Old problem with cheaters is back in PoE 2. Game's veterans noticed this and are eager to share their knowledge with newcomers
In PoE 2, as in the first installment, there is no shortage of people trying to cheat new players. Veterans of the series warn against them while describing how they work.
This evening will mark exactly two weeks since the highly successful Early Access launch of Path of Exile 2. During this time, we received two major updates that greatly affected the gameplay. Many players have already achieved high levels, some with multiple characters, and are now awash in earned currencies. This resulted in price increases in the market and, as is the case with most online games, a surge of cheaters.
Making money from newcomers in PoE 2
This problem is well known to the veterans of the first installment, who have dealt with it for many years of playing PoE. Now they are warning new players who have decided to check out the sequel. On Reddit, we can come across threads describing how cheaters work in the game.
They put items up for sale at a fairly attractive price, which they then show us during trading, only to cancel the exchange. They do this under the pretext of increasing the price, usually by a small amount, so as not to discourage us, e.g. 5 Exalted Orbs. If we agree, they invite us to trade again, but this time they put a different item in the window, hoping that we won't notice and will accept the exchange.
The problem is worsened because Divine Orbs are becoming more prevalent in trade and are much more expensive than Exalted Orbs. New players may not be aware of their actual value, which encourages scammers to trade with them at unfair prices. Remember that if you want to know the value of a certain currency, you can always check with the NPC offering the exchange. In the case of equipment, you have to rely on experience and knowledge and compare it with other items for sale.
If you regularly play online games, then this type of fraud shouldn't be anything new to you. It's nice, though, that the veterans caution new players, for whom trading in PoE 2 might appear unfriendly. Just remember to double-check what is being offered to you before you press the "accept" button.
