Given free skins- are they safe?

[Korrina1488312715]

Today a very kind soul I met and I talked for a while, and they ended up giving me a whole bunch of skins from a group called 'thebodyco' which they said had closed down, and so the skins where free and also fully transfer, modify and copy! I couldn't believe my luck of course, but now I'm a little nervous.

I prefer to trust people whenever I can and the person was very friendly and helpful, but I had only just met them and as such I'm frightened the skins might have viruses attacthed or something like that! I've been hacked before and it makes me very paranoid I'm afraid. Is it possible for bad things to be lurking in the skins that might comprimise my account? The skins work when I put them on and are very high quality, but I can't help but feel a tiny bit nervous! Hopefully I'm just being silly.

[Theresa Tennyson]

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Korrina wrote:

Today a very kind soul I met and I talked for a while, and they ended up giving me a whole bunch of skins from a group called 'thebodyco' which they said had closed down, and so the skins where free and also fully transfer, modify and copy! I couldn't believe my luck of course, but now I'm a little nervous.

 

I prefer to trust people whenever I can and the person was very friendly and helpful, but I had only just met them and as such I'm frightened the skins might have viruses attacthed or something like that! I've been hacked before and it makes me very paranoid I'm afraid. Is it possible for bad things to be lurking in the skins that might comprimise my account? The skins work when I put them on and are very high quality, but I can't help but feel a tiny bit nervous! Hopefully I'm just being silly.

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They're probably safe but they're almost certainly illegal copies. Legitimate companies almost never give out full-permission skins even after they go out of business. The person you got them from may not have known that, by the way - I'm not blaming them. Don't use them though - there are too many places where you can get good skins for free for you to want to use copies like that.

[Korrina1488312715]

I like them rather a lot but I would -hate- to use illegal copies. I certainly wouldn't want to get the person I got them from in trouble either, however. Is there any way I can make certain? Perhaps find out who made them so I can double check?

[Syo Emerald]

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Korrina wrote:

I like them rather a lot but I would -hate- to use illegal copies. I certainly wouldn't want to get the person I got them from in trouble either, however. Is there any way I can make certain? Perhaps find out who made them so I can double check?

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At first I would say ask yourself "Do these skins look to good to be free?" I know its difficult to answer this and be 100% sure as a new resident, but maybe you already have a good idea about skins. Does it look like they could be sold for 1000L and more?

You could also check different skinstores and look if you can find one of the skins. Or you could post a picture here, maybe someone recognizes the skins.

[Marianne Little]

I am sorry to tell you they are indeed stolen - copybotted skins. The Body Co is a quality skin store that changed their name to The Shops. They did not release their older skins for free. They still sell them on the Marketplace, but I have noticed a lot of stores there lately that's NOT The Body Co. The skins are also sold in their inworld store, so you can go there and be sure.

While the person who talked with yo was nice and friendly, he/she still pass on stolen skins. They need to stop. You could send a IM and link to this...

[Amethyst Jetaime]

A search for The Body Shop shows 3 stores of this name.  One has no current in world location but the nature of the business wouldn't require one.  It is or was not a skin store, rather they sell/sold custom made shapes for "your" skin. Another is also a shape dealer on MP not a skin shop, the third only sells clothes no skins.

So the chances of those skins being legal are very slim to none and the story that they came from a closed store named The Body Shop is most likely a cover story to make them appear legit.  Frankly I've never seen a box of mixed skins that was legal.

If I were you I'd delete them all, and not waste any more of time with them.

[Marianne Little]

Here are the landmark to The Body Co. You enter an area with teleport to 3 stores, pick the middle one "The Mall".

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Destinations/235/234/23

 

Edit: And the Marketplace store. If you browse through the listings for Avatar Components you will see identical images and names of the same skins, sold by imposter stores. Sad. There is no control.  https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/105368?utf8=%E2%9C%93&search%5Blayout%5D=gallery&search%5Bcategory_id%5D=&search%5Bsort%5D=&search%5Bper_page%5D=96&search%5Bkeywords%5D=&search%5Bprice_low%5D=&search%5Bprice_high%5D=&search%5Bprim_count_low%5D=&search%5Bprim_count_high%5D=&search%5Bcopy_permission%5D=0&search%5Bmodify_permission%5D=0&search%5Btransfer_permission%5D=0

[Korrina1488312715]

Well that evidence is pretty conclusive. I'll delete them since it's wrong to use an artists stolen work. Thank you all for helping me. I'm glad I didn;t unwittingly end up using illegal stuff.