Listen to Turtle..

 

Bitcoin Rules to Live By.
Safe Trading Tips for bitcoin-OTC.com

 

 

1. Never trade with someone who isn’t authenticated (;;ident).

 

2. Never trade with someone who doesn’t have a long and good AND RECENT trade history. (check ;;gettrust, ;;events).

 

3. Never trust anyone on a proxy / tor / vpn / vps.

  • If they don’t want you to know who they are, where they’re from, etc., you don’t want their business.

 

4. Anyone with the words ‘btc’ or ‘bitcoin’ in their name is automatically suspect.

 

5. Never lend bitcoin.

  • You will probably never see them again. As Coolio- used to say “Loans are a gift”.

 

6. Don’t trust anyone from Argentina or Brazil or Russia or Ukraine or Anywhere else you cannot give 'chase'.

 

7. Don’t trust anyone from Florida. (this is NOT a joke entry)

 

8. Don’t EVER talk about your money, worth, or wealth. (and don't listen to those that do)

 

9. Don’t leave large sums in shared or online wallets. (or other online games or services)

 

10. Encrypt your wallet.

  • If you keep backup copies, encrypt the entire wallet file in a second layer of encryption (most contents of wallet are not encrypted)
  • If a wallet tells you to "write down these words", then write it the fuck down. More than once.

 

11. If someone is scammer tagged, don’t give them the benefit of the doubt.

  • It might feel weird to consider someone guilty until proven innocent, but it will save your coins.
  • Don't listen as the suspected scammer tells you he's not a scammer -

 

12. High yield investment programs (HYIP) or loans are pretty much always scams.

  • Think about it. What did Momma teach you? If it sounds too good to be true.

 

13. Never let someone control your computer ( Teamviewer / Skype scams).

  • Don’t install anything suspicious on your computer (trojans, viruses).
  • Ideally have a clean dedicated computer for your transactions. Wipe that computer regularly.

 

14. There are no tricks to avoid chargebacks when converting USDollars.

  • Paypal, credit cards, moneypaks / reloads, dwolla, banks, Western Union, etc.... If USD / Cash is involved, then by law, they can charge it back.
  • Some services might be harder to chargeback, but nothing is immune if USD is involved.

 

15. People with good reps can turn bad or get in a bad spot. Having a good rep does not mean they will never scam.

 

16. Break up large transactions into smaller ones, preferably with multiple people.

  • why risk it all in one transaction?

 

17. Never trust a man who “just moved” to Mexico. (or Costa Rica, offshore, tax havens, etc)

 

18. Don’t trust someone who can’t speak proper English or your language of choice.

  • This may sound classist, but your money is on the line.
  • Trade with professionals or reputable people.

 

19. It’s ok to demand to see someone’s identification. ( I believe for larger trades, you should know exactly who you are dealing with)

  • a webcam photo of ID, or other info to inspire trust.
  • get their phone number / Skype
  • email address
  • postal address
  • Web identities - Chat Names
  • You can’t get legal help with a scammer if you can’t find them.

 

20. Don’t trade with someone you can’t press charges against or that is geographically inconvenient for you to show up at their house.

·         See Number #6

 

21. Get it in writing. it’s easier to state your case and enforce an agreement if it’s formalized.

·         a chat log is ok.

·         a gpg dual-signed piece of text is better.

·         spell out the arrangement

·         avoid ambiguity

·         include specific dates, times and amounts, etc.

 

22. Don’t trust fast talkers, sweet talkers or smooth talkers. Those that have 'Done it All', probably have scammed also.

  • don’t be swayed by emotion or inability to think.
  • a good deal is rarely time sensitive.

 

23. If someone gets agitated when you ask questions, they were probably trying to scam you.

 

24. If you meet someone face-to-face, meet in a public place.

  • bring backup. or protection. your best bet is a crowded coffee shop or bank lobby.
  • if you’re carrying cash, deposit it in bank immediately or at least make sure you’re not followed.

 

25. Many people offer escrow. use it. BUT ONLY IF YOU TRUST THE PERSON OFFERING ESCROW.

 

26. Pay your taxes. it’s better than getting ass-raped in jail.

 

27. Don’t trust gamblers, addicts, or people who are constantly broke.

 

28. Beware trailing ‘ or ` or _ characters in names.

  • Examine screen names carefully. Always ;;ident traders
  • Dashes, dots, back-ticks and underlines are tricks scammers use to try and get you to believe your dealing with trusted people.
  • Another trick is using a one "1", where a L "l" should be. Examples: GlooBoy_ G1ooBoy GLooBoy- `GLooBoy

 

29. Don’t let someone tell you they are “highly rated” when they aren’t. And revisit rule #2 about LONG TIME ratings.

  • 5 is NOT a good rating.
  • 10 IS NOT a good rating.
  • 20 is a barely passably good rating.
  • 50+ and you can begin to trust this person with small amounts.
  • When in doubt - ASK IN OPEN CHANNEL - get multiple responses from trusted peeps.

 

30. Someone buying just to build ratings is suspicious. this goes for the OTC, btcjam, or anywhere else. beware.

 

31. Don’t use paypal. - come on. people tell you this all the time. and for a reason.

  • It’s easy to get scammed by people using paypal.
  • and it’s easy for paypal to freeze your assets and hold your money for 180 days. [same applies for ebay]

 

32. You will eventually hear someone say “come on, it’s not like I’m going to scam someone for just 2 bucks”.

  • yes. someone would scam for that amount. don’t fall for it.
  • When more than half the world lives on $1 a day or less, you can bet your ass peeps will scam for it.

 

33. Don’t trust anyone on bb.sky.

  • why are these assholes so frequently scammers? I don’t know. but they are.

 

34. People with non-random X's ending their name are highly likely to be a scammer.

  • "thetruthx  <— random".   -- And a BIG scammer.
  • "freefox     <– non-random",
  • Also, framing x’s are not so random "xFBASTAGEx <– not so random"

 

35. Unsolicited messages / spam / requests to trade are almost always scams.

 

36. Trust your gut. It is a powerful tool for catching scammers.

  • If someone gives you a bad vibe, there’s probably a reason. Better to be safe, rather than sorry.

 

37. Set up both gpg and bitcoin address authentication in OTC.

  • if you lose one you won’t lose your account and reputation.

 

38. ....And always remember that Nobody listens to turtle :(

 

 

 

-- Amended January 4, 2017 --

Original un-edited cultofturtle.com text can be found here: http://pastebin.com/raw.php?i=hKkrv3YS

 

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