suspicious reply from armslist

[Texas10mm]

USPS money orders can be counterfit too. You only find out after it's too late. Anything but cash I'd delay 2 weeks before shipping.

But if the post office accepts it and pays you the cash, what’s going to happen? The post office comes after you?

The PO in my small town doesn’t have the cash on hand to cash a big MO. They tell you to take it to the bank.

I would think it wouldn’t be easy to spoof the holographic strip and watermark on a genuine postal MO.

It used to be a big prison industry to convert $1 USPS money orders to $100 money orders. If you take a USPS money order to the Post Office they can verify if it's legit or not. They might not have the cash on hand to cash it but they can verify it.

 

[Hokkmike]

I just posted a rifle for sale on Armslist. I was asking $650.00 for a Remington 700 in .222 Mag with Weaver K12 scope. Within minutes I received a reply stating "I'll pay you $700.00 plus $40 S&H if you will ship to my ffl dealer in California." I've never sold anything on any internet site before so I'm a bit cautious. Does this seem suspicious or am I just paranoid about internet untrustworthiness?

Would you eat a sandwich if you weren't sure about the lunch meat?

 

[Eddietruett]

I sell a fair amount on Armslist and for the most part all legit but at least once or twice a month I will get an email starting simply as Dear sir, Do you still have___ available? Once I reply then you get the pitch and it is so obvious it is a foreigner trying to use the correct English (Flag 1). It is always mentioned that I may be shy because of past dealings but I want to assure you that I'm legit (Flag 2). I'm willing to pay your price plus shipping to my ffl. sometimes even sending a copy of a ffl. (Anytime this happens, I look up the ffl and contact owner. usually they are aware some scammer is using their ffl.). Absolutely knowing at this point that it is a scam and I have some time, the fun starts. I respond like an eager beaver telling them I might make an exception to ship but I am going to charge a premium for shipping since it is a hassle since I live in a very rural area. Of course they readily agree. The last one wanted a gun I had listed for $600 and I told him that the total price for gun, shipping and my time would be $1000. Of course he agreed and just wanted to know where to send the Cashiers check. After I've jerked him around enough I usually tell them to send to me in care of the local Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms office and include their real address which ends the deal and the other I use is send me a copy of your drivers license so I'll know you are of legal age. Of course it stops them as fast. I have even followed up after that asking why they didn't follow up on their end of the deal and then answer my own question by telling them I know they were a scamming SOB from word go and then have a few choice words to say about their mother and sisters and just lay it on as thick as I can possibly be. My mother would disown me if she know some of the things I say.
One thing I have found from talking to several legit ffl dealers that somehow have had a copy of their ffl lifted and these guys using it is after reporting to the ATF, the investigation always finds that all of this is done from out of the country through several different routers and is impossible to trace and they have associates in the US that will send the fake Certified Check. And if someone does send a gun, usually the house is just an empty rental that some poor smuck is paid to just sit there and sign for stuff and he has no clue what he is involved in.

 

[bearcreek]

This is a common scam on EBay. Report it.

To whom do you suggest he report it? I completely agree that this is a scam attempt but so far the "buyer" has done nothing illegal, at least as far as anyone can prove. Armslist isn't Ebay.

 

[AABEN]

I at one time was looking for a gun that I had looked for for 3 years it come up from a man in Florida I saw it posted so I jumped on it and said that I would give more than he ask if he sent it to my gun dealer he say he would I gave him my CC number and he said he would ship that day every thing was good still have the gun GOOD LUCK