Scams & Scammers? Hall of Shame

[gogxmagog]

Should there be some sort of list of disreputable websites, known scammers, etc. I read a lot about how BTC is wide open to all manner of crooks, but I rarely read about any caught and busted mofos.

To be honest BTC kinda makes me paranoid how vulnerable it is, and I think it may resist widespead adoption unless those fears are put to rest amongst the general public at large.

This is one of my (irrational?) fears; website is designed to look and act like a BTC trading platform/info site/client dl... it is actually an attack site.

Am I nuts? Actually, don't answer that. Might I be onto something? I would like to start more discussion about these enemies of BTC, how they act/look/feel.

Stories, anyone?

[Lethn]

I do think your nuts in thinking that Bitcoin is 'vulnerable' because of scammers etc. it isn't vulnerable, the problem you're pointing out has nothing to do with Bitcoin but human stupidity and there's nothing we can do to prevent people from being stupid. Controlling your own finances like you can now means you not only have to trust in your common sense, not only that you have to accept the fact that if you fuck up then it's your fault and yours alone, Bitcoin isn't responsible, it's you, all Bitcoin really is is just a bunch of very clever numbers put together to make a currency.

There is already a scammer accusation board for you to check out to see if you can trust a person your dealing with, but other than that, warning people is all anyone can do now, it's not necessarily bad to be paranoid, just make sure it's about the right thing.

[greyhawk]

Should there be some sort of list of disreputable websites, known scammers, etc. I read a lot about how BTC is wide open to all manner of crooks, but I rarely read about any caught and busted mofos.

Not a single one got caught and busted.

Usually it works like this:

1) Scammer offers completely obvious untenable financial or product offer with promises of huge returns / oddly convenient to use wallet or exchange site.
2) Bitcoiners shove their live savings into scammers throat.
3) Sane people warn against completely obvious scam
4) Sane people get angrily shouted down / put on ignore / accused of envy / accused of trolling / accused of hating bitcoin.
5) Bitcoiners shove more money into scammers throat.
6) Scammer gets 'hacked' and disappears.
7) Bitcoiners put on frowny faces and angrily shake their fists at sane people for being so rude to scammer they "made scammer disappear"
8 ) Bitcoiners happily await their refund.
9) Bitcoiners happily await their refund. Sane people snicker.
10) Bitcoiners happily await their refund. Sane people move over to investigate next obvious scammer.
11) Bitcoiners get slightly concerned there might be some problem with the refund.
12) Bitcoiners ineffectually gather information on scammers mother or spouse.
Optional) "Yes, Ma'am, I'm calling from the Internet about your son/groom. Hello? Hello?"
13) Bitcoiners express some concern they might have been scammed.
14) Bitcoiners convince themselves police doesn't care about theft because unlike gold bars Bitcoin has no stamp saying "If stolen, police will totally look for a thief." Sane people remind Bitcoiners gold bars have no such stamp either and the police totally will look into bitcoin theft. Sane people get shouted down because "I wasn't at my police station but I just KNOW they won't do a thing, so you're obviously wrong, sane people."
15) Third parties offer to go on a baseball bat boy baseball bat swinging tour. Third parties get deleted.
16) Bitcoiners get slightly angry at scammer.
17) Bitcoiners express disbelief they could have been so easily scammed, maintaining that "NO ONE could have known."
18) The sun grows to the size of the orbit of the inner planets incinerating all within.

[Akka]

Presenting the Bitcoiner-Bot:

do
{

1) Scammer offers completely obvious untenable financial or productoffer with promises of huge returns / oddly convenient to use wallet or exchange site.
2) Bitcoiners shove their live savings into scammers throat.
3) Sane people warn against completely obvious scam
4) Sane people get angrily shouted down / put on ignore / accused of envy / accused of trolling / accused of hating bitcoin.
5) Bitcoiners shove more money into scammers throat.
6) Scammer gets 'hacked' and disappears.
7) Bitcoiners put on frowny faces and angrily shake their fists at sane people for being so rude to scammer they "made scammer disappear"
8 ) Bitcoiners happily await their refund.
9) Bitcoiners happily await their refund. Sane people snicker.
10) Bitcoiners happily await their refund. Sane people move over to investigate next obvious scammer.
11) Bitcoiners get slightly concerned there might be some problem with the refund.
12) Bitcoiners ineffectually gather information on scammers mother or spouse.
Optional) "Yes, Ma'am, I'm calling from the Internet about your son/groom. Hello? Hello?"
13) Bitcoiners express some concern they might have been scammed.
14) Bitcoiners convince themselves police doesn't care about theft because unlike gold bars Bitcoin has no stamp saying "If stolen, police will totally look for a thief." Sane people remind Bitcoiners gold bars have no such stamp either and the police totally will look into bitcoin theft. Sane people get shouted down because "I wasn't at my police station but I just KNOW they won't do a thing, so you're obviously wrong, sane people."
15) Third parties offer to go on a baseball bat boy baseball bat swinging tour. Third parties get deleted.
16) Bitcoiners get slightly angry at scammer.
17) Bitcoiners express disbelief they could have been so easily scammer, maintain that "NO ONE could have known."

}
while (Bitcoinbalance > 0);

[Lethn]

lol yep, that's about right

[gogxmagog]

I do think your nuts in thinking that Bitcoin is 'vulnerable' because of scammers etc. it isn't vulnerable, the problem you're pointing out has nothing to do with Bitcoin but human stupidity and there's nothing we can do to prevent people from being stupid. Controlling your own finances like you can now means you not only have to trust in your common sense, not only that you have to accept the fact that if you fuck up then it's your fault and yours alone, Bitcoin isn't responsible, it's you, all Bitcoin really is is just a bunch of very clever numbers put together to make a currency.

There is already a scammer accusation board for you to check out to see if you can trust a person your dealing with, but other than that, warning people is all anyone can do now, it's not necessarily bad to be paranoid, just make sure it's about the right thing.

okokok
this is the newbie section, amiright? thanks about the scammer board. thats the kind of thing i need to examine. after i put on my tinfoil hat that is.

[mybadomen]

 Just a newbie here and i opened this thread thinking i was going to find a list of known scammers to avoid.What i found i still have no ides but wasn't to helpful Just saying would have benn nice to find a list or something useful as its for Newbies like me.

Take Care

[Lethn]

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?board=83.0

Bear in mind, the idea behind Bitcoin is that you can trade anonymously and the market is decentralised with no authority behind it, if you decide to go with Bitcoin long term you have to accept that there are bad things as well as awesome things that go with these ideas.

[bwstacker]

    There are scammer all over. It really isn't just that Bitcoins are vulnerable. It is just that people will go to great lengths to scamm a person