Heads Up on Scammers

[Joe_K]

I posted a WTB ad in the Optics classifieds and within 24 hours I had two offers both of which were scams.

I fell for one of them unfortunately. Thankfully my bank is helping me out and allowing me to dispute the charge for a full refund.

Here’s the scammers info.
Scammer #1:
Rokslide Username: mzurovec (Deleted)
“Name”: David Thomson
Email: [email protected] (should’ve been my first or second clue)
Phone #’s:
(972) 454-0193 (Dallas, TX)
(210) 319-6695 (San Antonio, TX) Goes to an African guy claiming to be a Wells Fargo Zelle specialist.

Scammer #2:
Rokslide Username: dzhunt (Deleted)
“Name”: Todd Reed
Email: [email protected]
Address: 2011 Queens Highway Kerhonkson, NY 12446

Both of the Scammers used the following strategy:
They created a free Rokslide user account, post a bunch of random posts, then wait for a WTB post to pop up.
Send a DM claiming to have what the OP is looking for, then swap comms over to a free burner email, or a burner phone.
Decline to take or give a phone call.
Send an edited photo of the scope or item someone wants to buy.
Quote the OP a reasonable price, wait for the money to be sent, receive it and keep it. When the Zelle transfer showed completed Scammer #1 claimed it hadn’t came through and I needed to resend and I would get a refund for the first payment. I knew it was a scam at that point. The guy even had a buddy, or himself with a different # text me the following:


First time this has happened to me online, I shouldn’t have been so careless.

Scammer #2 has had issues on at least one other shooting/firearms/hunting type blog. I’m not a member there so I can’t login to see the entire thread, but here’s a screenshot:


Be careful out there and don’t be a dummy like I was.

 

[Megalodon]

Never post a WTB ad. They are beacons for this type of thing. Also don't post in FS threads that you've PM'd or anything similar.

 

[Joe_K]

Never post a WTB ad. They are beacons for this type of thing. Also don't post in FS threads that you've PM'd or anything similar.

Agreed.

 

[7mm-08]

CorbLand's post "Reduce the chance of getting scammed," which is a permanent, recurring post in the Classifieds is a good place to start!

 

[atmat]

I posted a WTB ad in the Optics classifieds and within 24 hours I had two offers both of which were scams.

I fell for one of them unfortunately. Thankfully my bank is helping me out and allowing me to dispute the charge for a full refund.

Here’s the scammers info.
Scammer #1:
Rokslide Username: mzurovec (Deleted)
“Name”: David Thomson
Email: [email protected] (should’ve been my first or second clue)
Phone #’s:
(972) 454-0193 (Dallas, TX)
(210) 319-6695 (San Antonio, TX) Goes to an African guy claiming to be a Wells Fargo Zelle specialist.

Scammer #2:
Rokslide Username: dzhunt (Deleted)
“Name”: Todd Reed
Email: [email protected]
Address: 2011 Queens Highway Kerhonkson, NY 12446

Both of the Scammers used the following strategy:
They created a free Rokslide user account, post a bunch of random posts, then wait for a WTB post to pop up.
Send a DM claiming to have what the OP is looking for, then swap comms over to a free burner email, or a burner phone.
Decline to take or give a phone call.
Send an edited photo of the scope or item someone wants to buy.
Quote the OP a reasonable price, wait for the money to be sent, receive it and keep it. When the Zelle transfer showed completed Scammer #1 claimed it hadn’t came through and I needed to resend and I would get a refund for the first payment. I knew it was a scam at that point. The guy even had a buddy, or himself with a different # text me the following:
View attachment 873477

First time this has happened to me online, I shouldn’t have been so careless.

Scammer #2 has had issues on at least one other shooting/firearms/hunting type blog. I’m not a member there so I can’t login to see the entire thread, but here’s a screenshot:

View attachment 873476
Be careful out there and don’t be a dummy like I was.

Lol asking you to send the payment twice was gutsy and clever.

 

[Joe_K]

These guys get around. https://www.africahunting.com/threads/need-375-ruger-brass.90576/page-2#post-1384772

 

[Joe_K]

CorbLand's post "Reduce the chance of getting scammed," which is a permanent, recurring post in the Classifieds is a good place to start!

