SCAM Alert -- Everyone on this forum should read and heed

[Byobsob]

I’m a new guy to the forum but have been a lurker for sometime. I just registered so that I could consider purchasing a rifle but I to fear the scammers. Sorry for your loss. Even when ordering new I fear the scam.. They are all over bullet sales, powders and primers. If its to good to be true it probably isn’t. I just pre-ordered a new rifle from Euro-optic and hope I get it, supposedly september/October…never ordered from them but can’t find good 223’s anywhere

 

[CorbLand]

I'm going to say this. It needs to be said.

If you all foamed at the mouth less at the thought of getting something from someone else for WAY less than you should be---most of this would stop. Like full stop.

Scammers aren't going away. The ones doing it for firearm related stuff are outside of the BATFE's jurisdiction. Previously they did this exact same stuff in other forums that had nothing to do with firearms stuff. Like paintball for instance. You have to realize this scam for them isn't new. Its the same old, follow me for unbelievable deals down this alley in a foreign country. Keep going, it's only a little further....

Look at it this way. At least you didn't get stabbed and left bleeding in an alley in a foreign country...

It’s not always an unbelievable deal on the item. A lot of people get scammed for reasonably priced stuff. Scammers are getting smart and they know that the likelihood of getting caught/prosecuted is low.

 

[Hammer123]

Did you use anything you can dispute the payment on? That sucks man hope it gets worked out

 

[Mannsbuick]

Time to air the hate in my heart. This is a long post, but it’s therapeutic. Read and heed to see how I got duped by a scammer on the forum here, because I think there are lessons everyone should learn from this.

It pains me to say it, because I don’t want to give this guy credit, and I am 100% confident the keyboard warrior that scammed me is sitting here reading this right now from the other profiles he has developed on this site over the last several months. But he got me. I’m an educated guy in my late 30s, relatively tech savvy, that has successfully avoided getting scammed online I’d say dozens of times over the years.

I was contacted by this guy about my WTB ad Tuesday night. At this point, with what I have seen in the last few days and the rash of attempted scams utilizing WTB ads as the in, I would hope no one considers posting WTB ads any more because you are only inviting shit-stain scammers into your life. It’s also probably all the same guy pushing the button to use all the different profiles he has created at the same time because he knew that it would quickly raise the collective hackles on this forum for the use of WTB ads in general.

This guy opened a profile 6 months ago. He has engaged on the forum 23 times, including starting two threads that many of you replied to. Real, normal threads, like asking about tips to beat insomnia, and asking about graduation gifts for his son. He had a feedback rating from another username on the site. The pics of the optic he sent me could not be found anywhere else on the internet by Google Reverse Image Search. The name and email addresses provided for payment info did not yield anything by Google search. And as a hallmark of scammers we are all familiar with, this guy did not have awkward, difficult English, full of typos. It was normal, conversational American English with no red flags. In all his content on the forum dating back 6 months, as well as in his PMs to me. The picture he sent me of the scope with a sticky note showing the Wednesday’s date did not look photoshopped, even at high zoom.

So the scammers have gotten better. This is likely one profile of many this guy has developed and is still developing on this forum to convince you they are legit. There are no tell-tale signs of scam any more that used to make it easy to identify.

So what raised my hackles on this? On Wednesday, hours after I paid this guy, when McCrapper posted that he had just been contacted that day by a scammer as well with a picture of a rifle the scammer was supposedly selling that had a yellow sticky note with the date on it to show it was current and legit. Except in this picture the sticky note was more clearly photoshopped in, and also McCrapper was able to find the photos this scammer was using on another hunting forum classified ad from years ago. I also did not originally catch that the 1 feedback rating he had on the forum here was from another scam username that doesn’t even exist on the forum any more.

I asked moderators on this site to look into this guy’s profile, and their feedback is they had indications that this guy is a scammer from whatever it is they can see, his PM activity or log-in activity or whatever in addition to what I can see. I then asked the seller to FaceTime me to show he was legit, and they have since gone radio silent and stopped logging into their account. They are gone like a fart in the wind.

So good job man. You got me. There is no getting my money back because my initial attempt to pay with Venmo froze my account for the fact that I was attempting to pay for something firearm related, so I then paid with Zelle. That's on me. $500 from a fixed-income, single-income family active duty military guy. Who now doesn’t have the funds to purchase another scope, setting me back for an unknown amount of time to get out and hunt. But enough sob story. **** you, Rokslide username “Sky.” I know you’re reading this from another scam username, so I hope you get cancer and your dick rots off.

