FORUM NOTICE PEOPLE WAKE UP -- READ THIS NOW!! For Goodness Sake, You Must Protect Yourself -- NO F&F -- ALWAYS VOICE CALL.

[Forum Boss]

PEOPLE -- YOU MUST WATCH OUT and BE CAREFUL!

OK, a hacker got into an account -- we are not sure how.

He sent a PM to a guy and sold him a Tubb Trigger for $200.00

The buyer did NOT make a phone call.
The buyer did NOT ask for a custom photo.
The buyer did NOT confirm the guy's name or location.
The buyer did NOT use a safe payment system.

He paid through PayPal Friends and Family -- which is Absolutely Forbidden on this site. Like wise Zelle, and Venmo F&F is Forbidden.

People, I have told you over and over again, you MUST protect yourself.

We have implemented a new Security system which should prospectively block access to all old accounts that haven't been used for two years.

But you still must protect yourself ALWAYS.

For the time being, I am imposing a rule -- NO non-upgraded seller may solicit ANY sale via PM.

If someone tries to do that, report it immediately to Forum Boss.

 

[ckaberna]

Thanks boss. I think it would be good with most members if “non paying” members were banned from buying/selling all together.

 

[Forum Boss]

And I would add to people thinking of buying an optic -- ANY optic.
Start with the assumption that the seller is a criminal.
Got that... Just as if someone on a street corner is trying to sell you a gold coin for five bucks.

Personally, I recommend you buy optics NEW from a reputable dealer.
If a used scope is for sale -- you must exercise EVERY POSSIBLE caution.

Again, you must BEGIN by assuming that ANY scope offer is a scam and the account may have been hacked.

Scopes are the favorite of the scammers as they can grab the images off gunbroker in seconds, and no FFL is required.

 

[Bill Norris]

Thanks boss. I think it would be good with most members if “non paying” members were banned from buying/selling all together.

I second that emotion. Would definitely make it harder for a hacker to do any business here.

 

[Eric73]

Thanks boss. I think it would be good with most members if “non paying” members were banned from buying/selling all together.

I agree…. I make it a habit to only buy from silver and gold members anyways.

 

[Forum Boss]

I can't seem to get it through to people that they MUST be cautious ALWAYS.

To be blunt, if a guy demands PayPal F&F or Zelle Payment, and won't get on the phone -- NOTIFY ME immediately and DON'T Pay a Penny.

I'm still not yet aware of ANYone who has lost money who actually picked up his telephone and called.

Think about that.

Be Wary.

And the rule now is NO non-Silver or Gold Member is allowed to send an unsolicited PM attempting to sell.
If you see that, notify me immediately and that account will be shut down permanently.

A non-upgraded member is still allowed to POST a response to a WTB thread. But no unsolicited Private Messages made outside of the thread.

 

[Chiquita]

I always ask for a specific picture.
For example:
Put a pen in a mug, put the mug in a pot with a glass of water outside. On a triangle piece of paper write AfAiK with a hand drawn red heart.

And/or do a video call.

I am still not out of the woods, the seller confirms the item, but may cash my check and never send the items.

Despite all the account hacks, some member (long time gold members), really get BENT OUT OF SHAPE when I ask my specific request.

They act like I touched their butt hole.

 

[grouse]

I agree…. I make it a habit to only buy from silver and gold members anyways.

Silver and gold member accounts can be hacked. This site needs multi factor authentication

Forum Boss: We do offer multi-factor authentication. Members can activate this via their settings control. Be sure you have a CURRENT viable email on your account first!!

 

[RSRains]

It's sad that this is the way of the world with just about anything today.

I have always been a hand shake kind of I guy, but the NGSOAB are trying to take control and it pisses me off!!!

Stay on your toe's boys and girls.

Thanks for the heads up, Boss!!!

 

[tred1956]

I can't seem to get it through to people that they MUST be cautious ALWAYS.

To be blunt, if a guy demands PayPal F&F or Zelle Payment, and won't get on the phone -- NOTIFY ME immediately and DON'T Pay a Penny.

I'm still not yet aware of ANYone who has lost money who actually picked up his telephone and called.

Think about that.

Be Wary.

And the rule now is NO non-Silver or Gold Member is allowed to send a PM attempting to sell.
If you see that, notify me immediately and that account will be shut down permanent

Thanks for all the reminders. We all get too complacent because we feel like we are a great big family. We appreciate what you do to helps us.
Safe shooting
Doug

 

[Riesel]

These scammers work off of one principle.............GREED, if it sounds too good...................

 

[dtalbot]

I can't seem to get it through to people that they MUST be cautious ALWAYS.

To be blunt, if a guy demands PayPal F&F or Zelle Payment, and won't get on the phone -- NOTIFY ME immediately and DON'T Pay a Penny.

