How to Check If a Reddit Account Is Safe Before You Buy: Flags, Bans & Red Flags

Here is an uncomfortable truth about the Reddit account market: most "verified" accounts are never verified at all. Sellers screenshot a profile page and call it a day. But a profile screenshot cannot show a shadowban, a suspension history, or a spam flag - the three problems that ruin accounts within days of purchase.

This guide shows you exactly what to check, including tests you can run yourself in under five minutes.

1. The shadowban test (do this first)

A shadowbanned account looks completely normal to the owner - posts appear, votes count - but nobody else can see anything. It is the most dangerous hidden defect in the market.

How to check:

1. Ask the seller to make a test post in r/Test or r/shadowban and share the URL
2. Open that URL logged out (or in a private window)
3. If the post shows 404 or "removed," the account is shadowbanned - walk away

Bonus check: visit the profile page logged out. A normal profile loads the karma and trophy case; a banned one shows a 404 page.

2. Suspension history

Permanent suspensions are visible to anyone - the profile is simply gone. Temporary suspensions are not publicly marked, so this is where seller honesty matters. Ask directly: "has this account ever received a suspension notice, even a 3-day one?" A seller with real inventory management will know. We log standing checks for every account in our stock.

3. Spam flags

Accounts flagged by Reddit’s spam filter have every post automatically removed - even years later. Signs of a flagged account: the owner says posts get "0 views," or previous posts show removed-by-spam markers. The test post in step 1 reveals this too, since spam-flagged posts get removed instantly.

4. Email access - the ownership question

This is not a "nice to have," it is the whole ballgame. The email is the key to the account. Requirements for real ownership:

• Login credentials to the original email address (not a screenshot, actual access)
• OR a verified recovery email that you set yourself before payment completes
• No "we will change the email for you later" - you have no proof that ever happens

5. Karma authenticity

Scroll the comment history. Legitimate karma shows organic patterns: replies to specific comments, conversations that span multiple messages, varied subreddits. Botted karma shows the same three-phrase templates repeated hundreds of times. If the history reads like a broken robot, the karma is worthless - and the account is a ban waiting to happen.

6. Red flags in the seller

• Refuses to show the account before payment ("trust me bro")
• No warranty, no support channel, no review history
• Payment only via irreversible methods (crypto, gift cards) on the first deal
• Account price 80% below market - there is always a reason
• Copy-paste descriptions with generic screenshots

Our 12-point verification (so you don’t have to do all this)

Every account listed at Osrs Gamer passes a manual process before it ever reaches the shop:

1. Creation date verified on-profile
2. Karma breakdown checked (post vs comment)
3. Logged-in test post in r/Test to confirm visibility
4. Logged-out profile check (shadowban scan)
5. Comment history reviewed for bot patterns
6. Email access confirmed with the seller of the account
7. Recovery options verified
8. 2FA status checked
9. Active sessions reviewed and cleared
10. Subreddit participation mapped for relevance
11. Standing / suspension history recorded
12. Delivery credentials prepared with full access

And because verification can still miss edge cases, every order carries a 7-day replacement warranty. Safe buying is not about luck - it is about process.