is truly unique... except for one thing... personality...

In some ways I'm glad UO allows folk to create pretty much any name you want for your character but in other ways it's sort of a catch 22. For example my own character name Malag-aste is extremely unique to me... however he exists in some form or another on every single shard... if we were bound to unique names I wouldn't be able to do that. And in reality I actually have 2 or 3 on my home shard. They all have different skill sets or purposes.

But when it comes to things like this where scammers are cheating other players I do wish that EA would take a MUCH stronger stance. Allowing folk to scam other players in this manner while it isn't exactly against the ToS or whatever it hurts UO. I myself can name at least 4 or 5 folk who have quit UO because of the scams... How many others at this point do we need to lose before something is done?

Not so very long ago there were scams involving the sale of pets... and they finally fixed quite a bit of that by making changes to the game. Sad to say though if there is a way to scam someone chances are some jerk-o will find it and use it... However what EA does to them for it should be to remove them permanently from the game. People like that who enjoy ruining gameplay for others and using the game to scam folk to turn a profit shouldn't have any place in the game.
 

SlobberKnocker

Slightly Crazed
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
wishful thinking mal. however if they weren't going to intervene at the rare's auction they surely will not intervene here.

so the best you get is a warning from some good people on stratics.
 

Lady Storm

Grand Inquisitor
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Cirno is quite right in the example. Had a person I knew on a eastern shard who was well known as a rich merchant who bought and sold rare and odd uo pieces. A player who shall remain nameless got a idea to scam and so down to the last detail of this merchant copyed his entire set up. Clothes, pets, look, and maner. So good was his copy It fooled the merchants best friend in RL! This phony made many real deals to make his transformation into his own money machine.... he stiffed player after player. How do I know this? I had heard of this scamming being done and went to see the conflict. When I arived at the point of my rune I saw 1 of the 2 players, Moving around to the other side I saw in a matter of seconds in 2 different places only 3 screens apart the Real merchant. This person was caught by original that day. But the dammage was done to both reputation and game play. The merchant quit as this was too much to take in.
Scams are out there, and there are players who care less who they hurt or steal from. To them its all part of the game .... Well for the most part most of us have a personal limit of how far we take dishonorable things even in a game.
They say honor is long dead.... idk about that. I taught my son honor and what is right. And last night he showed me it took. At the auction on GL, the rares fest offerings were very nice but with the shard dropping and confusion the cashier mispriced his purchase by many millions. (lower then bid) He told her of the mistake and gave her the correct price.
That is honor.

One of the few things in the game I disagreed with was the way stealing was given free range. It drove players out of fel the minute tram was shown to keep them at bay. Limits to whom and what could be stolen and where this could happen should have been in place before it ravaged uo. Not every person is honest even when we think we are. Those of you who think this scamming is ok should rethink your values. If you think I am off base just think what the kid who is learning it in game and finds it can be done in rl to people.
 

Bob the Merchant

Adventurer
Stratics Veteran
Its not a scam, its just a illusion theft using legit game mechanics.
Theft in this game can be called all sorts of names, however using bugs in the game to dupe others can hardly be called a legit use of game mechanics. Then again, I have heard this excuse dozens of times by people who try very hard to legitimize their actions.

Nice to see you don't have an issue with this, will be sure to put you on my no trade list for here on out.
 

Barok

Grand Inquisitor
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Bad example above - since the exact name is contained in the statement.

What we do not want (and what our rule is intended to prevent) is for an innocent bystander to be hit by the accusation. UO does not require unique names so with you make statements about this "hypothetical" Edward - you are also harming the reputation of all other Edward's out there.

Sadly, people will scam and people will impersonate. Use a trusted broker when needed.
Is it legal to post the character ID since that is unique?
 

Meatbread

Journeyman
Stratics Veteran
So a while back I had this really awesome war axe. Like six mods, good ones, max or near-max intensity, non-imbued. Someone must have made it burning a valorite hammer and gotten really lucky. I bought it for like 3 mil, and I think the Luna vendor must have messed up and left off a zero for me to get it that cheap.

Well one day this dude happens by at the bank and decides he just NEEDS TO HAVE THIS AXE. I'm in no particular hurry to sell it, so I brush off all his offers of 12 or 15 mil or whatever. But the dude won't be swayed and now he's throwing around offers like "100 mil worth of items on Origin" and things like that.

I have zero interest in trying to orchestrate such an unreliable trade, or selling items on Origin, or anything else, so I tell him cash money only. He comes up with 50 mil telling me he had to borrow it from someone, and I let him talk me down to 40 because whatever, I only paid 3 for the stupid thing.

