Staff member dserrano5 promoting scam - should he remain with default trust?

[Xialla]

As in subject, one of legendary staff members started promoting obvious ponzi with avatar/personal text just because they are paying more. Whoring?

Username: dserrano5
Bitcoin Address: 1CLoudQ85cVQ8pz75aZkxLmEJgqtC1kQAM
Member Type: Legendary
Date Joined: Wed 17th
Post count: 4774

Avatar and personal text changed.

...and is ok, that those kind of guys are in default trust list? How can anybody believe default trust members (level 1), if they are whoring like this?

related SA thread: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1074272.0

edit: dserrano5 changed his mind: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1092890.msg11654940#msg11654940

we don't need this thread anymore - LOCKED

[NLNico]

Actually he didn't join signature campaign AFAIK, but still promoting a ponzi scam. I said this before to someone else, so I will repeat:


dserrano5, did you read all posts in the scam accusation topic? You are promoting a ponzi scam, the only reason why cloudthink can get any victims from bitcointalk is because of people like you. They don't even have an announcement topic since they know it will have relevant/non-spam good questions that they cannot answer. The avatars/signatures are literally the only way for them to promote their scam here. Do you really need money so bad that you let others be scammed for it? Sounds like really bad morals to me. Please read the scam accusation thread if you really have doubts and want to do the right thing. As a legendary staff member (who is on level 1 DT) I really think you give the wrong signal promoting ponzi scams like that.

For those saying "they didn't scam yet", please read the scam accusation topic. I cannot imagine anyone can give them the benefit of the doubt after reading the arguments. Let's not support/promote scams, especially as members who have been around here for a long time.

[niktitan132]

@NLNico I'm pretty sure he knows that he advertises a scam.

Seen it all now a staff member on default trust who promotes a ponzi scam  

I expect people to follow their own judgement. Those who act depending on the actions of "a staff member on default trust" deserve to be burned.

Maybe I'm expecting too much.

Shows the health of this forum

My actions don't represent the health (?) of the forum. Fortunately.

what else would you do for a bit of dust?

1 million satoshi is not dust in my book. If you consider it dust, well congratulations, for you must have tons of coin .

When criticized for supporting a scam, dserrano5 responded like this (bold added by me). He apparently knows he's promoting a scam and doesn't care. Disgusting!

[Xialla]

I'm pretty sure he knows that he advertises a scam.

honestly, if he knows it, it is even worse. I really don't want to think about side effects of his greedy decision..

[favdesu]

It is beyond me how a staff member can't check trust of a campaign manager: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=trust;u=354495

it's so obvious. can anyone confirm that Staff Acc is NOT compromised?

[tmfp]

I just posted this in the Scam Accusation thread and think it's relevant here, so I'll cross post it if that's ok.

He apparently knows he's promoting a scam and doesn't care. Disgusting!

..and you can't even give him negative trust, because if he will push it back with his default trust power, you are screwed forever with negative rating.

edit: there will be for sure side effect of this - if some hero/leg was not if sure if to join or not, after staff joining decision became quite simple..

It's a shame that a staff member advertises a scam. 
I have excluded him from my trust network, you can't trust a member who knowly advertises a scam!

Someone should open a topic in meta to remove that user from default trust list,this is unbelievable!

Playing Devil's Advocate, the obvious answer to that would be "Who have they scammed, show me?"

Well to be fair all the red trust ratings against cloudthink are like: ''its probably a ponzi'' ''there's a high chance CloudThink is just another scam. check link for details."

Its not confirmed 100%

Personally, I wouldn't trust or have any dealings with someone who promoted a likely scam simply for the campaign money.
It would indicate to me that, for example, if they agreed to sell me something and got a better offer at the last minute, they would likely renege on the deal because that would be consistent with their approach to money 'at all costs'.

There is a big difference between forum trust ratings and real world trust. Situations like this are useful because they show people's true colors.

[dserrano5]

Wow look ma, I've become famous .

can anyone confirm that Staff Acc is NOT compromised?

Code:

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

as of 2015-06-18, dserrano5 account at bitcointalk has not been compromised
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1

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=/9xA
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(or my PGP has been compromised as well)

edit: a better signed message.

[GannickusX]

Wow look ma, I've become famous .

can anyone confirm that Staff Acc is NOT compromised?

Code:

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

as of 2015-06-18, dserrano5 account at bitcointalk has not been compromised
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Version: GnuPG v1

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=/9xA
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

(or my PGP has been compromised as well)

edit: a better signed message.

You didnt really answer to the topic, did you know that they are a likely scam? Obviously you do know now and i see you still have their avatar, as i said i know its not 100% confirmed scam but still..

[cryptodevil]

Wow look ma, I've become famous .

Judging by your response are we to assume not a fuck is given on this matter?

If so, that is extremely worrying.

[EFS]

Yes.

[Muhammed Zakir]

IMHO he should be removed from DefaultTrust trust list but should be allowed to remain in default trust depth 2.

[cryptodevil]

Seen it all now a staff member on default trust who promotes a ponzi scam 

I expect people to follow their own judgement. Those who act depending on the actions of "a staff member on default trust" deserve to be burned.

Maybe I'm expecting too much.

So newbies who are highly likely to regard BCT Staff members as reliable indicators of trustworthy services should basically go fuck themselves because you feel like taking advantage of your position to earn yourself a few dollars?

