Bitcoin Forum

!!! WARNING: This user is a newbie. If you are expecting a message from a more veteran member, then this is an imposter !!!

I keep getting this senseless and stupid  notification  when a newbie contacts me.
Whoever made that notification deserves a slap.

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1043941.0
go slap theymos.  ::)

it was made because there are many scammers that impersonates trusted users on this forum. and people actually fell for it.

It's Nannystateforum protecting you. It's for your own good :)

Actually it's really helpful if you are in the Marketplace sections of the forum. 

For example if I am bidding in an auction or buying a domain name, the warning in the pm does ensure that I check the user names and I double check to make sure nobody trying a quick mim scam.

maybe decrease a little the font size?  ::) :P

You guys make it look like all newbies are scammers and all old members are trusted.
That notification should be re-written

The chances that newbies scam are higher than trusted (higher-rank member) but it doesnt mean that high rank members does not scam, we have seen that even trusted escrow can scam users.
OP, don't worry about that, it's normal.

true. also it could be a little less intrusive. something like "this user is new" or something. not like "this guy is going to scam you" xD

Had a newbie member copy my name without the inc just today to spread malware. If some one has a business where they deal mostly with noob accounts I can see a issue but these people are a small group compared to the rest of the forum that can benefit from the warning.

Actually most of newbie rank often request something absurd, like as it happens in loan thread section there is too many newbie ask for big loan without collateral or collateral the unequal. That is why there are notification

Exactly, this is the reason of the red mark that appears on private messages, also this is because for scammers the easiest way is to create a new account and try to scam others (including the loan requests)

I understand the feeling. Getting these kind of messages sometimes make me nervous- "Have I done anything stupid and get myself into some kind of scam?" kind of feeling.

??? It's really smart to have it actually... Scammers always make similar names to well known Bitcointalk.org accounts.

If you got a message late at night from 'Thaymos' you might not think about it being an impostor.

If you were indeed expecting a message from a newbie, you should just ignore it and move on.
The text doesn't say anything more, does it?

I would check the profile out, obviously. but maybe most people wont. good point

It was added after a largeish scam based on a similar username. There has been no such scam after it was implemented. (corrected by hilarious below) If you are offended by it... uhm... I dont know, take a walk?

The people who get scammed by newbies deserve the slap. I guess it is a slap in the face to remind people who they're dealing with. It's just there as a reminder to double check and it largely has worked.


You want to make it less noticeable? Kinda defeats the purpose.


There's been at least two I'm aware of.

That was a security measure that was implemented. It can protect traders when someone tries to impersonate a trusted person. It happens not seldom that scammers try to exploit a similar username.

This user has become active recently and doesn't understand anything about how the forum currently runs, and doesnt intend to learn. Rather just get pissy about everything. I think it would be better for him to simply leave the forum and don't come back.

Though, to perhaps try and explain it, let's say that the user 'Hello' is running an auction that you win. Then, a member called 'HeIlo' messages you and asks you to send them the Bitcoin to an address. You send it to them and wait for the item you won.
Congratulations. Because you didn't get a warning to check the user that you're dealing with, you may not have, and as a result you just got scammed. That is what the notification is for.

Slap theymos then ^^

Anyway this notification is useful when you're a lot in the lending sections or digital goods sections. It reminds you the rank of the guy that just contacted you to make an offer.

Though I agree the font should be reduced and the red caps should be removed ^^

the problem isnt the font or the colour in my opinion but it could be less... offensive. "this is an imposter"...
why not put something like "WARNING: This user is a newbie. proceed with caution" something like this? i rly dont mind this and i get that it's for OUR protection but you know, it kinda sucks when you're the newbie xD. maybe you're trying to get in touch with someone who wont even read what you say do to that warning.

but you know..better an intrusive warning than no warning at all imo.

So you would rather have it warn against all newbies than only against those that are messaging where "a more veteran member" is expected? Dont skip the if.

How should the forum recognize that a more veteran member is expected? Guess it might be possible if a quote is quoted that was not sent in a previous pm by the quoted user. Though that would mean alot of work the forum has to do.

I believe he was referring more to the text shown in the warning, rather than the forum detecting veteran members.
The user shorena replied to suggested the text WARNING: This user is a newbie. proceed with caution, which puts a negative impression on all newbies compared to the current text (WARNING: This user is a newbie. If you are expecting a message from a more veteran member, then this is an imposter) which focuses more on impersonators.

Ah ok... misunderstood what he meant then? :P

I think that message has his worth... many small adjustments were done in the last months in a try to prevent scams.

you've got a point..

But if a username of trusted user is already taken,how can other impersonate him?if it is an hacked account,this warning will not be shown because it is displayed only when newbies send message

They can register with a similar looking username but has one character changed. It will look like the actual user but not actually be that user.

This forum is filled with people making deals, entering into commitments, and forming relationships.  Oftentimes a newbie posts something that is worth discussing, buying, or bidding on.  This notification really is meant as a double-check. 

I double and triple check every address I send btc to.  I do my best to make sure the address matches the one in the OP. 

This notification is one extra help.  If this is really annoying you, then it is a luxury problem you have.

I've seen MUCH WORSE notifications.  How about when Trump notified the U.S. that he was going to be the next president...

I remember quite some time ago someone had to send BTC to theymos as payment for advertising on this forum. But instead a newbie contacted the account and somehow convinced the advertiser that he was theymos and he lost quite some BTC there. It's used as a protection from fraud. I don't think there is any problem with this as it protects more users from scams.

I annoyed with this one when someone newbie contacted me whe I am trying to buy some btctalk account. I was not able to buy the accound becauseI read it being highlighted as imposter. Lol.

you should be thankful for it though, later if you stay for awhile here and do some transactions, you'll receive a message from someone trying to be someone else.
would you rather want that message inside a pop up?

I would rather not see the message at all. Just switch to ignore all newbie attempts to communicate with me directly  :D

Would be great to do that too. where can we see this option in our users control panel? I don't see it, if it did exist users would have been setting it up.

this notification is just for your safety and security to be safe from scams. most of newbie here can scam peoples. you don't need to think about it and make issue about it.
and you can't slap theymos who include this warring. so just be cool.

The first time I received a PM newbie of which at the time also I was a newbie I was afraid, I thought:

What did I do wrong? at the time thought that marked newbie that were not reliable. but falls in the damn newbie conversation and was robbed money :'(

Hard to believe to this day as I was falling into his talk, but I think very good this measure.

Another one just got taken for 5btc.


Not sure what part of that he didn't get  ::).

Might be new on the forum. I know a member that was new and was scammed and did not know till then that the red numbers under an avatar are a warning sign. Somehow understandable if one is new.

If he was longer here then it would be strange...