Member warning (Private Sales via PM)

[Badger]

Hello folks ....

I just wanted to give everyone a heads up about buying from other members, when approached unsolicited through the PM (Private Messaging) system.

We recently had a situation reported by a long standing member, where he was approached by a new member, who had only been on the site for a week, or so. The new member was offering to sell him a firearm at a very unusually low price. He indicated he was only acting on commission as a middle man, for a separate licensed FFL dealer who had the firearm, but he wanted payment via "money gram".

When this new seller was asked to provide an FFL of the dealer, our prospective buyer immediately checked it twice against the database. It shows as being expired.

So, maybe a scam? Maybe not ..... but Caveat Emptor (let the buyer beware).

One way to check out another member as to any possible past trading experience on our site, is to use our integrated a member-to-member Classifieds Feedback system called iTrader. It can be used for all types of transactions within the WTS/WTB/WTT (Want to Sell, Buy or Trade) Forum mentioned above.

It gives members a clearly defined method to handle positive, negative and neutral feedback, as it pertains to transactions they may have experienced with each other. The system is really easy to use and the member's trader rating appears in two places. First it may viewed under his standard member profile as a separate tab of information. To see your own profile and iTrader Feedback, look at the top right corner of the web site screen and click with your mouse on the phase My Profile. Second, you can look at the left panel of any member's posts under the phrase iTrader Rating. You may click on the number beside that phrase and view any member's iTrader Detailed Information, including what previous buyers or sellers had to say about their experience with them. It also handles direct feedback based upon a specific ad, or can be used in a general sense without needing a link to any ad at all. Once you've completed a transaction with another member and it you wish to leave feedback about it, simply click on the small green check-mark (see right pic below) titled Rate Seller, which only appears in the first post of any advertiser's thread.

iTrader Home Screen Feedback System (click here)

(Click PIC to Enlarge)

Anyway, if any other member has experienced being approached by a newly joined member with a similar offer, please let us know ...

Thanks ..

Regards,
Doug

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Sentryduty]

I got one a few weeks ago as well, and it was through direct email communication method, member was replying to my advert, but was poorly worded in their email. Poorly written emails are typically a first indicator of a scammer, and describing the stuff I was looking for as "the item" and "it is in good condition", I was busy at the time and forgot to mention about it.

Doug if you want more information I can send along a PM with some details.

[Brian Dick]

Doug,

It happened to me too with my request for Parker-Hale scope rings. It's DEFINITELY a scammer. Probably from Africa. The "money gram" request and strange nature of the replies set my bells and whistles off and I shut him down immediately because I've seen it before. I've been reporting these things to BATFE for a couple of years since we discovered them trying to sell registered MG's by email. A very elaborate scam too with photos, etc. The Feds told me the money transfers were winding up in Nigeria but that's all they knew. It's all been under investigation for quite some time and they do use doctored/expired FFL's so ALWAYS use the FFL EZcheck system regardless of who you think you're dealing with.

Brian

[WarPig1976]

Hello Brain,
I failed to give goods feedback from our recent sales transaction. Now I do that for you at 100%. Since we have become deer friends Brain I have an offer for you only but der friend I will requiring a finder fee first to divulge this valuable arms deal.

Thanks for getting me out of a jam Brian, Jeff

[Brian Dick]

No worries Jeff. Just don't ask me for a "money gram" 'cause it ain't gonna happen. I don't even know what a "money gram" is!

Brian

PS, I've never been accused of having a "Brain" but I appreciate the compliment!

[Badger]

Interesting feedback...

Thanks guys ..

I had no idea this was happening to other members as well, but I guess with 28,000+ registered members and several new ones registering every day, it's not surprising some of these scammers come in under the radar and quietly go through the PM (private messaging) system to see who they can dupe.

Please... I need to get the user names from you, of any you suspect were trying to pull a fast one, similar to what I mentioned in the first post.

Send me an email (or PM) to badger@milsurps.com ...

Regards,
Doug

[Badger]

Update: It appears a member named k_shooter (click here), has been contact other members via PM's and offering up deals through a separate FFL dealer, who has an exprired license.

So, we've placed k_shooter under Moderation to see what happens next.

Regards,
Doug

[Sentryduty]

So, we've placed k_shooter under Moderation to see what happens next.

That was the member that was using the direct email function to solicit me, glad to see it only appears to be the one user that this time.

[Gil Boyd]

Brian,
Did you get the scope rings in the end OK?

[Molonlave]

I wanted to inform everyone that there may be a potential scammer in our midst. I was contacted yesterday by bal111 in response to my WTB listing for a ZF69 scope. He sent me photos and a description (english was a little off). I researched the photos and they were used in an Armslist listing from 2013. Furthermore, the text in that listing is a copy of what he sent in his description. Third tip off was the price was to good to be true. 4th item is he just became a member yesterday. I've been going back and forth with this individual today and feel very confident he is a scammer. I asked him for a close-up photo of the scope serial number. He sent me a photo of a completely different scope. I was able to determine the photo was copied from a current GunBroker listing. Just want to protect our members from potential predators. Apparently this person has attempted this tactic on a Ruger forum. Please be careful.
Thanks,
Ari

Scammer's info
Username: bal111
Name: Balwant Achaiba
Location: Lawnside, NJ