Nice morality you got there, does it come in 'decent' or do you only do 'I got my satoshis so fuck you'?

[saddampbuh]

those poor and desperate enough to participate in paid signature campaigns do not deserve to be taken seriously

[Xialla]

BCT Staff members as reliable indicators of trustworthy services

obviously not anymore. this is actually, why I created the thread..not because some hero/leg member promoting obvious ponzi, but STAFF member with highest possible trust level on whole board - this is something new, what I never saw here before..

Looking forward for reaction from other staff members/administrators, because this is simply unacceptable behavior without single excuse. His reaction just showed us his attitude, which is also not so cool at all..

[EcuaMobi]

BCT Staff members as reliable indicators of trustworthy services

obviously not anymore. this is actually, why I created the thread..not because some hero/leg member promoting obvious ponzi, but STAFF member with highest possible trust level on whole board - this is something new, what I never saw here before..

Looking forward for reaction from other staff members/administrators, because this is simply unacceptable behavior without single excuse. His reaction just showed us his attitude, which is also not so cool at all..

I agree the problem here isn't he's on default trust, or Legendary, the problem is he's the moderator of the Spanish sub-forum, and therefore Staff everywhere else.

I mentioned this here (in Spanish) and he said scams are not moderated and he's just a regular user whose opinions or mesages shouldn't be considered as official at all, which of course is true. The problem is that a lot of users, especially newbies, don't know that. I strongly believe several people will see it's promoted by the staff and will think "great, this is certified by the forum, it can't be a scam". And no they don't deserve to be scammed for wrongly thinking so.

While he's on his right to promote it I do see a problem here. It's not the same not moderating a possible scam than promoting it. It can be misleading for a lot of users.

Edit: I see the payouts were just greatly reduced, let's hope that helps.

[dserrano5]

So newbies who are highly likely to regard BCT Staff members as reliable indicators of trustworthy services

…should develop a brain of their own. I've already said this.

should basically go fuck themselves

Well, I used the softer term "burned" . Back in the day I was burned in the dozens of coins because I trusted the words of someone else that I considered pretty trustworthy.

because you feel like taking advantage of your position

Because they haven't a brain of their own.

I'm taking advantage of my hard earned legendary position to get 0.1BTC/week in advance with zero posting requirements. Anything wrong with that?

to earn yourself a few dollars?

A few coins.


Edit: worry not, people, payouts have been decreased. Next tuesday night (Europe) I'll revert my avatar. Fame is so short lived…

[Xialla]

Back in the day I was burned in the dozens of coins because I trusted the words of someone else that I considered pretty trustworthy.

Back in the day, there was no trust rating system.

Now is situation little bit different, because you had highest possible trust level here, believe or not, but for majority of users are those Staff guys with level 1 DT really trustworthy..it is really hard for you get the point or you just don't want to admit to yourself, what are you actually doing and how you are harming community here..

omfg..

[EcuaMobi]

Great to read this
I think it's for the wrong reason but it works anyway.

    Legendary: 0.05BTC / week

Thank you in a way, because I'm not doing this for 0.05. When my week ends, I'm back to my dear kitty.

[cryptodevil]

Well, I used the softer term "burned" . Back in the day I was burned in the dozens of coins because I trusted the words of someone else that I considered pretty trustworthy.

So because you got fucked over you believe others should be too? wow, just, wow.

Because they haven't a brain of their own.

They may be unsure what to believe but I can guarantee you this, because you are a staff member there *will* be users who see you are supporting this scam and will think it must be ok to have the backing of such an esteemed member of the community. Attempting to dismiss such concerns on the basis that you want to claim they "haven't a brain of their own" is to completely ignore the realities of the responsibility you have here as a person in a position of power.

I'm taking advantage of my hard earned legendary position to get 0.1BTC/week in advance with zero posting requirements. Anything wrong with that?

Being 'legendary' isn't the problem, being 'staff' is. So, yes, there is a great deal wrong with you taking advantage of your official title in order to promote a known criminal enterprise as though it were legit.

[Quickseller]

I think he should stop promoting what is obviously a scam.

Granted it is the responsibility of individual users to do their own due diligence when deciding to do business with someone or deciding to invest in something. However with that being said, when someone credible advertises for someone then a certain level of credibility is given to that business and someone may give less weight to the fact that there are red flags this is a scam.

If dserrano5 wants to remain reputable then he should remove the avatar and stop advertising/promoting an obvious scam. If he does remove the advertisement then he would receive a certain level of additional of respect in my book as he would have essentially admit he made a mistake and quickly rectified the situation.

If he continues to advertise a scam then I do not see the logic that he should be trusted to maintain a trust list that includes only people who are reputable enough that will reasonably include people who send accurate trust ratings. Nor can I understand that it would be reasonable that he would send accurate trust ratings.

If he wants to earn a little bit of BTC by selling his avatar then I am sure he can find a competitive avatar campaign that would pay him to advertise while he can maintain his credibility.

Yes the forum has advertised what turned out to be scams in the past however, to my knowledge, nothing has been advertised that was clearly a scam at the time of advertisement. BFL was showing signs of problems and had a reputation of major delays, however to my knowledge there was no solid evidence available at the time that they were intentionally delaying shipment of their miners. They is has also rejected bids on forum ads from what were clear scams.