Strange GB scam

[Woolley Bugger]

I got a call this afternoon from a legitimate Amex number asking if I'd made an $8000 purchase on GB. I told them, I wish. They claimed that a credit card was issued 10/20 in my name and used to attempt this purchase.

Because it involved illegal firearm purchases, I was advised to report to the FBI, which they "helpfully" transferred me to. I was suspicious, so I told the officer I'd like to call their public number to ensure it was really FBI. While I was going through the menu, I got a call back from that same number. I foolishly failed to account for caller ID spoofing.

So I made the mistake of talking with the officer and showing her my driver's license. While she entered the info, it came up that my name and ID were associated with some active investigation into money laundering, and my name had been used to set up Chase accounts (where I bank).

I'll spare you all the details, but I had recently shopped on GB, which scared me a bit and got my attention. Now that I take a deep breath and think about it, I suspect there's an employee there who is selling customer information to lend credibility to this scam.

Has anything like this happened to anyone on the forum? Be careful out there. It's creepy to be selectively targeted like this.

 

[roklok]

I am not clear, so were you actually talking to the FBI ? What was the scam ? Or was it "just" stolen info and a credit card fraudulently issued in your name ?

 

[JimP]

I make it a policy to never give any information to someone that I don't know who calls me.

I have received a couple calls like this and I just tell them that I'll call them back at a listed number if they will give me their name and extension number. At that time they usually just hang up on me.

 

[Woolley Bugger]

I spoke with someone purporting to be from the FBI, calling from a spoofed FBI number. No credit card was issued in my name. That was part of the scam. I think the scam syndicate got my name and phone number from an insider at GB. They then used that information to call me from a spoofed Amex number to inform me that a card had been opened in my name (none had), and used at GB. Because it involved a federal offense, it was recommended I speak to the "FBI", which was another spoofed number in on the scam. A lot of man hours went into this exercise, and I'm not sure to what end. The only info they got was my driver's license, which any hotel clerk, barkeep, rental car ce, or clerk, or car dealer could have access to.

I'm guessing if I were to continue the farce, my FBI handler would gradually build trust as my protector and use that trust to either get critical information, like social security number, or get me to somehow transfer money to them.

Anyway, I should have been more cautious and suspicious at several levels. I've learned something.

 

[JimP]

I once had a person from my health insurance company call to verify some information, her first question was for me to verify my SS number. When I told her that I wasn't going to give it or any other personal information over the phone to someone who called me she just hesitated a bit and then said that she understood and wished that others that she talked to were as careful.

I called my insurance company back and verified what they needed, and the call was legit.

 

[roklok]

Gotcha, that makes it clearer. Thanks for the heads-up, definitely sounds like an elaborate hoax to some end.

 

[375Fox]

I don’t think you can guess the number of ways a scammer has access to your information. I’d suspect stolen email chains with your information before guessing an insider at gunbroker. This is an odd scam, but they are getting very sophisticated.

Just an example of how easy it is to give out your information without realizing it. A scammer emailed a member here and member didn’t know how they ever got their email. However, that member also posted screenshots of the scammer’s messages with his email, so even I knew his email then. All it takes is not thinking for a second or someone stealing an email account or AH account information for a short time to access contact information they didn’t previously have.

 

[RedTag]

If the FBI (or Postal Inspectors or any other federal law enforcement agency) wants to get in touch with you they’ll probably just do it in person, not with some sort of sketchy third party phone call. I avoid GB like the clap, due to both the opportunity for scams and the insane ripoff prices that everyone seems to think a used gun is worth nowadays.

 

[roklok]

I give GB a fair bit of business, at any given time I am bidding on anywhere from two to six auctions. Once in a while I get surprised and get a real bargain that way. I don't think the site itself is dangerous scam-wise, but some of the "sellers" definitely are scammers. Just because it is on GunBroker doesn't mean its not a scam. I almost got taken a couple years ago, someone had hacked a legitimate Gbroker seller with lots of good feedback, but I wised up before sending payment and notified GunBroker.

 

[Hogpatrol]

I got a call this afternoon from a legitimate Amex number asking if I'd made an $8000 purchase on GB. I told them, I wish. They claimed that a credit card was issued 10/20 in my name and used to attempt this purchase.

Because it involved illegal firearm purchases, I was advised to report to the FBI, which they "helpfully" transferred me to. I was suspicious, so I told the officer I'd like to call their public number to ensure it was really FBI. While I was going through the menu, I got a call back from that same number. I foolishly failed to account for caller ID spoofing.

So I made the mistake of talking with the officer and showing her my driver's license. While she entered the info, it came up that my name and ID were associated with some active investigation into money laundering, and my name had been used to set up Chase accounts (where I bank).

I'll spare you all the details, but I had recently shopped on GB, which scared me a bit and got my attention. Now that I take a deep breath and think about it, I suspect there's an employee there who is selling customer information to lend credibility to this scam.

Has anything like this happened to anyone on the forum? Be careful out there. It's creepy to be selectively targeted like this.

Transferred you to the FBI? That was the time to hang up and call not only them FBI but AMEX.

 

[akrifleman]

I spoke with someone purporting to be from the FBI, calling from a spoofed FBI number. No credit card was issued in my name. That was part of the scam. I think the scam syndicate got my name and phone number from an insider at GB. They then used that information to call me from a spoofed Amex number to inform me that a card had been opened in my name (none had), and used at GB. Because it involved a federal offense, it was recommended I speak to the "FBI", which was another spoofed number in on the scam. A lot of man hours went into this exercise, and I'm not sure to what end. The only info they got was my driver's license, which any hotel clerk, barkeep, rental car ce, or clerk, or car dealer could have access to.

I'm guessing if I were to continue the farce, my FBI handler would gradually build trust as my protector and use that trust to either get critical information, like social security number, or get me to somehow transfer money to them.

Anyway, I should have been more cautious and suspicious at several levels. I've learned something.

When you say "the only info they got" you appear to be talking from a place of knowledge, and yet you bit on a simple social engineering bit. You have already provided more than enough information for identity theft. Just answering the phone and confirming your identity to that specific number was already very damaging.

You need to report it to the FTC Identity Theft and probably reissue you credit cards (at least set up monitoring). There is probably a loan in your name somewhere already, so you probably should create an account at the three credit agencies and check your credit report periodically.

Furthermore, read the information on every one of your credit cards on how they alert you to potential fraud. None of them refer you to the FBI. They instead launch an internal investigation, provide a CASE NUMBER, and recommend you file with the FTC.

Finally, lock (or freeze) your credit with all three credit agencies. This doesn't stop any of your revolving card use, it simply prevents people taking loans out in your name, unless you explicitly re-unlock it.

 

[akrifleman]

Identity Theft and Online Security

The official website of the Federal Trade Commission, protecting America’s consumers for over 100 years.

consumer.ftc.gov

 

[Woolley Bugger]

Thank you very much for the information. I’ve already filed a report with the Internet crimes complaint center and have contacted the major credit agencies. Thankfully, no irregularities there, but I have put a lock on new lines of credit. I will follow up now with the FTC.
Needless to say, I’m feeling pretty foolish right now

 

[akrifleman]

Thank you very much for the information. I’ve already filed a report with the Internet crimes complaint center and have contacted the major credit agencies. Thankfully, no irregularities there, but I have put a lock on new lines of credit. I will follow up now with the FTC.
Needless to say, I’m feeling pretty foolish right now

Nobody ponders it until it happens. Foolish is not learning from something moving forward. Consider it hard won experience. You are on the right track.