FORUM NOTICE FOLKS Read THIS NOW If You Don't Want to Be Scammed. READ!!

[Forum Boss]

PEOPLE WAKE UP!

NEVER EVER Use PayPal Friends and Family.
NEVER EVER Use PayPal Friends and Family.

If you use PayPal, it must be Goods and Service ONLY!!!!
Goods and Services has Buyer Protection.

NEVER Zelle -- NO buyer PROTECTION.

Be very wary of Google Pay, Apple Pay, and never use Bitcoin.

NEVER EVER do a deal without VOICE PHONE CALL!

ALWAYS INSIST on custom photos.

If a seller demands PayPal Friends and Family, or Venmo F&F, tell them NO DEAL!!!!!

It is 100% against the rules of this Forum to demand F&F, and I would say that there is about a 90% chance that someone demanding Zelle or Apple Pay is a scammer.

TWO FRAUDS This Week
This week we have seen two examples of a scammer who got into an old account, likely with a hacked password. One member lost $220 on brass the other lost $90 on a stock sale.

Two guys were ripped off.

The scam sellers used Forum accounts freerobert12 and Byron Tucker (it appears the same scammer for both accounts).

We believe it is the same scammer on both accounts -- selling brass and other products.

He left a phone in one PM to the buyer. I called that number and it appeared to forward to Africa or Pakistan based on accent.

Both freerobert12 and Byron Tucker used two different emails for PayPal:

The PayPal account listed for freerobert12 is: dragonunicorn39@gmail.com
That is shown as an email for a women named Stephanie Fleming or Stephanie Ritchie

There is another email: Jimbolost62@gmail.com
This shows it goes to Jim Bates in Oklahoma City, OK
The phone number linked to that email has been disconnected. We did find that email listed on a Zimbabwe tourist forum.

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These accounts had no posts for many years. And neither had any user feedback.

NOTE: While we are now blocking VPN and Proxies, this guy is somehow bouncing among a half dozen IPs. So the scammers have new tools.

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Another worrisome thing -- it appears the scammers are actually using a legitimate email -- or they are "spoofing" legitimate emails. Or they have created a PayPal account with a legit email and then sent the money to their own accounts.

You MUST Protect yourself.

If the seller has no posting history, be VERY Wary.

If the seller insists on electronic payment, ONLY use a system with buyer protection.

NEVER EVER do a deal without a VOICE PHONE CALL.
People for goodness sake DO WHAT I Say. Every single guy I know who was scammed here did NOT do a VOICE CALL.

 

[Forum Boss]

Another point -- Under our rules only current, active Gold or Silver members are allowed to respond to a WTB ad via PM or attempt to sell a product via PM.

If somebody sends you a PM attempting to sell something, CHECK THEIR Profile!!!!

If they are not a Gold or Silver member, notify Forum Boss immediately and I will ban their account.

Also... check their profiles. Be VERY Wary of any member without recent post history.

Ask for the guy's shooting club, ask for references, DEMAND custom photos.

For example, if the guy is selling a scope -- tell him to wrap a suit tie around the scope and put in on the dashboard of a car on top of a sheet of paper with a word of your choosing on the paper.

 

[Forum Boss]

What appears to be new and unusual is that the bad guys are listing emails in their PMs that apparently go to valid email accounts originally created by legitimate people.

But somehow these bad guys are setting up PayPal or Apple Pay or Zelle accounts with other people's emails.

Also these scammers appear to favor Forum accounts that haven't been used actively. We do have something which blocks accounts that have not logged in within a year, but if the scammers have completely hacked a computer or mobile device, they could still get in.

We see on this account that the bad guys typically turn off notifications so that the legit account holder doesn't know about the bad activities.

If you haven't changed your password in the last six months:

1. Run a Malware and anti-virus scan on your computer.
2. Consider NOT using a password manager on your phone -- some have been hacked.
2. Change the password for this Forum.

 

[steelhead king]

It never ends

 

[jelenko]

It never ends

Right. It's what they do for a living.

 

[Forum Boss]

I have discussed these latest hacks with security experts. It appears that the bad guys are using possible "innocent" third-party WiFi accounts to access the site, presumably from hacked computers. They are turning off the notifications so the actual Forum account holders won't know about name changes done by the hackers.

It is important that all members check their PM history to see if someone is posing as a legit member. We also recommend changing your Forum password every 6 months.

 

[K22]

My computer was hacked in 2021. I changed all my passwords and have virus software installed. But just as a precaution, if you see my username, i.e., K22, associated with any sale or purchase inquiry, it's a scam. I have never and will never purchase or sell anything on the forum.

 

[D-4297]

Thanks for all the info , Boss . I never skip reading these alerts for all the obvious reasons . And I don't sell items , or buy much either . Just trying to be aware .

 

[rijndael]

IMO, with so many people confusing profile posts with direct messages, where tons of PII is posted/leaked, this all so much easier.

Just look at this:

New profile posts

Names, cell phone numbers (for payment shenanigans), address .... it's all ripe for the picking. Heck, someone even posted the last 4 of their Visa card too, from a USPS receipt. And, their username is their full name.

Seriously ... it's long past time to shut it off.

 

[SteveOak]

I was the first to reply to the Lapua brass for $220 but I didn't like the messages I got from the seller, so I delayed. Then Forum Boss contacted me and told me to be careful. I never contacted the 'seller' nor heard from him again.