How to make a proper scam report, rules and guidelines

Scam report section rules:

1. Proof is required: Your report will be locked and you may receive an infraction (moderator's choice to give one or not) if you do not provide any proof in your report
2. Do not provide text logs/chat logs as proof: Chat logs and text logs can easily be edited and therefore cannot count as solid proof, no exceptions
3. Post everything you have: Any extra information or additional pictures you have could help, even if you don't think they can - always show everything you've got saved
4. Do not crop messenger screenshots: Important parts of messenger screenshots are are cut off render the screenshot invalid - mods will not regard cut-up screenshots as proof
5. Do not make new threads for existent reports: There are usually a lot of reports to go through, and since each scam is different, they take time - A mod will get to your report, it just takes a while occasionally
6. Do not post downloadable files: Mods will never download any files you provided, if you have videos or pictures please upload them online for viewing
7. Do not post under a new account if you are banned: If you are banned and would still like to report a scammer on Sythe.org, please contact a mod through other means than the site itself, or your new account will be banned for ban evasion and your report discarded. You may also report the scam as an unregistered in the Dispute section, but note that the same rules apply there as do here.

These rules and their descriptions are subject to change without notice, please check back often to make sure you are following them correctly.

 

Guidelines during/after a suspected scam:

The following are a set of guidelines that you should probably following during a suspected scam. Please record any type of information you can during the scam so you can make a proper, and solid report.

1. Use an INSTANT messenger for the trade: It is VERY difficult to prove a scam through PMs - Please use an instant messenger like Skype (text), Live Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, or AIM
2. You must take screenshots of the active messenger window: As stated many times in this thread and elsewhere, logs do not count as proof - Take screenshots of the conversation window only, do not copy and paste the conversation or the log, and do not take screenshots of the log either
3. Show the messenger address (Meebo warning!): We cannot take your word for anything, everything must be presented in solid proof - If the messenger address of the scammer and yourself is not shown in the conversation window, then the report will be discarded (Meebo does not show this)
4. Show the Skype ID: Like any messenger evidence, we cannot accept your word for anything. Please remember to show the Skype ID you spoke with. For more information, view this sticky: http://www.sythe.org/report-scammer/1331084-attention-all-skype-proofs-must-include.html
5. Don't over-edit: One screenshot per conversation window - Do not group the screenshots, and do not crop them (please note that censoring is only allowed for information you MUST keep secret, like passwords and such)
6. If you're posting a video: Upload it to Youtube, or another uploader site - If the site contains too many ads or requires surveys to watch, then the report will be automatically discarded
7. Place images in IMG tags: Please place your image URLs between IMG tags, like so
   Code:

   [IMG]Image URL here[/IMG]
   [*][B][I]Make notes during the trade: [/I][/B]Once again, we cannot take your word for anything, but any small details we might miss in a screenshot or something like that would definitely help - As stated in the rules (above this post), providing any and all information you have is a must[/LIST]

 

Templates for quick and solid reports:

In order to ensure justice is served, you need to satisfy as many of these fields as possible.

For ALL Reports:
Please include the full Sythe name (including numbers, if any) of the accused in the title of the thread. This makes disputes easy to search for.

GOOD Example: KerokeroCola is a scammer!
Bad example #1: Kero scammed me!
Bad example #2: I got scammed please look!

​

Videos:

Code:

Link to scammer's Sythe profile: 
Briefly explain the trade: 
How they scammed: 
What time in the video does it show the user's msn/Skype ID:
What time in the video it shows you giving the account/money/items:
What time in the video does it show you not receiving the account/money/items:

Scammers:

Code:

Link to scammer's Sythe profile:
Briefly explain the trade:
How they scammed:
Proof that you were not talking to an impostor:
Trade screenshots:

Ban evaders:

Code:

Link to current Sythe account:
Link to banned Sythe account(s):
Why you think they are ban evading:

RS account recovery:

Code:

Seller's Sythe profile link:
Vouches if they were exchanged:
Original selling thread:
Proof of payment:
Proof of contacting seller:
Any msn conversation you still have:
Anything else you can provide that might help:

Please note that the template for account recovery is very rough; if you're reporting a recovery for someone else's trade and not your own, then some of the above information cannot be provided unless you gain consent from the original buyer. Additionally, account recovery is extremely hard to prove. In this case more than any other, the most proof should be provided to show that the account has in fact been recovered by the seller.​

Chargebacks:

Code:

Profile link:
Proof of MSN/Skype ID:
Proof of paypal address:
Proof of chargeback:

