MYSTERY ISLAND - I have a little habit of going to the trading post every once
in a while, clicking on the Newest 20 links, and looking at all of the items
that people are trading to see if maybe there's something I'm interested in
bidding on. Lately, I have been seeing more and more scams on the Trading
Post, which angers me to no end. Therefore, I have decided to write
this article on how to protect yourself from what I sometimes dub the "Scamming
Post".
01. I have a secret to getting alota npz!!! Look me up 4 detailz...
this iz not a scam promise 100% ot workz.
Wow. Sounds too good to be true, doesn't it? Well, it probably is. Curious,
I look up the person's, who will remain anonymous, and found that they have
the nerve to say that they want to "help you out". You just need to send them
a codestone, faerie, map piece, paintbrush...items that you have probably worked
hard to acquire. Then you see that they have only been playing Neopets for 3
days and that their pet has very low stats and doesn't even have a petpet! Oh
yeah...they obviously know the secret to making tons of Neopoints.
02. Feed this starberry to your pet to turn it starry! Best offer
in 5 minutes gets it! pbs, codestones, neggs, faeries, petpets are all auto!
DO NOT WITHDRAW!!
I would like to state for the record that neither the starberry nor the rainbowberry
change your pet's color. You will just have to buy the paintbrush or get it
as a random event like the rest of us. =)
03. Over one million neopoints to winner of this lot [consisting
of a Tiki Tack key ring worth 1NP]! No jokes! If you do not receive it by tomorrow
morning, report me.
Don't fall for promises of NP when you bid on lots. Report* this scam to
the proper authorities.
04. red this 4 u people that want to know where to get a faerie
doll or baby paint brush bet well and you get this and the place to buy the
faerie doll and baby paint brush
Notice how they word it so that you might think that they will give you the
link to a place where you can get the paintbrush and dolls cheaply or for free.
That's not the case. They're merely giving you the link to the Hidden Tower.
Do you want the link to the Hidden Tower? Go to the chat rooms or your guild
and simply ASK. It's free! Someone will be happy to tell you where it is.
05. hey people. i just learned a new code where you can earn 1 million
nps! only the highest bidder gets it, though!
For once and for all: there is no code that gives you 1 million Neopoints
for free. Many a time, the link they give you is to a virus that will eat up
your computer. Don't let your greed get the better of you.
06. givin away account 4 free...all i got is 5k...hehe...anyway
u want neomail me the 2nd person who mail gets it
Really...if they wanted to be a nice Neopian they would simply donate their
5,000 Neopoints to the Money Tree and give up their pet to the pound in hopes
that someone kind adopts them. But then again, only good-willed Neopians would
do that.
07. I just won 12 baby paint brushes in a shop contest but I don't
really need them so if you want one just bid, all I want is a faerie, codestone,
or some neopoints [for this bottle of black sand]! GOODLUCK :)
First of all, shop contests are illegal in the world of Neopets. Those holding
contests should be reported* immediately. Secondly, no one asking for faeries,
codestones, and Neopoints are going to be GIVING away baby paint brushes when
they could easily sell them for a couple hundred thousand. Honestly. Their account
is even in Newbie status! Sheesh.
I could go on and on, but I wouldn't want to disgust you with any more. So,
here are a few rules of thumb that everyone should follow when using the Trading
Post:
- Always always always check the shop wizard before bidding. Never trust what
the trader has to say about an object's worth.
- Bidding junky Tombola items and a couple hundred Neopoints will NEVER get
you that Faerie Paint Brush. For the love of shoyrus, bid fairly.
- Not sure about what the item you're thinking about bidding on does? Try
posting a message on the message board in the chat rooms or guilds and asking.
Someone will most likely try to help you.
- Do not do trades without using the Trading Post. Making Neofriends and agreeing
to send each other the items through the Give to Neofriend option will not assure
that you will get the items.
*Report all scammers to abuse@neopets.com.
While your confronting them may shake some sense into them, they may also get
very angry at you and try to hack your account. Let the Neopets staff take care
of the troublemaker.
Remember, Neopets is supposed to be about fun. I, myself, am guilty of forgetting
about my pets and trying to earn as many Neopoints as I can. But I have never
scammed anyone and never will. Is it really worth it to wear and tear on your
conscience by stealing others' Neopoints when you can easily earn 5,000 NP through
the games everyday? I'll leave that up to you.
(The examples used were taken from real Neopian scams. Sadly enough, I did
not make them up. I removed the names of the perpetrators to protect their identities.
Please do not Neomail me complaining that I used your words without permission.
You're a scammer. Get over it.) | 