 

[fwafwow]

I’m so sorry about this OP.

I’m also very skeptical when I buy, and even when I sell. I’m a member of a FB group - EDC GO or NOGO - which identifies scammers and provides ways for members to vouch for legit folks, mostly involving knife deals. The ways in which people are scamming is mind blowing - shipping boxes filled with junk, claiming something arrived with the purchased item stolen by the USPS, etc. It made me paranoid enough that I did a BeenVerified search on a possible RS buyer which, in addition to some other things, made me pass. As the mod of the EDC site says - there is no G&S or insurance that will fully protect you in a deal. If you buy, or sell, do your due diligence, and trust your gut.

 

[HighDesertDad]

It’s not always an unbelievable deal on the item. A lot of people get scammed for reasonably priced stuff. Scammers are getting smart and they know that the likelihood of getting caught/prosecuted is low.

Indeed. The scammer who replied to my WTB ad offered them at a reasonable (believable) price.

 

[66kodiak]

I tend to think these are over seas operations that run like call centers just running scams all day everyday because they are on every forum not just here. I doubt it’s a some guy sitting at his keyboard.

 

[bow_dozer]

As buyer i offer to handle the shipping. This let’s me get their name, address and email. Not saying this is fool proof, but for big ticket items it has worked for me. PayPal is very good about protecting the buyer with G&S.

 

[NDGuy]

While everyone is in here, anyone have any good elk pins to share?

 

[Outdoors42]

Unfortunately the internet has opened the flood gates to lazy pieces of shits. who thrive off taking from others. Gods got a place for them.

 

[CorbLand]

While everyone is in here, anyone have any good elk pins to share?

Theres always a few here

 

[NDGuy]

Theres always a few here

Thank you this is exactly what I was looking for. Love Rokslide!

 

[bohica17]

Been a lot of this over on snipershide. I made an account after two or three years of google searches and reading on here. Wanted to buy a pair of FL pants made a profile and had to wait get my posts and the whole time these fuckers make it hard for anyone (on any forum) to trust the new guy. Yellow sticky note been used a lot lately on the hide.

 

[PRC_GUY]

I am sorry that you was scammed, this is sucks , I was scammed from Hunttalk , I learn my lesson

 

[RealMuddyboots]

First scammers are getting extremely creative. They are now copying user photos from other forums to imply it is the same person. So you see this user ID, see the excellent profile and you feel warm and fuzzy. NO! Scammers know the desperation and feed off it. My profile was copied off LRH, created on HT, scammed fellas there. Randy confirmed this POS was scammer and was banned ASAP. I was given heads up by quite a few HT guys I know.

So DO NOT ASSUME A PROFILE FROM A DIFFERENT FORUM IS SAME PERSON!!!!

Don't let your desperation over ride common sense!

I still prefer USPS Money Order for less than $1,000 purchases. You will have a name and address on it. The cashing will have ID associated with it. USPS becomes part of your protection as well. I don't feel its a big deal to get one for the protection it provides. If someone will not accept good old USPS Money Order for the purchase, you have your answer upfront. If some will not give you name and address for a money order you know the reason.

 

[RealMuddyboots]

Forgot to add: be careful how much personal info you lay out there in your profile, change up your avatar or starting to think, no avatar might be best. Don't use your real name is obvious to most, minimize signing with your first name no matter how friendly you are with other guys. Periodically search for your profile to see if it is showing up in new forum.

 

[Winnie]

How do you search to see if your profile is on another forum?

Also it would be nice to switch from defense to offense. Maybe we should all post a few WTB ads and scam the scammers!!

I want to buy some ammo and am scared to death of buying from anyone other than a well known retailer.

 

[Shraggs]

If I had the gauntlet with the 5 stones I would vaporize these ________ ers.

 

[EastHumboldt]

While everyone is in here, anyone have any good elk pins to share?

I’m pretty sure these are genuine elk antlers. She responded to a WTB ad I posted. I didn’t buy anything, just gave her a bunch of money for no particular reason That I could put my finger on.

 

[fwafwow]

I’m pretty sure these are genuine elk antlers. She responded to a WTB ad I posted. I didn’t buy anything, just gave her a bunch of money for no particular reason That I could put my finger on.

Purely for concern over my and other members’ financial safety, what’s her Insta?