I'm still not yet aware of ANYone who has lost money who actually picked up his telephone and called.

Think about that.

Be Wary.

And the rule now is NO non-Silver or Gold Member is allowed to send a PM attempting to sell.
If you see that, notify me immediately and that account will be shut down permanently.

FORUM Boss: You may still post a reply to a WTB ad IN THE THREAD. You do not have to pay a penny to do that.


Start with the assumption that the seller is a criminal.
Again, you must BEGIN by assuming that ANY scope offer is a scam and the account may have been hacked.
And the rule now is NO non-Silver or Gold Member is allowed to send a PM attempting to sell.
If you see that, notify me immediately and that account will be shut down permanently.

I've been a non-paying member here a quite number of years., here and on many other firearm related forums. Mainly buying, but I've sold here as well. That usually starts with replying to a WTB ad. Hey, I'd love to be a paying member, but at 70 years young, on a fixed income, and a member of some 20+ similar forums, I simply can't afford to be, here and on all the others. I use my name as my handle, here and on all those forums, GunBroker as well. I always leave feedback, and usually get feedback in return. You are correct in saying 'protect yourself'. Buying and selling in open forums for over 40 years with no issues, I protect myself.

FORUM Boss: You may still POST a reply to a WTB ad IN THE THREAD. You do not have to pay a penny to do that. FYI the price of a Silver membership works out to $2.50 per month. We are simply limiting Private Message offers. We are doing that because it is much harder for the Admins to track PMs and search for PMs.

I guess you've finally insulted me to the point that you won't have to worry about my presence here any longer. Good luck boys, if you think these new rules are going to protect you all, then you are sadly mistaken. Controlling sellers will not protect the buyers that jump to spend their cash.

 

[Andy Work]

TTT

 

[Slickrick0999]

The phone call is the way to go.
I'm old and it doesn't matter if I'm selling or buying, I always insist on a phone call.

 

[k80skeet]

I agree…. I make it a habit to only buy from silver and gold members anyways.

Even then you can get scammed. Need to call and talk to the person and get a custom picture. Like a dollar bill laying over the scope to prove he has the scope.

FORUM Boss: A post-it or even a bill can be substituted pretty easily with photoshop, and older, not-so-savvy guys can still get fooled. I recommend having something (such as a cord or belt) wrapped AROUND the object.

Then -- and this is critical -- ask the seller to put the item in a completely different location. For example -- take the scope out of the house and take a photo of it on the dashboard of a car.

 

[7br]

I’ve recently made it a habit to include my phone number in pm’s when buying or selling. I also read the other person’s buying/selling history to see if they’ve had dealings with members I’ve dealt with. Not foolproof, I know, but one more thing to check.

 

[Chiquita]

Remember, it is not the good reviews seller that you need to worry about. It's their account that can get hacked.

Also, zero review, low participation accounts, you have to do a video call, phone call special pictures.

I did a $$$$ purchase from a 1 review account. Turned out to be one of the best sellers on this site.

 

[Forum Boss]

We are learning that other Gun Forums are having similar issues right now. This, apparently, arises from persons using the same password on many Forums. One guy here had a simple 5-character password that he used on two dozen forums since 2010!

Sadly, it appears that other Forums were hacked and the passwords are now being distributed over the dark web. The accounts we are seeing problem with here have, typically, not be used since 2017.

I again urge ALL members to create a NEW Password. Be sure to WRITE IT DOWN, before you activate it.

I recommend a 10+ character password with upper and lower case and symbols. NOTE -- the updated password must NOT have your Forum "handle" in it.

-------------------

Again, to protect yourself, you must accept that ANY account may have been hacked minutes before your receive a PM or sale offer. You MUST exercise caution and ALWAYS insist on custom photos and VOICE PHONE CALL. If a gun sale is involved, we strongly recommend using an intermediary escrow service such as GunTab.com .

The scammers are focusing most on scopes, and now moving to fake brass and bullet sales.

Again, if the seller insists on Zelle, or ApplePay, or PayPal/Venmo Friends and Family, stay away. Get all the information you can (Seller name, physical address, email address, phone number) and forward that to Forum Boss.

 

[Lucky Shooter]

I've let some buying deals die by asking the seller to send me the item before I pay---some did
and some refused----probably good riddance.

The buying and selling history here is, in my opinion. a very good feature for forming a quick
assessment of a person's honesty and integrity.

I don't object to posts to enquire about my character if the seller needs more evidence---I have
nothing to hide. A few members know me pretty well.

This financial mini-jungle we operate in will always have some amount of risk and violation of trust.

I don't see anything to convince me that I should always pay first. I've never had any bad experiences
here, possibly because I didn't always pay first. If the seller is insulted by this, so be it.

We receive good guidance on self-protection but it'll always be our responsibility to make it happen.

Shoot'em good.

A. Weldy