Scammers are getting worse !

[Westex]

I know want to buy is a scam waiting to happen ! The scammers are dang smart ! Also pieces of crap! I posted want to buy on another forum and within minutes had a text on my phone telling me he had exactly the stock I need ! I ask him I we had done business before and how he got my number ! He said it was on my profile . I never put my phone number on my profile ! Red flag ! Then ask I asked again he said was on one of my post . I ask him what his name was on forum and he told me and I looked and it was legit but almost like he was using someone else’s profile ! Anyway why would he text instead of responding with PM or direct on forum . I sent text back to him today and no response to busy scamming ! Just be careful out there ! They are getting smart ! Ok

 

[hogpatrol]

When posting a WTB, I state that I will call you about the item. This usually blows off the scammer but if they go through with it, a couple choice questions and it's pretty easy to tell if they're legit.

 

[338 Mollett]

A good give away is their accent !!

 

[snert]

Nigerian Prince gets 10 Billion from addled Elderly President....

 

[Kracken McGraw]

There’s the text deal going around that something you have ordered is held up at customs and you need to respond. Don’t touch anything that you don’t recognize.

 

[Knotwild]

I think we are getting smarter too. Just go by the moto anonymity won't fly.

 

[Forum Boss]

People Follow these Rules ALWAYS.

1. NEVER Ever Buy anything without Custom Photos (new location and something touching the item -- and NOT just a piece of paper with your name -- they can fake that with AI now.)

2. NEVER Ever Buy anything without a VOICE PHONE CALL.

Got that? VOICE -- See you pick up the PHONE and TALK. With your VOICE.

I do not know a single member who got scammed who actually made a VOICE PHONE CALL.

3. Unsolicited Offers are likely to be scams. If someone you don't know sends you an unsolicited sales offer via text or email, start with the assumption that you are being scammed.

With the online databases they can likely find your name, address, and telephone number on the web. Certainly do NOT put your email address or phone in posts on any Forum.

Suggestion -- If ANYone contacted me with an unsolicited sales offer via text or phone I would not respond at all and I would blacklist their email and phone number.

And if there was a seller that required payment via PayPal Friends and Family (F&F)or Venmo F&F or Zelle or Apple Cash or Google Pay, I would say "forget it". It is 100% against the rules to use F&F for ANY sale on this Forum.

You CAN use PayPal Goods and Services with FEEs to buy/sell products other than guns and ammo and some other firearms parts. I would not use PayPal to sell "bullets" or "powder" as that will probably be interpreted as ammo. And yes folks, a rifle action, even by itself, is considered a firearm.

 

[hogpatrol]

Another scam is when they PM with "My buddy has one he wants to sell. Here's his email".

 

[CaptainMal]

I just got taken on a game camera. Was on the Spypoint site looking at getting one of their solar powered ones. There was an ad for one at $130. It was on their site. I figured it was a new model and took a deal for two of them.

Should have been spooked by having to send the credit card to "Voyagear" and not Spypoint. Two cameras came in that are absolute crap. They will gladly return and refund for them but I have to pay to ship them to an address in China. They go to someone named ... Grace FU.

FU - got it?

Their ad was somehow inside the Spypoint ad. I talked with Spypoint and they are clueless. Beware even if you are in a reputable companies ad.

 

[Steve K]

I had a Remington 40X for sale on Guns America and received an email stating "i want buy you gun i police you send gun i send check for more and you send rest to me". The email came form the UK.

 

[TTE]

perhaps if you include in your post(s) - ' Will not respond to text messages or phone calls ' ..... maybe ?

 

[M-61]

I wonder what percentage of contributors on this site are contributors strictly for the classifieds?
Seems the time and effort the forum boss spends on policing that section is crazy high. However if a large percentage is here strictly for the classifieds I assume it is worth it.

 

[Kracken McGraw]

I wonder what percentage of contributors on this site are contributors strictly for Selling in the classifieds?

 

[Larry Koch]

Thank Joe for letting the gate wide open.

 

[Hengehold]

On another shooting forum today I had a fake WTS add posted with my account in the classifieds. It included a pic of the chronograph and a business card with my profile name written on it in the picture.

 

[ben lurkin]

Even #1 can be a scam. Asked for some custom photos and received them. A close look revealed they were photoshopped. Check out any photos very carefully. I expect someone really good with photoshop could pull off hard to detect fakes if you are not careful.

Forum Boss: With a custom photo request, insist that something be placed AROUND the merchandise (such as a silk tie), ask for something else in the photo (such as a hat), and demand that the photo be placed in a different location entirely (such as the dashboard as a car).

Do NOT trust a request to "put a piece of paper with [your] name on it". The scammers can use AI now to to that very convincingly.

I would also add that I really recommend buying ANY optics NEW for a multitude of reasons.

 

[Kracken McGraw]

The USPS and other unable to deliver your packages texts have been pretty prevalent the last couple of days. Don’t respond, definitely scams.

 

[Kracken McGraw]

I got a notification from Hornady(through their app) warning of scams taking place using their brand name. They said to be sure to only deal with them on the official site.

 

[Forum Boss]

OK, we just had another case were an older member posted a WTB advert for brass and then got ripped off by responding to a scammer's phone text.

FIRST BIG MISTAKE
The WTB poster put his full name, email, and PHONE NUMBER in the WTB advert.

A legit member then said he had the wanted brass.

Next, a scammer sent a TEXT to the poster's phone number. The scammer claimed to be the legit seller of the brass. Then the WTB poster apparently sent out a Money Order to the scammer.

Folks -- you MUST be aware that there are scammers who read posts.

1. The buyer did NOT make a VOICE CALL!

2. The buyer did NOT double check the area code from the scammer!

3. The buyer sent out a money order without confirming that the address was the actual address of the seller.

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

PEOPLE, I am tired of telling people over and over and over again you MUST be careful.
If you receive an unsolicited text on your phone you MUST presume it is sent by a criminal.

You must insist on a custom photo to verify the seller has the goods.

If You Get a TEXT offering a sale, do NOT respond until you verify with the actual seller (registered Forum member) that HE sent the text.

 

[Dan-Schenk]

I wonder what percentage of contributors on this site are contributors strictly for the classifieds?
Seems the time and effort the forum boss spends on policing that section is crazy high. However if a large percentage is here strictly for the classifieds I assume it is worth it.

While that’s what caused me to start, I stuck around because of everyone else. Also, just realized I’m expired.