Please remember, if it doesn't have the word "unauthorized," we won't be banning anyone.​

Upgrades:

Code:

Seller's Sythe profile link:
Briefly explain the trade:
Proof that you were not talking to an impostor:
Trade screenshots:
Current RuneScape membership status:

Quest/Services:

Code:

Link to scammer's Sythe profile:
Briefly explain the trade:
Proof that you were not talking to an impostor:
Trade screenshots:
Current quests/stats:

FireCapes:

Code:

Link to scammer's Sythe profile:
Briefly explain the trade:
Proof that you were not talking to an impostor:[COLOR=Yellow]
[/COLOR]Trade screenshots:
Picture showing you don't own a firecape/items on you:

In addition, the following are required for ALL scam reports involving MSN screenshots:

Code:

Screenshot of a post showing the scammer's email:
Link to a post showing the scammer's email:

If you are new to reporting a scammer, please also review the rules (found HERE). It is up to YOU to provide conclusive proof that a malicious trade happened. Chances are, we will not have the time to undergo a deep investigation.

 

Screenshots using XSHOT

Since so many people never take screenshots, I made a small program which will let you take a screenshot at the click of a button.

Screenshot:

Make sure timestamps is not checked of when submitting scammer reports as it blocks out their email.

Download Link:
http://files.mdvhosting.com/files/xshot/XSHOTv.1.0.zip

Readme:

Code:

XSHOT version 1.0 by DaRk NiGhT

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

XSHOT is a simple screenshot utility designed to let 
people take screenshots at the click of a button.  No 
more print screening, copying into photoshop, and 
saving. Just click Take Shot and you're done.


Contents:
------------------
1. Instructions
2. Credits
3. Legal Info
4. Links of Interest

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. Instructions

XSHOT requires no installation. Simply put "XSHOT.exe"
where you want it and run it. All screenshots you take
will be saved in the SAME FOLDER as "XSHOT.exe"!


2. Credits

XSHOT was created by DaRk NiGhT (Matthew on Sythe.org)
in Microsoft Visual Studio 2005.


3. Legal Info

XSHOT may be redistributed but ONLY if this Readme is
distributed with it. XSHOT may not be sold!


4. Links of Interest

XSTATUS: http://xstatus.net
-------------------------------
Create custom AIM/MSN/Yahoo/Skype/ICQ status bars for 
your forum sig.

XCLIENT: http://xclient.net
-------------------------------
Fully customizable Runescape client featuring many 
useful tools and my Panel system.

When uploading the pictures, do not paste an album of several pictures as they take a long time to load. Please only paste the direct link to the images, or use the tags.

[CENTER][IMG]http://i45.tinypic.com/2dv5wzo.png[/CENTER]

 

How to post images in reports and how to properly use the layout:

Hey! I made this short guide to show everyone who doesn't know, how to post images on a thread and how to properly use the layout.

Now, after you have the image link, click on this button:

A screen will pop up requiring you to put in your image link, paste it in, and click submit. This image will be my example:



This is what the outcome should look like. This is what the text should look like: [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/t2ryC.png[/IMG]

Now, onto the layout section of this small guide. Here is the layout for scammers:

Code:

Link to scammer's Sythe profile:
Briefly explain the trade:
How they scammed:
Proof that you were not talking to an impostor:
Trade screenshots:

Link to scammer's Sythe profile: http://sythe.org/member.php?u=230230

Briefly explain the trade: Now, just post a quick sentence on the trade, no one wants to read a essay on it.

This user has added me and asked if I would like to buy 50m. I agreed and sent him the money.

How they scammed: After I sent the money, he went offline, in result I never received the 50m.

Here is proof that I sent the money:


Here is proof that it's his paypal:


Proof you weren't talking to an imposter:

Here is a link to one of his Sythe posts which state his MSN:

On the top of my conversation picture, you can see that this is his MSN.

Remember, we need to see the MSN's name at the top to make sure you were ACTUALLY talking to the user.

Trade screenshots:

Only post the required parts of the trade. We don't need 10,000 images.

Now, after you have posted your report, PLEASE BE PATIENT, we'll get to the report as soon as we can! Thank you!

 

Was your RuneScape account recovered?

If your RuneScape account was recovered by a seller, we encourage you to report that it has been in the 'RuneScape Account Do Not Purchase List.' By contributing, you would be preventing scammers from profiting further.

View this thread to report the account: http://www.sythe.org/runescape-2007-accounts/1545734-500-runescape-accounts-not-purchase.html

Thank you!