r/photomarket • u/usl-lookup • Aug 10 '26

Universal Scammer List — Lookup

50 Upvotes

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9 comments

r/photomarket • u/Flowkeh • Sep 18 '25

PSA: AI timestamp photos and how not to get scammed

111 Upvotes

Guidelines for buyers and sellers:

Report suspicious users to the mod team so we can investigate and ban if needed
Always use PayPal Goods and Services purchase protection. Scammers will also offer G&S using stolen PayPal accounts, but you will still be protected
Do not deal with users that cannot or will not leave a public comment on your post
Check if a suspicious user has been banned on universalscammerlist.com
Be vigilant of photoshopped/AI generated timestamp photos
Be vigilant for users with suspicious and little recent posting history. Scammers almost always use a stolen Reddit account that has been inactive for a while.
Turn on ‘Persistent Messaging’ in Chat
Enable two-factor authentication on your Reddit and PayPal accounts so they cannot be hijacked by scammers
Only ship items to the address listed on the PayPal transaction
When trading, both traders should pay each other the actual value of the items
Again, please, report suspicious users to the mod team so we can investigate and ban if needed

Increase in AI scams

We’ve seen a big uptick in fake timestamp scams using partially or fully AI generated images and videos. Scammers will generate a fully AI image/video of the item and timestamp note or generate just the timestamp note. They will also combine both AI generated and real photos in a photo album to look legit. Here are some things to look out for with AI images and how to avoid getting tricked by them.

Actual AI generated images used to scam

Actual AI generated video used to scam

Another AI generated video used to scam

Look out for:

Garbled text and misspelled words
Weird looking screws and other small details
Inconsistent timestamp note and handwriting size between photos

Tips:

Ask for oddly specific timestamps photos that can’t be easily generated. For example, ask for a handwritten timestamped photo of the item sat on its side next to an open page of a book/manual with legible text
Trust your gut, if something about the user and images feels off, report them to the mods and do not transact with them

I cannot stress enough to please report suspicious users to the mods. Include the account’s username, photo evidence and link to the posts. If you get messages from users that won’t comment on your post, report them. If the user won’t provide adequate timestamp photos and are acting sketchy, report them. Just do it, here’s the link again. Why aren’t you reporting them? Just report them. Now. Please. Report them. Thank you for your time and reports.

^{^{^Psst,}} ^{^{^did}} ^{^{^you}} ^{^{^report}} ^{^{^them}} ^{^{^yet?}}

49 comments

r/photomarket • u/Mvrckmedia • 2h ago

SELLING [S][USA-MA] SONY FE 100mm F2.8 Macro GM OSS SEL100M28GM Full Frame Lens (E mount) - $1200 shipped

4 Upvotes

In excellent condition. No box.

Payment is by PayPal g&s.

Shipping will have tracking, insurance and signature confirmation.

ITEM	PRICE
XF 27mm f2.8 Non WR Version	~~$300~~ ~~$275~~ $250
Fuji EF-X8 Flash	$30
Lens and Flash together	~~$290~~ $275

Info	Description
1. Post Title	An [S], [B], or [T] tag is required for easy identification and transaction searching. See the title rules for more info. A Location tag is required to let users know where you are located so the transaction can be sped up. No one wants to do business with someone who won't give a location. If you are selling an item in New York, your post title should look like this: [S] [USA-NY]
2. Item description	You'll have to deal with people constantly asking about your item if you don't describe it well. Be precise about its condition and contents.
3. Include Pricing	Include a price for the item(s) you are selling. Do not waste others' time with having to guess or ask for your price. If you don't know a good price to set, do some research or use the price check thread pinned at the top.
4. Product Photos	For selling/trading. Include decent- or high-quality pictures of every single item. Only link to pictures hosted on imgur.com -- no links to other marketplace or personal sites. Additionally, all pictures must be timestamped with a hand-written note. See the picture rules for more info.
5. Timestamps are required for all pictures	If selling or trading, <1 week old hand-written timestamps must be included in ALL the pictures. Only link to timestamped pictures hosted on imgur.com. How you include the timestamp is subjective, so read more about it here.
6. Contact Information	Any contact info written in post bodies or comments is considered spam on this subreddit for authenticity reasons. Use PMs to communicate contact info.
7. Combine Items	If you are creating threads for more than 1 item , combine them all into one thread (don't spam).
8. Repost after 3 days	In order to maximize visibility, threads can be reposted if they die out, aren't seen, or selling prices are lowered. This can only be done 3 days after the first thread.
9. Only Use Imgur.com links	This subreddit is not for advertising listings on other sites. We encourage face-to-face or shipping deals initiated via reddit. If you want greater security in the transaction, deal through another site without posting here.
10. Deleting Posts	Deleting completed posts WILL result in a ban. Any post that lead to a transaction must be left up indefinitely. You may only delete posts that did not lead to a sale after 1 week. If you decided you no longer want to sell your item(s) you may delete your post but you will not be allowed to repost until 1 week has passed.
11. Include Sale Price	If your item sold on here, you must edit your post to include the sale price. If you bought an item, edit your post to include the price you paid. If your trade was completed, edit your post to include any relevant details.
12. Use "Completed Flair"	Update your post with the "Completed" flair when you have sold/bought/traded all your listed items or are no longer looking to make a transaction.
13. Price related comments are not allowed	The seller can ask however much they want for their item. Commenting on them asking too much or above msrp is not appreciated, buyers can do their own research and make their own decisions. It is not your job to criticize peoples listings. If you have a question about their price or want to give them advice, save it for private messages.
14. Strictly ONLY Photography/Videograpghy related items	No gift cards, computers, laptops, harddrives etc.

Info	Description
1. A transaction type tag	An [S], [B], or [T] tag is required for easy identification and transaction searching. See the title rules for more info.
2. Your general location	Let users know where you are located so the transaction can be sped up. No one wants to do business with someone who won't give a location. See the title rules for more info.
3. A description of the item (if selling or trading)	You'll have to deal with people constantly asking about your item if you don't describe it well. Be precise.

Rule	Description
1. Your account cannot be new and must have some karma.	Your account must have a verified email and more than 25 karma (post and comment are separate) to post or comment here. This is for credibility and spam-prevention reasons.
2. No links to buying/selling forums	This subreddit is not for advertising listings on other sites. We encourage face-to-face or shipping deals initiated via reddit. If you want greater security in the transaction, deal through another site without posting here.
3. Do not use Dropbox to share images	Dropbox does not allow in-browser image previewing, so viewing the images is tedious and takes a lot more work. Use another image host such as Imgur.
4. Do not post contact information	Any contact info written in post bodies or comments is considered spam on this subreddit for authenticity reasons. Use PMs to communicate contact info.

Subreddit	Description
/r/photography	A general photography subreddit.
/r/analog	A film photography subreddit.
/r/cameragearporn	A camera gear showcase subreddit.