I got scammed :(

[BlackPowderGuy (AJHS)]

So, I got scammed out of $150 here yesterday. Fault is mine, of course, but I thought I’d share some thoughts and lessons I take from this.

Quick facts: I posted a “Want to Buy” message for a Lyman Deerstalker in the classifieds. I got a PM from a member who claimed to have one. He included pics of the lock, the whole gun etc. Made references to bore pitting, corrosion etc...stuff that sounds "Muzzleloadery". Claimed that it was just lying around and it deserved to be used… In other words, said all the right things. The member did have nearly 20 posts…some were generic, a couple were engaged with ML. We negotiated over price, over the split between now and delivery. I asked for an got a full name and address. I sent the money via Zelle.

As I reflected on the transaction, some things began to feel wrong. When I searched the address he sent, it turned out to be a vacant lot…a little more digging and it turned out that the gun had been sold with the same pics nearly two years ago.

OK, so lessons:

1.Posting an “I want to buy” is an invitation for a scam.
2.If you ARE going to use that, maybe best to limit the transactions to those than can be local pick up drop off?
3. Before sending a dime, ask for pictures of the item with the current date handwritten on a note next to them with the sellers own name written as well.
4.Check the posting history of the member carefully. A long standing member with a thousand posts and deep into muzzleloading…probably less like to scam.
5. If ANYTHING feels off about the transaction, call it off.

Anybody have other suggestions? Local pickup etc only is really limiting for the kinds of things we are looking to trade in.
I really do blame myself, and the administrators responded very promptly to my reporting.

I will exercise far greater caution in the future…this is a wonderful community and it is so unfortunate that people take advantage.

 

[SuperKirby]

I feel your pain. Literally the exact same thing happened to me on a different site. Only difference is I thought I was buying an Encore frame. Only thing that Gave it away was after I sent the money through PayPal I got a receipt that said I just sent money to somebody with a totally different name than I’d been dealing with, something very “foreign.” Paypal of course was no help but fortunately my card refunded the money. All the conversation was good, the pics were good, even sent a picture of the serial number. He just never owned the gun.

I thought I was smarter than that. It was a kick in the pants for sure.

 

[HHI6818]

Sorry to hear you got scammed. Real low life’s are always trying to scam honest people. I live on accurate shooter and after a few scams forum boss posted this on classifieds. Good advice

WARNING!! -- NEVER USE PAYPAL, ZELLE, VENMO for GUNS & AMMO -- NEVER use PAYPAL Friends & Family for any purchase!! NEVER SEND Money without VOICE CALL and Custom Photos -- VERIFY, VERIFY!!!!!!

 

[gle3105]

I’ve mentioned before. One can use “Whitepages” to verify address. It’s been helpful for me. Have them give an address. Google map it. Check the sellers address at the county’s tax record. Which pretty much is online everywhere.
No phone number?
No physical address?
Zelle, Venmo or such payment only.
Just a web contact only?
Well you know the answer then already.

I had a person wanting to buy some 10mm brass I had advertised locally.
He was in Arkansas. I’m in the Shenandoah Valley ,WV. I thought “forgetaboutit“. He replied again kind of pissed off wondering if I was going to sell. I got the contact info and used the info above to verify. Sure enough
found on tax records. Showed Real Estate & Personal Property (vehicles) .
I saw the tax listed vehicles on the Google Map with the property as well!
So I bit. It was legit.

Now I can offer this lookup service to any MML member. Service Fee being BH 209,
209 primers, 45 1/20 Knight barrel……..

All kidding aside the saying “If it’s too good to be true,…..

 

[ourway77]

Lately it seems there are more and more of these low life out there

 

[Retiredusn]

I just wonder if you ask for a COD transaction if this would expose the Scammer?

 

[ourway77]

If you did you probably will never hear from him again There are different way scammers use they ask for a POMO and have it sent to some address they have no idea who lives there they check the mailbox when they think it should be delivered if the real owner gets to the mailbox before they do they tell the owner of the mailbox that the sender put the wrong address on the envelope and they show a license with their name on it Or they have the POMO sent to a person they know and they pay that person a percentage they work hand in hand another way they do they ask you to put a mo in a priority envelope and ask when it is supposed to arrive and they wait If it seem to good to be true it is No matter how bad you want something don't fall victim

 

[toytruck]

Are we going to find out who this person is/was or are they already gone from MML? I also go to the sister site an others, would be very helpful to know. They probably would just change their handle, but still good to know...

