SCAM ALERT

[Whaledriver]

Heads up on a fairly elaborate scam. I posted "message sent" to an item in the classifieds. I get a text message saying "this is username from rokslide, yes item is still available, send me shipping info" I reply how did you get the number? He claimed I bought something before from him. Interesting, I am thinking. Try to call them and it just rings. Then I ask for Venmo. It didnt match name I looked up for phone. Then I asked for PayPal, now another name. I kept the comms going to get the "address" for a USPS money order. Bottom line is I used my number on a post back in 2017. Scammer looked it up to tried to impersonate the seller. Be careful out there. Here is the person/people to watch out for. DO NOT answer text messages like my dumbass. No, I never sent money.

Phone number used was (972) 331-8177

 

[survivalistd]

Thank you. Sick people!!

 

[JasonT]

That happened twice yesterday to me on archery talk. Must be worse over there as I haven’t had that happen here yet.

 

[wyosteve]

That tactic has been around for a few years now I quit posting in the thread and will only PM ‘silently’!

 

[Gaia]

Heads up on a fairly elaborate scam. I posted "message sent" to an item in the classifieds. I get a text message saying "this is username from rokslide, yes item is still available, send me shipping info" I reply how did you get the number? He claimed I bought something before from him. Interesting, I am thinking. Try to call them and it just rings. Then I ask for Venmo. It didnt match name I looked up for phone. Then I asked for PayPal, now another name. I kept the comms going to get the "address" for a USPS money order. Bottom line is I used my number on a post back in 2017. Scammer looked it up to tried to impersonate the seller. Be careful out there. Here is the person/people to watch out for. DO NOT answer text messages like my dumbass. No, I never sent money.

Phone number used was (972) 331-8177

Holy crap, nice catch.

 

[survivalistd]

These idiots tried this in another forum. The new scam. Thanks for the heads up here.

 

[Baghdad Bob]

This could include selling something on this forum, but something far more reaching. All these ways of getting scammed give me a headache. Do this, don't do that, use this, send that. Take Facebook Marketplace in 5 minutes I can check the entire country for an item I want to buy. This is because it will narrow down your search to what you're looking for. Now the problem arises because it really is setup for local interaction. Like I am in Ohio and someone has an item for sale in Utah, but there isn't any trust anymore so nobody wants to take the chance. If there was some go- between to oversee the transaction everybody would feel safe. Just an idea, but just about every town has someone with an FFL. Just like buying a gun, FFL on both ends. Charge a small fee and put these buyers and sellers together. Telephone calls are free one FFL would communicate with the other FFL. Everyone I know with an FFL, I would trust like they were bonded. Maybe I'm just dreaming or maybe there is something out there like this already.

 

[survivalistd]

This could include selling something on this forum, but something far more reaching. All these ways of getting scammed give me a headache. Do this, don't do that, use this, send that. Take Facebook Marketplace in 5 minutes I can check the entire country for an item I want to buy. This is because it will narrow down your search to what you're looking for. Now the problem arises because it really is setup for local interaction. Like I am in Ohio and someone has an item for sale in Utah, but there isn't any trust anymore so nobody wants to take the chance. If there was some go- between to oversee the transaction everybody would feel safe. Just an idea, but just about every town has someone with an FFL. Just like buying a gun, FFL on both ends. Charge a small fee and put these buyers and sellers together. Telephone calls are free one FFL would communicate with the other FFL. Everyone I know with an FFL, I would trust like they were bonded. Maybe I'm just dreaming or maybe there is something out there like this already.

I got a headache reading this

 

[Baghdad Bob]

OK,

I got a headache reading this

OK, fair enough let's turn our attention to all those scammie telephone calls everybody gets. I know if you fall for that you're pretty slow, but they're so annoying. Trump should do something about that. Divert a couple of B2 bombers over to Cambodia and blow those scam call centers that employ thousands to smithereens. We had Midnight Hammer this could be Midnight Scammer.

 

[CorbLand]

This could include selling something on this forum, but something far more reaching. All these ways of getting scammed give me a headache. Do this, don't do that, use this, send that. Take Facebook Marketplace in 5 minutes I can check the entire country for an item I want to buy. This is because it will narrow down your search to what you're looking for. Now the problem arises because it really is setup for local interaction. Like I am in Ohio and someone has an item for sale in Utah, but there isn't any trust anymore so nobody wants to take the chance. If there was some go- between to oversee the transaction everybody would feel safe. Just an idea, but just about every town has someone with an FFL. Just like buying a gun, FFL on both ends. Charge a small fee and put these buyers and sellers together. Telephone calls are free one FFL would communicate with the other FFL. Everyone I know with an FFL, I would trust like they were bonded. Maybe I'm just dreaming or maybe there is something out there like this already.

