scott98

[Lynyrd Skynyrd]

scammed by scott98 and his buddy Fred Gabriel after i posted a WTB add. i should have searched them first. You think you are dealing ith a cowboy and your not.

[Bear Run Butch]

scammers are like horse thieves. They hung horse thieves.

[John Barleycorn, SASS #76982]

Grrrr

[Nostrum Damus SASS #110702]

It bears repeating: one of the easiest "red flags" is a non-cowboy-sounding alias ... like scott98.

[Totes Magoats]

It's a shame, but you have to do your research.  When they joined the wire, SASS#, number of posts, are they just a guest, etc.

 

With each successful scam, the longer they will be around and the more clever they will get.

 

Really sucks this is happening here.

 

Totes

[Nickel City Dude]

I have posted this before but here it is again just to remind us what to look for.

 

It is a bad idea to put your email address or phone number in a WTB add.  Bad people surf web forums like ours looking for this.  Then they search the web and find a picture of what you are looking for and send it to you like they have it for sale.  Once you send the money you never hear from them again.  At least with a PM you stand a chance of knowing if they have a presence on the forum and can see how long they have been a member.  And if you receive a PM telling you that they have a friend that has just what you are looking for and here is a link to his email address check to see how many posts they have because if the only post they have is the PM they just sent to you, you can bet that they are out to steel your money.  Just my two cents.

 

[Cholla]

His name was brought up in the scammer thread:

 

[Doc Fill 'Em 67797]

I almost got scammed the same way a while back, after I posted a Want To Buy ad. I thought the name was fishy and checked when the guy joined. It was the same day!  

[Silver Creek Jack]

Just had a pard here that has a rifle for sale in the classifieds, he just messaged me that a guest to the site offered to buy the rifle and said he has done business with me, I have never heard of the guy.Told him that caution may be in order here!! 

[SouthwestShooter]

how did you get scammed?  what was the technique,? I'm asking cause I have a gun for sale on here.

thanks 

[Cholla]

15 minutes ago, SouthwestShooter said:

how did you get scammed?  what was the technique,? I'm asking cause I have a gun for sale on here.

thanks 

As a seller, getting scammed is more difficult, but it can happen. One way is for the buyer to tell you he wants to pay using PayPal, Venmo, or Zelle. If you agree, they then send you a fake screenshot showing that they paid. Since they then have your email, they also send a fake statement from PayPal, Zelle, or Venmo stating that the amount didn't go through because it was too low of an amount for your account. It goes on to state the only way to correct it is for the buyer to send you more "fake" funds. At which point they will ask you to send the item, and to send back the extra to their account. If you fall for it, you lose the item and the real money you send them. They may also try to get you to click on a link in the email to upgrade your account or resolve the issue. Don't do it.

 

The best way is to require a personal check and wait for it to fully clear, get a USPS money order and actually cash it at a USPS office, or use GunTab.

[Cholla]

I keep saying this over and over. If you send money using PayPal Friends and Family, Zelle, Venmo, or all of the other cash apps, it is the same as sending them cash. Cash apps are only for those you trust such as friends and family. It's when you get greedy and want to avoid the 3% fee that PayPal charges that you lose that buyer protection. And, NONE of the cash apps allow their use with firearms or many related firearm products, so if something does go bad in the deal, what are you going to tell them? If you tell them it was for something they don't allow, your account gets locked. It's kind like a drug dealer complaining to the cops that he was robbed!

 

Money orders and cashier's checks are now being counterfeited. If you take a MO, go cash at the USPO or money order dealer before sending the item to the buyer. If you cash it at your bank, they can come back after the funds if it is fake. The USPS will look the MO up if it is theirs and you will know right then if it is real. It is best to wait until later in the day to cash it so they have cash on hand to give you.

[Cinch]

They have this thing called FaceTime. Might be a way to use it? As folks have quit using epayments I have just about quit forum buying. Somehow a money order has less value than someones revolver so you can just drop it in the mail and keep your fingers crossed. Got to be a way to watch the seller hand the item to the postal clerk while the buyer hands over the cash. That way ya might at least see who you are dealing with.

 

Times change I guess.

[Cholla]

GunTab is your answer. It is an escrow service for firearms. Everyone has to be happy before the gun and money is released.

