Having Fun with Internet Fraud (LONG)

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Randy63

Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2002
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199
Location
N.E. PA
Hello all,
While searching the auction sites for a nice Colt SAA I found this auction:
http://www.gunbroker.com/auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=14001677

So imagine my surprise when I happened upon this auction for the same Colt!
http://www.auctionarms.com/Search/DisplayItem.cfm?ItemNum=5256767

This one is obviously a scam. The Buy it now price was $2500 before Auction Arms shut it down after I brought their attention to it. I figured I'd have a little fun with this scum bag.

Here are the contents of the e-mail that were exchanged. I've Xed out my last name as well as content in my final e-mail to this theif that would not be appropriate for a public forum! These e-mails were exchanged over a 16 hour time frame.

Me:
Would you be willing to take $2250 for this gun now?

Thanks,
R

Scammer:
2400 $ whit shipping included and we have the deal.

So ?

Please send me your opinion.

Me:
How about $2300 shipped?
By the way, why was your auction ended?

Thanks,

R

Scammer:
I've clouse the auction and disable my account.

I only want to sell this item... i got it like a gift and now i badly need money.

Since you willpay 2300 i accept .
what payment method will you prefer?

have a nice day!

Me:
I usually pay for auctions with a postal money order. Could you please provide your name and address?

Thanks,
R

Scammer:
it will take to long , and i need the money as soon as posible

Will a wire transfer like western union do for you. It is the faster way ( 30 min. ) .
Or PAYPAL

Plus this way you will have the gun in a better time then using pastal money order

Have a nice day!

Me:
I don't have a PayPal account. I can overnight you a postal money order, you'll have it in the tomorrow morning. I'll send it out ASAP.

Thanks,

R

Scammer:
Sir please use western union . the office is just round the corner and if you send the money now i will be able to shipp the gun right away


Here are my details:

first name: XXXXXX
last name: XXXXXX
address: XX XXXX XX
city: MIAMI
state: FLORIDA
zip: 33239

Me:
Albert, I'm not comfortable using a wire transfer. I've always used postal money orders or cashiers checks. Will you accept a postal money order or a cashiers check?

Thanks,
R

Scammer:
Sir i am only willing to use PAYPAL or western union

Registering with paypal it's verry easy and it's free

please advice

i would really like to get this done

Me:
Hello Albert,
I just looked into PayPal and they have a policy against using them to pay for firearms made after 1898. You can see it here.
http://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=p/gen/ua/use/index_frame-outside&ed=firearms

I don't understand the problem, as I have said I have paid for several guns I bought over the internet using either a postal money order or a cashiers check.

You wont have to wait longer than tomorrow afternoon for payment. I'll send it USPS express mail this afternoon and you will have the funds by tomorrow afternoon. I'm really looking forward to getting this Single Action Army. Please let me know.

Regards,

R

Scammer:
Sir is not that the problem

Tommorow i'll be working all day and wont be at home untill late in the night and the day after tommow is posible to leave in a bussiness trip

That is why i am not confortable with the money order

If you will use western union , all the deal will be done in less then 2 hours

I understand your points regarding a wire transfer that is why i will ask for only half of the amount now and the other half after receiving and inspecting the gun.

Hoppe this will satesfy you and gain your trust.

Me:
If I wire transfer you $1150 this afternoon when will you ship the SAA out to me?

R

Scammer:
I will shipp it right away
in a hour or two .
I will need some info after you will make the transfer:
The name you used to send the money ,
The exact amount of money you send,
The city from wich you send the money out,
The 10 digit number they will give you at the Western Union office

Me:
Hello Albert,
I'm on my way their now.....I'll get back to you as soon as I get back here with the info.

R

Scammer:
Ok i will be waiting for you

Me:
Albert,
I just got back from Western Union. It'll cost me $85 to send you $1150, at these prices the Colt will wind up costing me $2470. We agreed to a price of $2300 not $2470. What do you suggest we do from here?

R

Scammer:
Sir , i will pay the fees
Just deposit the amount of 1150 $ minus the 85 $ fee

Me:
OK, I'm on my way back to Western Union.....I'll send you $1065. I'll get back to you as soon as I send the money.

R

Me:
Hello Albert,
I just sent you the $1065. My name is XXXX XXXX. I sent it from a Western Union location on XXXXX Ave. in XXXXXXXX, PA. The control number is 5236887563

Please send me the tracking number for the Colt when you ship it.

Thanks,

R

Scammer:
Randy , it seems to be a problem .
The funds aren't available for the name you gave me
Maybe you used a middle initial when you send the money or you used other name to send the money. Or who knows maybe the operator from western union got your name wrong .

Please verify the receipt they gave you and give me the exact name that it's written in that receipt as a sender.

IF there is no errors ( the name on the receipt is the name you gave me XXXXXX XXXXX) then please call Western Union and fix the error.

You can check it out yourself at www.westernunion.com, at the order status .

