Agent Insights Ep 60: Item Lookalike Scam

Hey all! Jade here with today’s Agent Insights. Today, we’ll be talking about the item lookalike scam.

In this scam, a scammer will trade away an unrare item that looks like a very rare item, usually glitched or beta. By getting a fair trade for the rare variant of the item, but actually trading an unrare lookalike, they are scamming whoever they trade out of their items. Often, they'll try to convince you that you're getting a great deal by trading them less than the rare variant is worth, but you're actually trading them more than the un-rare variant is worth.

This scam is relatively easy to avoid if you’re careful with trading and know how to spot commonly used lookalikes. Today, we’ll be going over some of the items that are commonly used for this scam and how to identify the differences! (In each of the sections below, the rare item is shown on the left, while the non-rare item is shown on the right.)

First up, cupid wings. There are two types of cupid wings in Animal Jam- glossy and non-glossy. During the first release of the item, it had a bright shine, but on its second release, the old versions were replaced with ones with a duller shine. Glossy cupid wings are worth anywhere from one black long to 70-75 black longs, depending on color. In contrast, non-glossy wings are only worth a den beta each. To tell the differences, look at the color of the shine on the wings. If the shine is white (or light grey in the case of black wings), they’re glossy. If the shine is tinted in the color of the wings (or dark grey in the case of black), they’re non-glossy. 

Next, the beta homemade wings. This item is a lighter coloration of the homemade wings in stores, and the two are very difficult to tell apart. Beta wings are worth two black longs at minimum, while the regular wings can be bought in stores and are therefore worth next to nothing. The difference between the wings is in the color of the green section- beta wings are a lighter and more yellow shade than the storebought ones. However, as it is so difficult to tell the variants apart, it's advisable to simply not trade for this item.

The next item is beta arctic hoods. The beta hood was sold during the beta period of Animal Jam, and not re-released with the rest of the set. Its fake variant is the light blue coloration. The beta hood is worth around 150 black longs, while the light blue is worth only a few RIMs. To tell the difference between these two items, look at the color of the hood fabric. The beta version should have a much more turquoise color, while the fake hood is clearly blue. 

Next, glitched rings. There are three different glitched rings, but the one most commonly used to scam is the second variant. The second glitched ring is worth 3 black longs, while the storebought ring used to stand in for it is available in stores. The difference between the items is that the glitched ring has dark spots on its sides, while the storebought ring has light spots. 

Now, the beta and pearly tiaras. The beta tiara is worth 18 black long collars, and the pearly tiara is priceless- both were sold during the beta testing period. Both look very similar to a storebought variant of the tiara- green with a red gem and white with a blue gem, respectively. To identify the correct versions, look at the gem colors. The true beta tiara will have a purple gem, while the storebought version will have a red gem. The true pearly tiara should have a purple gem, while the storebought one will have a blue gem. Additionally, be very suspicious of any pearly tiaras you see for trade- there are less than five known copies of the item in game, so it’s very unlikely that you'll ever see someone trading one away.

Next up, the beta blanket. This item is worth 25 black longs, while the variant used to stand in for it can be bought in stores. The beta blanket has a light green body with slightly darker patches, while the storebought variant has a dark green body with lighter green patches. 

Next, the yeti face. The glitched yeti face is worth a good short collar, while the blue yeti face is worth a good long wrist. The two look very similar, but the glitched version has a slightly lighter coloration. Since they're relatively close in rarity, it wouldn't be the end of the world to trade for the wrong one, but it's still good to avoid trading for one, since it's so difficult to tell the two variants apart.

The next item is the ornament earrings. The glitched ornament earrings are worth a decent to good long collar, while the regular variant is an annually returning item and only worth a few RIMs. The glitched version has a slightly more blue-tinted left earring, but the colors are still very hard to tell apart, so it's best to not trade for this item.

Next, the jamaaliday branch antlers. The glitched item is worth at least two good long collars, while the regular brown coloration is worth only a few RIMs. The difference in the two can be found in the veins of the branches- the glitched version has a slightly lighter color, while the regular antlers have a more red tint to the veins. This is another item where the variants are very hard to tell apart, so again, it's likely best to not trade for it.

Finally, the surfboard. There is a variant of the original surfboard that is red with bubbles, and is worth two good long collars. The item used to stand in for it is nearly identical, but it is storebought and worth very little. The storebought version has a large bite mark in it, while the rare version is completely whole.

Well, I hope this guide has helped! If you have any questions about how to tell the difference between versions or suggestions for an item that should be added, feel free to put them in the comments! Stay safe out there, everyone, and jam on!