Some scammers are stupid because they don't pay much attention to detail. Others come up with positively brilliant schemes. I would suspect that since the invention of the wheel, if not before, there have been scammers. Some cave man probably let another cave man have one of his women in exchange for a brand new wheel that never materialized. They prey on those who are in dire straits - victims willing to believe that if they send in their last $1000 as a "fee", $1,000.000.00 will appear in their account. Or the naive - giving their bank account number over the phone because their bank (the scammer) called to say they needed to verify it. Or the overly trusting - basically good people who don't realize just how many criminals there are in this world. There are SO many red flags with these types of "transactions" that it is hard to believe anyone would fall for them anymore. But they do. The ability to spoof phone numbers and email, and the ability to send funds world wide at the click of a mouse, has opened up new avenues for the dishonest that unfortunately a lot of people can't seem to recognize.
KC8LLS Great job Fred,I have been ripped off on ebay do to their buyer protection policy.I put a radio Shack 96 digital handheld scanner like new.The guy cruisen-pa from Pa.said the scanner did not work.I also put in the ad no returns due to being electronics.He got ebay to make me take it back per their policy.When I received it he had taken the cover with sn# and put it on his very dirty broken scanner .I had pictures of mine & the one I got back .You could clearly see the cover did not match.I'm out $250.00 thanks to ebay letting this happen.No more ebay for me.73's
The bad English is a dead give away to these thieves. Some time ago I posted K4RRF's (SK) Omni VII on QRZ and wasn't long before I was contacted about purchasing it. I told the 'buyer' the price and he would have to send a cashier's check to the widow. I asked several times if the person was a ham and if so then I needed their call sign. Red flag came up when I was told "it's a gift for my husband" and then I asked for his callsign and was ignored. The original email implied I was communicating with a man but that changed. A couple days latter she (Ray's widow) received an overnight package from California with a company check in it bearing no resemblance to the name of the buyer. The company was located in Arizona but the plot thickens here - the check was $1500 over the amount I was selling Ray's rig for. Another (big) red flag. When I contacted them I told them the amount was too much to which they replied 'just deposit the check and send the remainder of the funds to yet another address. I contacted them one last time and told them I was on to the scam (and the stolen checks) and never heard from them again. Point of this post is to tell folks to watch for overpayment of anything they sell online.
500 main street waltham ma........ 500 main street in waltham,ma..............is a real estate sales office
I finally took time to read most of this. Sometime about 2003/2005 I began anonymously browsing a gun forum that I ended up actually being a moderator for (against my better judgement). Commerce in the Marketplace forum there was, and remains brisk. By some measures a few undertook to study, it was enjoying $15-$25k average trading per month during the halcyon days of milsurp kit rifle building and collecting. Scammers were mostly few and far between. Slothful traders were spotty, but a constant. One had to be careful. A handful of larger scammers ended up with legal action (read: the coppers got them). A few more were "visited". The forum I have been operating now nearly four years, I think, has had zero problems in this regard. Very little commerce occurs there, but what does, is safe. Basically, if we don't know you, you ain't getting in. Much less selling or buying with you. Sad that there are such slugs out there. Were they not sniveling cowards they would operate within reach, instead of cowering across the sea.
To add, Google Image Search is not always 100%. It will only find the images that Google has crawled. So just because Google didn't find the image doesn't mean that the seller is legit.
Thank you very much for sharing this. It was fascinating reading and very informative! 73, Francis WA4ZYN
I know a couple hams taken by similar schemes. BTW, I have a case of Russian fallopian tubes if anyone is interested. $250 for the case.
This simpleton tried this same scam on a couple of UK sites but thanks to an earlier 'heads up' I had read on QRZ.com he was sent packing with his tail between his legs! Thanks to the article a possible fraud was deterred. Great reading though, entertaining and informative what more do you need
Surgery. I know a few people who will do the surgery at a deep discount. They are every bit as much a surgeon as he I a ham. BTW anyone notify the bank?
Sir, you added the account information, that person is probably being scammed, I'd suggest asking the moderator to remove the account number and account holder's name. -KB3VWG