I know a guy that provided a middle man service. Not for items that require an FFL but other high end items. It’s past tense because it’s more of a hassle than it’s worth for someone to do it.

Seller would ship item to him and provide pre paid postage from him to buyer. Buyer would send money to him. Once item and money were received, he would check the item, ship it and send the money to the seller.

Eventually it got to the point that in order to make it worth dealing with, you had to charge amounts people didn’t want to pay.

People complain about everything. He shipped to slow. It wasn’t packaged properly. It wasn’t in the condition they thought it was. He damaged it. You name it. He became a middle man for the entire transaction and decided it wasn’t worth it.

 

[survivalistd]

OK,

OK, fair enough let's turn our attention to all those scammie telephone calls everybody gets. I know if you fall for that you're pretty slow, but they're so annoying. Trump should do something about that. Divert a couple of B2 bombers over to Cambodia and blow those scam call centers that employ thousands to smithereens. We had Midnight Hammer this could be Midnight Scammer.

Are you using those new psychedelic drugs Trump ok'd.

 

[Baghdad Bob]

I know a guy that provided a middle man service. Not for items that require an FFL but other high end items. It’s past tense because it’s more of a hassle than it’s worth for someone to do it.

Seller would ship item to him and provide pre paid postage from him to buyer. Buyer would send money to him. Once item and money were received, he would check the item, ship it and send the money to the seller.

Eventually it got to the point that in order to make it worth dealing with, you had to charge amounts people didn’t want to pay.

People complain about everything. He shipped to slow. It wasn’t packaged properly. It wasn’t in the condition they thought it was. He damaged it. You name it. He became a middle man for the entire transaction and decided it wasn’t worth it.

To me that idea of a middle- man could only work if he would be working for the buyer in the city of the seller. He would have to pay seller, package and ship item to buyer. Buyer would send funds to middle- man for purchase price and service. The guy you knew had another shipping step in it.

 

[CorbLand]

To me that idea of a middle- man could only work if he would be working for the buyer in the city of the seller. He would have to pay seller, package and ship item to buyer. Buyer would send funds to middle- man for purchase price and service. The guy you knew had another shipping step in it.

Yea, your idea is even less viable.

 

[Baghdad Bob]

Yea, your idea is even less viable.

Maybe so, but you would have to streamline it as much as possibly while still being secure. How did your guy deal with lost or damaged items?

 

[survivalistd]

To me that idea of a middle- man could only work if he would be working for the buyer in the city of the seller. He would have to pay seller, package and ship item to buyer. Buyer would send funds to middle- man for purchase price and service. The guy you knew had another shipping step in it.

Not sure how this works in Baghdad??

 

[CorbLand]

Maybe so, but you would have to streamline it as much as possibly while still being secure. How did your guy deal with lost or damaged items?

I don’t know, I didn’t really ask him for details. Just why he stopped doing it and he said people complained about everything and provided a list of things they complained about out.

It’s been 10 plus years ago that I talked to the dude. I know the number one complaints were shipping times and condition of the item not being what they thought. Basically whose definition of “mint” was used.

He charged a minimum of 25 or 10% of the sale price. Most of the items he dealt with were 1000-2000. So the dude was making 100-200 bucks per item and said it wasn’t worth it.

Don’t let me stop you from living out your dreams though.

 

[Baghdad Bob]

I don’t know, I didn’t really ask him for details. Just why he stopped doing it and he said people complained about everything and provided a list of things they complained about out.

It’s been 10 plus years ago that I talked to the dude. I know the number one complaints were shipping times and condition of the item not being what they thought. Basically whose definition of “mint” was used.

He charged a minimum of 25 or 10% of the sale price. Most of the items he dealt with were 1000-2000. So the dude was making 100-200 bucks per item and said it wasn’t worth it.

Don’t let me stop you from living out your dreams though.

That is interesting glad you responded. This is my problem. A guy 1500 miles away has a hard- to- find item for sale that I WANT. He only wants to sell it locally and in person. I can't even get his phone number because as soon as you ask for something everybody thinks they're going to get scammed. It is driving me crazy, because I believe I am honest and his marketplace rating is 4.9 so I believe he is honest. It is like this paranoia about everything is stopping this from happening.

 

[wyosteve]

Baghdad, since you have thoughts on the service/process, why don't you start the business?

 

[Chris in TN]

That is interesting glad you responded. This is my problem. A guy 1500 miles away has a hard- to- find item for sale that I WANT. He only wants to sell it locally and in person. I can't even get his phone number because as soon as you ask for something everybody thinks they're going to get scammed. It is driving me crazy, because I believe I am honest and his marketplace rating is 4.9 so I believe he is honest. It is like this paranoia about everything is stopping this from happening.

What state is he in?

 

[Baghdad Bob]

What state is he in?

Medford , Oregon