But whoops, it's blessed, and can't be traded!

For whatever reason, using a vendor didn't cross his mind or mine. I just figured, oh well maybe I'll just keep the axe. But this guy, he gates me to his house, and he explains some extraordinarily bad-sounding plan where I set the axe on the floor, and he unlocks a locked down bag of checks, or something like that. I only have like 10 mil in the bank at the time, I'm not rich, but I'm just like "Nah sounds shady, you could just house-kick me or lock the axe down or anything. Deal's off."

But the guy REALLY wants the axe and for some reason we STILL haven't thought of using a vendor. So he tells me fine, let's go to your house and do the trade there. I'm just like "Well then I'd be able to screw YOU over, and if you're willing to trust me that far, why not just hand me the money and then I'll set the axe on the floor?"

The dude is like "Welp I'm about to get scammed!" and just hands me the bag of 40 mil. I couldn't believe it. I could have lol'd and recalled out with the cash and the axe at that point and there would have been nothing he could do. But I'm not a total jerk, so I put the axe down for him to take. He seemed really shocked.

I guess the point is, when trading, always be willing to walk away if you don't feel right. Never get blinded by thoughts of the money, that's what scammers count on.
 
T

Tazar

Guest
Is it legal to post the character ID since that is unique?
The admins will have to discuss that one. I can't see that it would help much since I think the ID changes if the character is deleted and restarted - which is what the impostors do fairly regularly.

Also - the other side of the coin is... (Nothing against PVP'ers - it's just an example) PVP'er #1 does not like PVP'er #2 - but never wins their fights in game - so he takes the fight to the forums with false accusations trying to tarnish a reputation... *sighs* How do we determine guilt or innocence?

I really think it's best to not have personal attacks on the forums - I know I don't like trying to unravel a thread full of board PVP with attacks and counter attacks running rampant.
 

ACB1961

Lore Keeper
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
A bunch of us have tired to get some secure way to trade high-dollar items for over a year now.

This is a serious problem that is easily fixed in other games. I know we had safe transfer in earth and beyond (another ea game) so they obviously could fix it.

I understand the fear of duping, but they could make the normal bank take 1m checks and put it in your account like a vendor.

Thats just 1 idea out of the dozens we've had here.

I don't care how they fix it personally, but I really hope they fix it.
 

Raptor85

Certifiable
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
It's truly sad that the GMs and EA care nothing about this type of behavior in-game.

GMs should nail players like this in a sting and then confiscate their stuff and delete their accounts.
I can't believe so many people agree with this, just because someone is playing an a way you dislike you think they should be banned for it? Theres nothing to set up a "sting" for...what they are doing is allowed in game.

If you want to complain about something complain about the broken trade windows and inability to trade items that used to be easily tradeable, or the fact that gold has hilariously been devalued to such a level you even need to trade amounts that high.
 

Goldberg-Chessy

Crazed Zealot
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Holy heck! Doesn't it shock you that Ultima Online has come to the point where people have 200 million gold to buy a single item with? Is gold so devalued now that it takes millions upon millions of gold to buy items? I remember the good old days when 100,000 gold was a fortune! This is EXACTLY why I'm not playing EA's Ultima Online anymore.

*wanders back to troll cave*
Obviously not a finance major lol.
I did not think that the true concept of devaluation was that hard for most people to understand.
 

Ezekiel Zane

Grand Poobah
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
I can't believe so many people agree with this, just because someone is playing an a way you dislike you think they should be banned for it? Theres nothing to set up a "sting" for...what they are doing is allowed in game.

If you want to complain about something complain about the broken trade windows and inability to trade items that used to be easily tradeable, or the fact that gold has hilariously been devalued to such a level you even need to trade amounts that high.
People agree with my post because whether it's allowed by game mechanics or not it's still wrong.

This behavior is bad, frowned upon and even illegal but regardless you generally have some form of recourse. Even on the internet we are now seeing people's behavior is becoming legislated and litigated. For certain things in some areas you cannot simply sit anonymously behind your computer and take advantage of people anymore. You can be found, prosecuted, fined and jailed for what you say and do on the internet.

The GMs most certainly could pose as a player and allow this puke to scam them and then take action. We all here tell other players all the time that it's EA's game. They can do whatever they want. EA owns the game and everything in it. We the player own nothing.
 

Raptor85

Certifiable
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
People agree with my post because whether it's allowed by game mechanics or not it's still wrong.

