Got scammed

[t_stomski]

I was looking for meopta 6x rifle scope, and got contacted by one of the new members here on site.

Naturally I was slightly hesitant but when i asked for pictures of the scope, i received it with note of date, time, and members name, which I'll try to include in the post. Sent zelle the same day, waited for shipping information then i got bunch of excuses why idem wasn't sent yet, and then communication stopped.
Maybe something happened to that person? Maybe personal, or family issues? In that case I wish him best, but at the moment I'm gonna assume that I got scammed. I waited quite long to give him a chance to contact me, and send few PMs. No response.
So here it is, a quick reminder to be careful out there.

 

[375Fox]

Nothing replaces a phone call. Any decent scammer can add a piece of paper with username and date into photo. They can’t talk about hunting and shooting on the phone. Hopefully you didn’t pay too much.

 

[dchum]

I find out who they are, what they do for work and where they live. All over a phone call

Sorry you got taken. That would piss me off!

 

[Rimbaud]

Because Zelle is a bank service, I would contact your bank and tell them what happened. The bank might/should be able to help you remedy the situation. Good luck.

 

[matt85]

That really sucks! Its a real shame how much sub-human trash is out there trying their hardest to screw honest people out of money.

 

[RootballExpress]

You have to be careful putting “WTB” ads up too. It’ll really piss you off to have some asshole DM and email you with EXACTLY what you want all to not be able to schedule a phone call with you or send very specific photos of the item/firearm after a lengthy back and forth conversation.

These kind of people need to be hunted like coyotes or rats.

They’ll request payment or reply with “oh, you don’t believe me? I am an honest person”. An honest person doesn’t have to say that. The just do what is right.

 

[Safari Dave]

I bought a couple of boxes of ammo off Gunbroker this week.

There was something a little "off" about the description, so I contacted the seller and ask them to call me.

They did.

The seller knew what they were talking about and explained everything to my satisfaction. Gave me their real names and all the contact info for their business. They mailed the ammo out yesterday, took a picture of the box with the tracking number.

I real conversation goes a long way in helping to prove legitimacy.

 

[Tintin]

Sorry to hear.

:-(

All posts by the member you mention have been "welcomes' ... another warning sign.

 

[Safari Dave]

Be especially careful with scopes.



I've been scammed twice.

Once at a gun show where I bought what looked like a brand new Leupold VX-3i (turned out it was a counterfeit) I paid cash, and didn't have any idea who I bought it from.

The other time was off eBay - A Sig Sauer Tango 6T 1-6x24. Luckily, I was able to get my money back on that one.

​

 

[wyosteve]

Not meaning to sound too critical, but these scams have been going on for years and for some reason folks won't use one of the more useful ways to prevent the scam. I.E., ask for a video call with the person holding the item and take a screenshot during the call so you have a pic if needed down the road. If the seller refuses the call, move on. There was a program on Natl. Geographic a few years ago with a lady named Mariana Van Zeller (if I recall correctly). Anyway she was allowed into a scammers lair in Jamaica or one of the Caribbean islands. About 6 guys with a dozen computers who do nothing all day but try and scam. I remember them laughing at the 'dumb' Americans who would trust someone they don't know and have never met over the internet. We are our own worst enemy. As Ronald Reagan said-"trust, but verify'! The fake pics and piece of paper are old school methods that are easily faked. Sorry it happened, but it sounds like there were a number of red flags.

 

[Rez Exelon]

Even if it's an established account, it's a good idea to try and verify if not meeting in person. Online accounts get hacked and then can become a gold mine for scammers if they get ahold of an "made" account on the right forums.

 

[Shakka]

I was looking for meopta 6x rifle scope, and got contacted by one of the new members here on site.


View attachment 750807


Naturally I was slightly hesitant but when i asked for pictures of the scope, i received it with note of date, time, and members name, which I'll try to include in the post. Sent zelle the same day, waited for shipping information then i got bunch of excuses why idem wasn't sent yet, and then communication stopped.
Maybe something happened to that person? Maybe personal, or family issues? In that case I wish him best, but at the moment I'm gonna assume that I got scammed. I waited quite long to give him a chance to contact me, and send few PMs. No response.
So here it is, a quick reminder to be careful out there.



View attachment 750804

Yes

I was looking for meopta 6x rifle scope, and got contacted by one of the new members here on site.


View attachment 750807


Naturally I was slightly hesitant but when i asked for pictures of the scope, i received it with note of date, time, and members name, which I'll try to include in the post. Sent zelle the same day, waited for shipping information then i got bunch of excuses why idem wasn't sent yet, and then communication stopped.
Maybe something happened to that person? Maybe personal, or family issues? In that case I wish him best, but at the moment I'm gonna assume that I got scammed. I waited quite long to give him a chance to contact me, and send few PMs. No response.
So here it is, a quick reminder to be careful out there.



View attachment 750804

Yes, my friend you did but if it makes you feel better, I got scammed out of $480 for a Glock slide on a Glock forum

Same as you, I Zelled him the money and that was that. The bank won't refund you either because you willingly sent the money

Lesson learned...NEVER Zell unless you know the recipient