Thread 'Reduce the chance of getting scammed'

Feb 23, 2024

I have been hesitant to post anything like this for a couple reasons. 1. I am not the authority on this subject, but I have been around the block a time or two buying/selling for over 15 years on the internet. 2. Scammers read stuff like this and learn from it. But I have watched a lot of people get scammed here and quite a few are avoidable.

With that, here are some things that you can watch for

• If you post a WTB thread, you have to be on your game. These are scam magnets. Scammers search for these specifically and they magically have exactly what you are looking for.
• If they...

• CorbLand
• Replies: 44
• Forum: Rokslide Classifieds

• 

Will do!

 

[Joe_K]

Never post a WTB ad. They are beacons for this type of thing. Also don't post in FS threads that you've PM'd or anything similar.

What’s the downside of posting PM sent?

 

[svivian]

WTB ads shouldnt even be an option. The odds of someone having something expensive laying around for someone to post a WTB ad is slim to none. Just search the WTS ads. Posting a WTB ad is also not going to score you a deal. And when someone just offers to "give" something away at a price too good to be true, come on. Just my .02

Id love to know the conversion rate on WTB ads for items that weren't already posted for sale. Id wager the scam to successful transaction ratio is 9 to 1.

 

[intunegp]

What’s the downside of posting PM sent?

It lets the scammers know you are interested in purchasing whatever item/items are posted.

 

[Megalodon]

What’s the downside of posting PM sent?

I've seen it on other forums where they will impersonate the actual seller.

So you post, PM'd, or I'll take it, or Dibs, etc. and the seller is ElkLOVER.

Then the scammer creates a fake similar profile name. EIkL0VER... the L in Elk is actually a capital i, the O is a zero etc. They PM you first on their own and get payment.

 

[FlyGuy]

That’s good info.

My acct got hacked last year by a scammer and multiple people on here got taken. Rokslide shut it down quickly but unfortunately too late for some. I don’t think this happens all too often, but it would be hard to not fall for it when the scammer is using a legitimate WKR acct with years of activity. I do think they targeted WTB posts in my case. I’d never thought about it before now, but it gives them the ability to hit multiple targets very quickly before they get busted; as opposed to random listings waiting on buyers. I just got my acct reactivated about a week ago and I’m happy to be back and participating again.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

I'm sorry you got scammed but I am baffled how folks keep getting taken by obvious scams. If you are gonna post a WTB be ready to weed through the garbage and extremely suspect of anyone new, doesn't take paypal goods/service, won't verify themselves in a way that makes you comfortable, etc.

There was a facebook sale page I tried to be helpful pointing out obvious scammers (SO many) but day after day folks would send money to these obviously fake profiles in unprotected ways, I just couldn't handle the idiocy involved in folks continually getting scammed by new profiles with no/few friends and all back dated posts which showed the profile was just created. Then the victim actually thinking the name on the profile was a person in the US to be mad at (when they were obviously a faked / spoofed profile) and thinking banning that profile would solve things (helps) when another just pops up and folks never learned to spot the obvious. I stopped following that page cause the line of people with a fork in hand ready to stick it in the wall outlet with a crayon sketched steak over it was too tiring.

 

[fngTony]

I'm sorry you got scammed but I am baffled how folks keep getting taken by obvious scams. If you are gonna post a WTB be ready to weed through the garbage and extremely suspect of anyone new, doesn't take paypal goods/service, won't verify themselves in a way that makes you comfortable, etc.

There was a facebook sale page I tried to be helpful pointing out obvious scammers (SO many) but day after day folks would send money to these obviously fake profiles in unprotected ways, I just couldn't handle the idiocy involved in folks continually getting scammed by new profiles with no/few friends and all back dated posts which showed the profile was just created. Then the victim actually thinking the name on the profile was a person in the US to be mad at (when they were obviously a faked / spoofed profile) and thinking banning that profile would solve things (helps) when another just pops up and folks never learned to spot the obvious. I stopped following that page cause the line of people with a fork in hand ready to stick it in the wall outlet with a crayon sketched steak over it was too tiring.