 

https://www.guntab.com/

[Silver Creek Jack]

Thanks for the info Cholla, lookin into GunTab tomorrow.

[ORNERY OAF]

Just sell to members here, cowboys from list their clubs here... someone here knows someone you dealing with...small community 

[CarbineCasey #4469]

Anyone heard of a person named “Frosty”?

[Fireball #7709 Life]

The larger portion of scam beginnings(or attempts) come from WTB posts.  I'm always looking for something it seems.  The "my friend has just what you're looking for" is a bright red flag, 99.9% of those will NOT be legit.  As is most anything that seems to good to be true, that new vaquero for $500, just go ahead forget it.  Check the sellers profile for some longevity here, profile created today?  Yesterday?  MAYBE last week?  only posts are in response to WTB?  Walk away.  Get a pic with todays date or your name hand written on a piece of paper with the item. If the seller is genuine, they'll understand in this day and age.  Don't buy the "I'm lucky to be able to PM"  For buyer and seller, is it a pain to do some of this?  Yup.  Tracking down a scammer and getting your money back is a bigger pain.  Trust me, I've done it.(and was lucky)  If all that passes muster and the hair on yer neck still ain't happy, speak to the seller on the phone.  Most of us aren't big on that these days, but you can tell a lot from the tone of a conversation.  If any or all of that isn't according to Hoyle, walk away.  There isn't a thing you're gonna buy or sell here that won't or can't be found somewhere else...eventually.LOL     

[Sedalia Dave]

16 minutes ago, CarbineCasey #4469 said:

Anyone heard of a person named “Frosty”?

 

How many posts have they made?

[CarbineCasey #4469]

8 minutes ago, Sedalia Dave said:

 

How many posts have they made?

I haven’t seen any post but he sent me several messages wanting to buy my brass when I checked his profile it says guest.

[Fireball #7709 Life]

3 minutes ago, CarbineCasey #4469 said:

I haven’t seen any post but he sent me several messages wanting to buy my brass when I checked his profile it says guest.

So, when the money shows up, send him the brass.  Selling is a lot safer(you hold the item until you have the money).

 

[CarbineCasey #4469]

4 hours ago, Fireball #7709 Life said:

So, when the money shows up, send him the brass.  Selling is a lot safer(you hold the item until you have the money).

 

I hold all my items until I get the money unless it’s someone that I’ve dealt with on here before that I trust when I see something that says guest I’m very reluctant to believe that he’s a SASS member.

[Fireball #7709 Life]

Buyers and sellers have their minimum threshold for a deal.  I've had some deals that went on for weeks, phone calls, emails, more pics, silence, more emails and then we consummated it and everyone was happy.  I just did one with another long time member here this week: 2 pics and we're both shipping money and merchandise same day.  Only you can decide your comfort level with a deal.  IT COSTS NOTHING TO WALK AWAY.

[Slick McClade]

Seems like the wire administrative service could take away the “guest” option. Also have it were ONLY a paying member in good standing that has a club affiliation listed can post or even access the wire. Just a humble thought.

  Be careful guys …. It’s a cold, dark & cruel world out there.

 

Slick

[Fireball #7709 Life]

34 minutes ago, Slick McClade said:

Seems like the wire administrative service could take away the “guest” option. Also have it were ONLY a paying member in good standing that has a club affiliation listed can post or even access the wire. Just a humble thought.

  Be careful guys …. It’s a cold, dark & cruel world out there.

 

Slick

That's probably an administrative cost SASS HQ doesn't want to absorb, for something that doesn't bring them any profit.(I wouldn't)  They'd have to pay someone to either setup additional electronic means for some current membership database to do it automatically, or one of the girls in the office is doing more clerical inputs manually forever.  Either way, cost with no return. 

 

Additionally, and more importantly, just being a SASS member in good standing with the founding organization is no guarantee they're good to do business with.  Most are, but just because you paid dues to an organizing body doesn't make you anything other than a customer/member.  If you were honest before, you still are, if you weren't, paying $35(or whatever it is) didn't magically buy you a dose of integrity. 

 

Further, some guests are genuine folks looking to get into the sport.  We're almost constantly working with new shooters in this area.  I send all of them to the Wire at some point.  Limiting the availability to trade with like minded fellows in the same sport is key to the continued health of the game.  The struggle to get new shooters outfitted is real and when there are folks hanging up their spurs, it's an opportunity for their legacy to continue on, while helping someone else.

