S>BLACK FUR COAT 30K. Did you read that and think to yourself, what?
If you did, then most likely you are a YoVillian that would know NOT go to that event. You would recognize it for what it is….a SCAM!
The Urban Dictionary’s 5th definition of scam is this:
A contrived scheme or process designed to surreptitiously, deceitfully and materially benefit the perpetrator(s) at the expense of the victim(s). To provide or sell goods or services, knowing them to be unfit for purpose, while implying or claiming fitness in order to elevate the monetary value and generate undeserved revenue.
That’s a pretty good definition in my book.
The ‘black fur coat’ can be found buried in the clothing store, in the Encanto theme, for the price of 550 coins. The Encanto Theme is not too popular these days, so it is often overlooked. Think about it, when did you EVER see an event selling or wanting to buy Encanto items? This scam has been around as long as I have been playing, which is almost 4 years. It is not truly a ‘bait and switch’. This scam is outright FRAUD. What bothers me the most about this scam is I know some of my fellow YoVillians are falling for it.
There are other known scams in YoVille that you can read about here at YoRehab. There is the promise of wealth with the ‘Double Your Coins’ scam. Watch out for the scammers selling ‘Game Card Codes’ too. Another very informative article at YoRehab is ‘A New Players Guide to Events in Yoville’ that tells you how to recognize what you are buying during a trade.
Perhaps YoVille is a tiny pixilated Las Vegas. In Vegas life is a bit wilder. Less inhibitive. Constraints on behaviors are loosened. The moral compass strays, often losing direction entirely. The behavior of many people becomes unrecognizable to those that know them in their RL, where they actually live. This doesn’t happen to everyone that comes to ‘play’ in Vegas, but it happens. Vegas is full of scams and schemes to part people with their money. This was my experience when I lived in there. How similar is YoVille on our behaviors I wonder? A world that is not really where we live. No parents watching over the shoulders of children. No husband or wife to hear our conversations or see our conduct. No one to be accountable to for our harsh words, or our distasteful actions. No one to catch us in a lie or a swindle.
All of this brings me to my real point which is, as a member of the YoVille community, what is my responsibility to my fellow YoVillians, morally and ethically? How do I, with good conscience, look the other way when I see these scams on the board? What, if anything, can I do about these things? As in RL there will be those people that will ignore that listing on the board, recognizing it for what it is. They won’t be fazed by it, or the harm it will bring to a kid or some other unsuspecting, poorly informed player. The kids will cry, and their parents will scold. Others will just walk away from YoVille feeling damaged and never come back. Then there will be those that will perpetuate the crime, justifying their actions by telling themselves that someone did it to them, why shouldn’t they do it to someone else? The cycle will continue. YoVille will deteriorate.
Or the next time you see a scam listed in on the events board, you can go to it. You can get that scammer to tell you how they are going to double your coins, while you take screen shots and report them. Or, you can stand in that room, especially if there are other YoVillian’s present and speak the truth exposing the fraud. You can stand up and fight for those that cannot defend themselves. You can take positive action. Report them. If they are reported enough times, they will be BANNED and have earned that ban.
‘All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing’ (author unknown, often attributed to Burke). Or we can read it this way, all that is necessary for YoVille to deteriorate is that good YoVillians do nothing.
I know what I am going to do, how about you?
Note: This was written by a YoRehab contributor