I used to do the same thing on those pages. I had one of my ads pulled down because I didn’t put a note in there with my name and I didn’t realize that was a requirement which is understandable. When I talk to the admin about it, and he explained it but then I tried to explain how that was an old method and doesn’t really carry much weight these days and he was not listening to me. After that, I left all those Facebook selling groups if the people who run them aren’t at least going to be open minded to staying up on scam prevention then it is not worth the risk to me.

 

[survivalistd]

There should be an open season on scammers!!

 

[doc holiday13]

A new way of protecting yourself, request a photo of said item with todays date and their username written on a piece of paper and featured in the photo of the item

 

[Joe_K]

A new way of protecting yourself, request a photo of said item with todays date and their username written on a piece of paper and featured in the photo of the item

That’s exactly what these scammers did. Super easy to fake.

 

[Joe_K]

I'm sorry you got scammed but I am baffled how folks keep getting taken by obvious scams. If you are gonna post a WTB be ready to weed through the garbage and extremely suspect of anyone new, doesn't take paypal goods/service, won't verify themselves in a way that makes you comfortable, etc.

There was a facebook sale page I tried to be helpful pointing out obvious scammers (SO many) but day after day folks would send money to these obviously fake profiles in unprotected ways, I just couldn't handle the idiocy involved in folks continually getting scammed by new profiles with no/few friends and all back dated posts which showed the profile was just created. Then the victim actually thinking the name on the profile was a person in the US to be mad at (when they were obviously a faked / spoofed profile) and thinking banning that profile would solve things (helps) when another just pops up and folks never learned to spot the obvious. I stopped following that page cause the line of people with a fork in hand ready to stick it in the wall outlet with a crayon sketched steak over it was too tiring.

I should’ve seen the signs, but was in a rush and just wanted to buy what I was after. Being in a rush is often a weakness. That’s on me.

 

[MuleyFever]

A new way of protecting yourself, request a photo of said item with todays date and their username written on a piece of paper and featured in the photo of the item

Actually, that's the old way. Way to easy to fake with todays photo editing options.

 

[sreg8]

I posted a WTB ad in the Optics classifieds and within 24 hours I had two offers both of which were scams.

I fell for one of them unfortunately. Thankfully my bank is helping me out and allowing me to dispute the charge for a full refund.

Here’s the scammers info.
Scammer #1:
Rokslide Username: mzurovec (Deleted)
“Name”: David Thomson
Email: [email protected] (should’ve been my first or second clue)
Phone #’s:
(972) 454-0193 (Dallas, TX)
(210) 319-6695 (San Antonio, TX) Goes to an African guy claiming to be a Wells Fargo Zelle specialist.

Scammer #2:
Rokslide Username: dzhunt (Deleted)
“Name”: Todd Reed
Email: [email protected]
Address: 2011 Queens Highway Kerhonkson, NY 12446

Both of the Scammers used the following strategy:
They created a free Rokslide user account, post a bunch of random posts, then wait for a WTB post to pop up.
Send a DM claiming to have what the OP is looking for, then swap comms over to a free burner email, or a burner phone.
Decline to take or give a phone call.
Send an edited photo of the scope or item someone wants to buy.
Quote the OP a reasonable price, wait for the money to be sent, receive it and keep it. When the Zelle transfer showed completed Scammer #1 claimed it hadn’t came through and I needed to resend and I would get a refund for the first payment. I knew it was a scam at that point. The guy even had a buddy, or himself with a different # text me the following:
View attachment 873477

First time this has happened to me online, I shouldn’t have been so careless.

Scammer #2 has had issues on at least one other shooting/firearms/hunting type blog. I’m not a member there so I can’t login to see the entire thread, but here’s a screenshot:

View attachment 873476
Be careful out there and don’t be a dummy like I was.

I just put a wtb ad and was contacted by phone number 972-454-0193 and he said his name was Randy Freedman from Boerne, TX. He would only take Apple Pay or Zelle and the phone number he gave for Zelle was 813-716-3848.
I'm glad I saw your post and thought I would extend your warning to others.
Stay safe