 

[Smyrnagc]

They have been banned from MML. Went by the forum name of Goody.

 

[toytruck]

Thank you!!

 

[deermanok]

Seems like most people get scammed by ISO/Wanted type adds. I'm sorry that such things happen. Gotta be careful who you trust.

 

[ourway77]

I trust my wife sometime I wonder about her LOL

 

[deermanok]

I trust my wife sometime I wonder about her LOL

 

[toytruck]

I trust my wife sometime I wonder about her LOL

Just remember she picked you also....

 

[BlackPowderGuy (AJHS)]

Sorry to hear you got scammed. Real low life’s are always trying to scam honest people. I live on accurate shooter and after a few scams forum boss posted this on classifieds. Good advice

WARNING!! -- NEVER USE PAYPAL, ZELLE, VENMO for GUNS & AMMO -- NEVER use PAYPAL Friends & Family for any purchase!! NEVER SEND Money without VOICE CALL and Custom Photos -- VERIFY, VERIFY!!!!!!

What form of payment then can you use for these kind of transactions?

 

[deermanok]

Postal money orders are probably a good choice, I think.

 

[Boone]

Item #3 is something I'm started having on another forum. This paper with member name and date on it should at least cut down to scams.

Also, please don't respond to a new person sending you a message saying "a friend has this just email or call, xxxxxxxx) That is a PM scam going around. We have taken some steps to cut down on that . That's why the glitch in the system today (I'm sorry for the glitch).

 

[01Foreman400]

I see good standing members with great feedback being hacked almost daily now on other forums. The whole picture with name and date is being scammed as well. They are getting pretty good at photoshop. Personally I talk on the phone with the person.

 

[eekjellander]

Like I said the way to avoid this is tell the seller ,go to an FFL and I will pay the cost of the FFL inspecting condition sending the gun and receiving payment . Address /phone and an actual seller to converse with ! Costly maybe but getting what you payed for (and want) priceless ! It happened same story but telling the seller this ,got I'll have to get back to you Monday . Guess I should have asked which Monday /year ?/Ed

 

[Boonechaser]

So, I got scammed out of $150 here yesterday. Fault is mine, of course, but I thought I’d share some thoughts and lessons I take from this.

Quick facts: I posted a “Want to Buy” message for a Lyman Deerstalker in the classifieds. I got a PM from a member who claimed to have one. He included pics of the lock, the whole gun etc. Made references to bore pitting, corrosion etc...stuff that sounds "Muzzleloadery". Claimed that it was just lying around and it deserved to be used… In other words, said all the right things. The member did have nearly 20 posts…some were generic, a couple were engaged with ML. We negotiated over price, over the split between now and delivery. I asked for an got a full name and address. I sent the money via Zelle.

As I reflected on the transaction, some things began to feel wrong. When I searched the address he sent, it turned out to be a vacant lot…a little more digging and it turned out that the gun had been sold with the same pics nearly two years ago.

OK, so lessons:

1.Posting an “I want to buy” is an invitation for a scam.
2.If you ARE going to use that, maybe best to limit the transactions to those than can be local pick up drop off?
3. Before sending a dime, ask for pictures of the item with the current date handwritten on a note next to them with the sellers own name written as well.
4.Check the posting history of the member carefully. A long standing member with a thousand posts and deep into muzzleloading…probably less like to scam.
5. If ANYTHING feels off about the transaction, call it off.

Anybody have other suggestions? Local pickup etc only is really limiting for the kinds of things we are looking to trade in.
I really do blame myself, and the administrators responded very promptly to my reporting.

I will exercise far greater caution in the future…this is a wonderful community and it is so unfortunate that people take advantage.

I didn’t read through everyone’s post but just so you know, they are very good at photoshopping notes with dates and names, now too!
but I had a similar instance a month or so ago, on this board. But generally they are very lazy and if you search the item your looking to buy, they’ll use the first or second pics that come up in google.
I got a call a couple weeks back from a guy in Iowa because someone was using pics of a barrel that I sold and he happened to find one with my phone number attached. I told him I sold it to a guy in Arizona and gave him his name. But the guy actually sent a photo that had a piece of paper with his name and date include. I found the original pic without the paper in it, on GB. It looked very legit. So I dont trust that any longer, either.