Me:
Albert,
I'm sorry for the mix up....I used my middle initial which is L. I just checked the Western Union site and everything looks OK.

Please send me the tracking number when you ship the Colt.

Thanks,

R

Scammer:
Sir i am on the western union web page and i still got an error while i try to check the status of payment

could you please call western union and fix the problem?

Me:
Albert,
I just spoke to a customer service rep and they tell me the money is ready and waiting for you. If you like I can fax you a copy of my receipt from Western Union.

R

Scammer:
I don't have a fax but if you could scann it and email to me would be fine
if you don''t just confirm the info i ask you for

Me:
My scanner is down....what info do you need?

R

Scammer:
your name letter with letter , first name, last name
The control number

Please read them from your receipt

Me:
My name is XXXXX X XXXXXX. I sent the funds from Scranton Pennsylvania. The contro; number is 5236887593

Please check that out....in the mean time I'm going to my next door neighbors to use their scanner. I will bring your e-mail address with me and send you the scanned receipt from their computer.

I really want to get this straightened out ASAP

R

Scammer:
I am still waiting for the scann receipe

Me:
I bet you are.

Hey XXXhole,
I haven't laughed so hard in months. I had a blast playing with you all day. It's so easy when you're dealing with a dimwit. I bet you had that $1065 spent already. (Edited for public forum) Too funny. You better practice your internet scamming skills. An 80 year old lady wouldn't have fell for this one! I know your type is lazy but you're no good at this. (Edited for public forum)
http://www.gunbroker.com/auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=14001677

By the way I've forwarded all of your e-mails to the authorities. Both Federal and the locals in Miami as well as your ISP.

R

As they say Buyer Beware.

Randy
 
Last edited:
x out his name and address or the mods will

not related to guns, only scammers, but I knew a guy was going to scam be for a laptop with a fake check so I said yea, send a money order(he wanted to send a check the whole time and agreed to a money order, he sent me a check, wanted me to ship the laptop to Indonesia and the check was from some women in the usa, so I called her up and told her to close her bank account because he bought alot of other things and never heard from him again.
 
That's hilarious! I hate scammers with a passion, and I hope they get this guy. :)
 
This gives me an idea. Alot of this fraud could be prevented if you could go to Western Union and give them your money and a description of the item you're buying. Then they give the money to the other guy after he hands over the goods and they ship it to you. They could probably make a fair amount of money doing that.

Anybody else like it?
 
A better idea is some kind of escrow/passcode system.

You could give WU the money and they hold it - the seller gives a code that verifies that the money is in escrow - then the seller ships.

Once shipping is verified, the buyer gives the release code to the seller and he uses that to make WU release the funds.

NEVER use WU to send funds - its the most insecure way in the world to make a payment.
 
Randy - enjoyed that every step of the way ... glad you persevered to a conclusion.

I somewhat doubt his IQ quite made it to triple figures eh?!! :D

Scammers and con-artists really get me riled up .. fortunately worst was gettin burned when selling a large industrial microwave I had just serviced and rebuilt .. cost me (lost me) about $100 .. fake or stolen card too, to support the check.. which bounced all the way to the North Pole.:(
 
dont get it. Why is this guy a scammer again? Wait, is it because he isnt shipping it through an FFL?
Click to expand...

He doesn't actually have the gun he's trying to "sell". He just "borrowed" pictures of an expensive Colt SAA from another auction site. He was gonna take the money and run.

Dave
 
Took me a bit, but now I get it: the guy selling the Colt on GunBroker is OK. He's not the one doing the scam. He REALLY has the gun for sale.

Nice catch, Matt! :D
 
My brother keeps finding deals on Harleys like this on E-bay all the time. He jerks the scammers around too. Kind of fun watching it go down since he CC's me all the e-mails! The latest was a guy in England selling a Harley that his brother had for $6000. Brother died, wants the bike gone ASAP and he will have it shipped out as soon as he gets half the funds in his bank. Funny how they cannot produce a photo copy or scan of the title! (It's packed up with the bike)
 
Hey Randy....

I'll sell you this one for only $2000.

ronnie6261_1069299175_P0000560.jpg



:D :D

Good SHooting
Red
 
His bad typing is painful. If mine is ever that bad - tell me to go get to bed for 12 hours.

That being said, I am not comfortable with stringing people along. I would have been much more comfortable to have placed a phonecall to his county Sheriff and ask them to look into this cat trying to commit fraud. I'd also contact the Postmaster General and his Postal Inspectors. I think they have covered some cases involving Online deals in the recent past. If he is clean - he is annoyed. If he is dirty - then you just saved someone else 2400 bones who might not have been so savy.
 
Damn ..... that Quatloos site is a riot ... I need a day to go thru all the stuff .... and maybe too an Advil for a laugh induced headache!!:p

I know maybe ''stringin along'' ain't always the way to go but . sure as heck gives me some satisfaction when the scammers .... get scammed .... sorta ''justice'' to it.:)
 
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