[Matthew Duncan]

On 1/30/2023 at 3:08 PM, Lynyrd Skynyrd said:

scammed by scott98 and his buddy Fred Gabriel after i posted a WTB add. i should have searched them first. You think you are dealing ith a cowboy and your not.

 

Any Cowpoke going by the alias of "scott98" I'd suspect would be a Carpetbagger.

[Matthew Duncan]

4 hours ago, Fireball #7709 Life said:

So, when the money shows up, send him the brass.  Selling is a lot safer(you hold the item until you have the money).

 

 

But how does the Money Sender know he can trust the Seller?

[SouthwestShooter]

thanks for all your help.  this is another example of SASS members looking out for each other.

[Nostrum Damus SASS #110702]

Another observation/suggestion -- don't be so impersonal.  Chat up the other party -- find out what they know about what they are supposedly selling or supposedly buying.  And how about a phone call?  Most scammers won't do it because they have accents that don't match their names.  Or a video chat?  EVERYONE can video chat on their phones these days and anyone who refuses to do so after being asked is IMMEDIATELY NO GOOD in my book.  I only ask to video chat when I have some lingering doubts after other checking, and it is the best way to make the scammer disappear -- after which you can help the community by calling them out by name.

[Fireball #7709 Life]

1 hour ago, Matthew Duncan said:

 

But how does the Money Sender know he can trust the Seller?

As mentioned in the above posts.  You have to do some due diligence.

[portugeejn]

1 hour ago, Nostrum Damus SASS #110702 said:

Another observation/suggestion -- don't be so impersonal.  Chat up the other party -- find out what they know about what they are supposedly selling or supposedly buying.  And how about a phone call?  Most scammers won't do it because they have accents that don't match their names.  Or a video chat?  EVERYONE can video chat on their phones these days and anyone who refuses to do so after being asked is IMMEDIATELY NO GOOD in my book.  I only ask to video chat when I have some lingering doubts after other checking, and it is the best way to make the scammer disappear -- after which you can help the community by calling them out by name.

Yup, what Nostrum Damus said.  Especially if you are going to spend some money.  I used to post things for sale on the board occasionally, as I am old enough and things have changed enough that I no longer compete in Cowboy matches and am no longer a dues-paying SASS member.    I even got called out and questioned by a couple cowboys who wondered who I was and/or questioned my SASS status, but someone stuck up for me (thanks Pale Wolf Brunelle!).  Ask questions, make phone calls or video chats.  Worth it in the long run.

[Nostrum Damus SASS #110702]

2 hours ago, Matthew Duncan said:

 

But how does the Money Sender know he can trust the Seller?

"know he can trust" makes no sense.  All we are doing is reducing the inherent risk in the transaction to some manageable, reasonably acceptable level.  There is no such thing as "trust" except among true friends (and sometimes family) -- don't forget that trust is not automatic for anyone -- it has to be earned.

[Abilene, SASS # 27489]

Being on the Wire for a while is no guarantee.  As noted in the "Scammers" sticky at the top of the page, Dumpre registered in June of '21 and had a number of posts (many in the saloon).  Then suddenly had some high dollar items for sale here in November of '22.  Right now I don't recall what the red flag was for that ad, probably in part the methods of payment he was accepting, But he was banished before he "sold" them.  He must have been planning that one for a long time!

[Eliphalet R. Moderator]

I would suggest to all Wire members again:

• Do not pay for firearms via apps or platforms that do not allow firearms sales. 
• Do not buy from non-SASS member third parties that just happen to have what you're looking for, suggested by random non-sass member's private messages. 
• If you have questions about a seller, ask.  We'll be glad to check it out for you.  I am looking in to another post at the moment.  The sales post will not become visible until it checks out.    
• Do not buy from posts on the Classified Wire that do not come from SASS members.   (We delete them from the Wire as soon as we see them or when reported).
• Do not use simple passwords.  Change them as part of regular maintenance.   We've had a few legit SASS members have their accounts hijacked as a result of keylogger viruses that have stolen all their computer information.   
• Use a good antivirus and security suite software with your online devices.