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The Truth About RuneScape Item Scams The Keys to Dealing with RuneScape Item Scams

This will be a short topic, because Jagex's position on item scamming in RuneScape is very plain and unmistakable: it's not allowed. Rule #2 in the RuneScape Rules of Conduct is devoted to item scamming, which is summarized as follows:

“You must not scam or deceive other players. Lying to other players for your own personal gain is not in the spirit of the game.”

Jagex's definition of “scamming” is given in the text of the rule, and is likewise clear:

“To 'scam' means to cheat another player during a trade. Lying to other players for your own personal gain is not in the spirit of the game and will not be tolerated.”

The remainder of the description of Rule #2 covers some specific practices that are not allowed, and touches on some things that seem like scams to certain people, but aren't. You'll find much more detail on item scamming here on TruthScape, but it is definitely worth starting with a read of Rule #2, since it is “official”.

One important point to remember is that while Rule #2 encompasses item scamming in trades, it is not specific to them. Jagex's position on trade scamming is that it is explicitly covered by Rule #2 and that trickery in conducting a trade is illegal. The application of Rule #2 to other deceptive practices is not quite as clear on first inspection, but becomes more obvious if you look closely. For example, the act of luring is also prohibited by Rule #2, both because it is lying for personal gain, and because of an explicit statement against it added to Rule #2 on March 29, 2007. We'll discuss this and more in the section on luring.

Another issue is all the tricks and deceptions that occur at the dueling arena. To the best of my knowledge these are not reportable offenses under Rule #2. I believe they are dishonest tactics and meet most common sense definitions of scamming, which is why I include them here on TruthScape.

The Truth About RuneScape Item Scams The Keys to Dealing with RuneScape Item Scams