HOW TO AVOID SCAMS & SHILLS
In the decentralized economy of Torzon Market, trust is a mathematical variable, not a feeling.
With over 15,000 active listings, separating legitimate vendors from "Exit Scammers" and "Selective Scammers" requires a strict methodology.
This guide is not just about reading 5-star ratings; it is about forensic analysis of vendor behavior, cross-referencing identities via Recon and Dread,
and understanding the mechanics of the Dispute Resolution system.
Warning: 90% of "scams" are actually users failing to verify PGP signatures or blindly trusting a vendor with FE (Finalize Early).
Every vendor profile on Torzon is a dossier of data. Most buyers ignore the numbers and look at the pictures. To survive, you must interpret the statistics correctly.
Torzon uses an XP-based leveling system.
• Level 1 (Newbie): < 10 sales. Extremely high risk. These accounts are often created by scammers to catch a few quick victims.
• Level 5 (Regular): ~100 sales. Generally safe, but check recent activity.
• Level 10 (Veteran): 1000+ sales. High trust, but prone to "Exit Scams" due to the large volume of pending funds.
This is calculated based on positive vs. negative feedback AND dispute outcomes.
• 99-100%: Standard for good vendors.
• 97-98%: Warning zone. Usually means they have shipping delays.
• Below 95%: DO NOT BUY. In a competitive market, a 5% failure rate is unacceptable.
FE status is a privilege granted by admins to top vendors. It allows them to get paid before shipping.
Risk Analysis: FE bypasses Escrow. If an FE vendor decides to retire, they can accept 1000 orders and disappear. Only FE for vendors you have personally used before.
"Shilling" or "Padding" is the act of faking sales to boost stats. A vendor might create 50 buyer accounts and buy their own $1 "Digital Wallpaper" listing to generate 50 positive reviews. Here is how to detect this fraud on Torzon.
Look at the timestamps of the reviews. Organic sales are random.
• Fake: 10 reviews posted within 1 hour, followed by silence for 2 days.
• Real: Reviews scattered randomly throughout the week.
Tip: If you see multiple reviews with the exact same phrasing (e.g., "Fast ship", "Fast ship", "Fast ship"), it is likely a bot script.
Torzon shows which item was purchased next to the review. If a vendor is selling high-value electronics or bulk narcotics, but 90% of their feedback comes from a cheap "Tutorial" or "Sample" listing, they are artificially inflating their trust score. A vendor with 500 sales of a $1 item is not trusted to handle a $500 order.
Be wary of new vendors with perfect 5.0 ratings and generic text. Real buyers complain. Real buyers mention stealth. Real buyers talk about packaging. A profile with zero complaints and only "Perfect!" comments is statistically impossible and likely fabricated.
An Exit Scam occurs when an established vendor decides to quit the game but wants one last payday.
A smart buyer never relies solely on the market's internal data. Markets can be manipulated. External forums cannot. You must use the "OSINT" (Open Source Intelligence) tools of the darknet.
Recon is a cross-market search engine. It indexes vendors from Archetyp, Abacus, Torzon, and dead markets.
The Procedure:
1. Copy the vendor's PGP key (or username).
2. Paste it into Recon.
3. Check History: Did this vendor exist on AlphaBay or Hydra? If they have a 5-year history across 4 markets, they are likely legitimate professionals.
4. Check Identity: Ensure the PGP key fingerprint matches EXACTLY. Impersonators often use names like "Verified_Vendor" to trick you.
Dread (/d/Torzon) is the community forum where users report scams in real-time.
The Procedure:
1. Go to the Torzon subdread.
2. Use the search bar for the vendor's name.
3. Look for recent threads titled "Scammer", "Selective Scam", or "Waiting for pack".
4. If you see multiple users complaining about non-delivery in the last week, abort the purchase, even if their market stats look perfect.
Sometimes, despite all precautions, a package does not arrive. This is where the Torzon Escrow system shines. If you did not Finalize Early (FE), your coins are held in the market's multisig wallet. You can initiate a Dispute.
Before disputing, always message the vendor. Ask for an extension of the auto-finalize timer. Postal systems are slow. A vendor who communicates and extends the timer is usually honest. If they ignore you or refuse to extend, hit the Dispute Button immediately.
Once a dispute is open, a Torzon Moderator joins the chat. They act as a judge. You must prove your case.
How to win a dispute:
1. Be Polite: Aggressive users often lose.
2. Facts Only: "I ordered on [Date]. Timer is expiring. Nothing arrived. Vendor provided no tracking."
3. Vendor History: Point out if the vendor has recent negative reviews on their profile.
The moderator will review the vendor's evidence (did they upload a valid tracking number?).
• If the vendor has no proof of shipping: Full Refund to Buyer.
• If the tracking shows "Seized by Law Enforcement": Usually 50% Refund (depends on terms).
• If tracking says "Delivered" but you claim you didn't get it: Vendor Wins.
In reviews, you will often see ratings for "Stealth". This refers to the vendor's ability to disguise the package to bypass customs and postal workers.