This behavior is bad, frowned upon and even illegal but regardless you generally have some form of recourse. Even on the internet we are now seeing people's behavior is becoming legislated and litigated. For certain things in some areas you cannot simply sit anonymously behind your computer and take advantage of people anymore. You can be found, prosecuted, fined and jailed for what you say and do on the internet.

The GMs most certainly could pose as a player and allow this puke to scam them and then take action. We all here tell other players all the time that it's EA's game. They can do whatever they want. EA owns the game and everything in it. We the player own nothing.
good lord man, that's going INSANELY overboard...it's a game and you're talking about jailing and sueing people over losing monopoly money? What's next, the death penalty for cheating at scrabble? Besieds, as per your last sentence if it's EA's game and they own everything, than you've lost nothing so it's not big deal.
 

Ezekiel Zane

Grand Poobah
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
good lord man, that's going INSANELY overboard...it's a game and you're talking about jailing and sueing people over losing monopoly money? What's next, the death penalty for cheating at scrabble? Besieds, as per your last sentence if it's EA's game and they own everything, than you've lost nothing so it's not big deal.

Way to take the point of my post and completely over-extrapolate it's meaning. In no way did I say someone should be jailed for scamming in Ultima Online. That's not what I said at all.
 

Ezekiel Zane

Grand Poobah
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Besieds, as per your last sentence if it's EA's game and they own everything, than you've lost nothing so it's not big deal.
...and that does not give another player/douchebag the right to scam you out of it.
 

old gypsy

Grand Poobah
Professional
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Campaign Patron
Its not a scam, its just a illusion theft using legit game mechanics.
In game or in real life, the "mechanics" of something doesn't mean it's OK to abandon ethics. If you make some purchases at a store and later realize the clerk failed to charge you for something, do you return to the store and pay for it? Or do you say, "That's the clerk's mistake, not mine," and go on your merry way?

Fortunately, most players I've met in UO are ethical. It's a shame that the few that aren't can't be dealt with as they deserve to be.
 

Raptor85

Certifiable
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
In game or in real life, the "mechanics" of something doesn't mean it's OK to abandon ethics. If you make some purchases at a store and later realize the clerk failed to charge you for something, do you return to the store and pay for it? Or do you say, "That's the clerk's mistake, not mine," and go on your merry way?

Fortunately, most players I've met in UO are ethical. It's a shame that the few that aren't can't be dealt with as they deserve to be.
It's an online game, not real life, there are no "ethics" to actions that happen in game between characters. Pretty sure most things in UO would be considered "unethical" if they happened in real life...mass slaughtering of weak animals for "sword practice", forcing animals to fight for you, murder, grave robbing, (in the case of this last story arc) vigilantism, and on and on.

But then...this is a GAME, not real life, don't try to force real life values onto actions in a fantasy world...that's just being silly.
 

Cirno

Purple Pony Princess
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
But then...this is a GAME, not real life, don't try to force real life values onto actions in a fantasy world...that's just being silly.
It's a game, populated by characters that have REAL people behind them.
(I'm not usually one to emphasise with all-caps, but as the statement was a counterpoint to "this is a GAME")

These real people have differing degrees of immersion and attachment.
"It's just a game" is really just an excuse for antisocial behaviour.
 

outcry

Slightly Crazed
Supporter
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
The best way for you to warn people and want to get the name out is just say here if you wish to know the scammers name please send me a pm and I will then tell you ... no need to post so the mod have to watch every thread like this........ they have lives and want to play as well as we all do . just my 2cents in the matter........
 

Arrgh

Sage
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
If I remember right, disallowing blessed items in the trade window was a fix for an exploit.
Wait...you can't trade blessed items in trade window?? I'm being serious here. Do you guys mean item bless deeded pixels or any blessed item?
 

Mirt

Certifiable
Supporter
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Wait...you can't trade blessed items in trade window?? I'm being serious here. Do you guys mean item bless deeded pixels or any blessed item?
That is correct. Its best to use a vendor for those transactions to make them safe and secure.
 

SlobberKnocker

Slightly Crazed
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
some people whether it be right or wrong see this type of behavior as a game play style same as pvp, rp or pvm. i've seen it written on these boards that even going as far as trying to get a mark's account information is all fair in love and war.

the bottom line is that you get no support from the dev's or gm's if you get flim flammed this way. so its best to employ the CYA philosophy as well as the ''if it sounds to good to be true, it probably is''
 

WildWobble

Sage
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
ouch sucks to be you if you got taken! and if you find a deal like that i say allways make them use a vendor! it sucks to bag up 100 checks i would just use the excuse of i am lazy and a vendor is much quicker then me bagging checks for the next 5 min!
 
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