GunBroker.Com not safe

I DID NOT TRY TO MAKE A DEAL OUTSIDE OF THE GUNBROKER WEBSITE (Why do so many people think that?) I contacted the seller thru GunBroker, I did not try to go outside of the website. All I did was make an offer on a revolver, which I did (again) via GunBroker. I was not trying to subvert the website at all. The return emails all looked identical to GunBroker emails. Everything seemed proper; there was no red flags or warning signs. I wasn't trying to "cheat" GunBroker at all.

Beemerguy: thanks for the info, I'll check into it, but this wasn't phishing, it was a straight-up hacking. And from what I can tell, the federal gov't isn't interested in my problems (prolly cuz they're under-funded & I'm a nobody).

Jon651: No, the GunBroker most definitely was hacked, the real seller told me that himself as I was the 4th victim he's had in 1 month. My email went thru GunBroker, it did not make it to the actual seller as the hacker intercepted it & responded to me. With GunBroker emails which were identical to GunBroker emails. This was not my first (or 10th) time buying/selling guns there.

The seller had hundreds of positive feedbacks & was a FFL dealer with a retail firearms business. I did not reply to an ad from a private seller.

Glowe: Sure, I'm not a big poster here, but what "motives" would you think I have for posting about being ripped-off on GunBroker? It most certainly is right to blame GunBroker since: 1. they did not have any protective measures in place to prevent this (They couldn't hire an internet security company like every other internet business does?) & 2. They should have made this right to me. It was their website that was hacked & it was because they were too cheap to ensure they had a secure website.
 
How was payment made and how was your payment sent? If you used the USPS First Class mail and/or you used USPS Money Order to pay for the item, file a mail fraud claim with the USPS Postal Inspectors. It worked in my case and I got what I had purchased. The seller called me and asked if I could drop the mail fraud case as he was being threatened with prison time. I told him the claim would be in place until I received what I had ordered. A week later, my stuff arrived and I dropped the claim.
 
I hate to say it but ANY WEBSITE is no longer safe and requires caution and common sense when using! Hacker's and Scammer's are usually smarter than the honest guys and they always figure out a way.

As many here know, there have even been scammers right here on our website!! The Internet is a double edged sword - it cuts both ways!
 
Been on GB since Sept 2000. It changed ownership in the last year (hence taxes, additional fees and an abundance of scammers). I only utilize it if I’m 100% sure. If it’s a new seller with little/no feedback I steer clear.
 
Jon651 said:
Gunbroker itself is not actually being hacked, per se. Anyone with an average computer and too much time can reproduce emails that look exactly like ones from ANY business - I see them all the time in my spam folder.
Click to expand...

No, GB itself is being hacked. Fraudulent GB accounts stolen from honest accounts, pictures and descriptions from other sights. Yes an email from outside GB is suspicious on itself. But then again when I buy from a business I often get an email with an invoice.
 
When you get an e-mail, hover your pointer over it. It will give you the actual e-mail address.
G-mail click the "to me" under the email address and it will give you all the info you need about the sender
 
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I guess I’m confused. I am aware of two options on Gunbroker. “Buy it now,” which I thought had a fixed price, and participating in the auction. I always figured anything else was “going outside of Gunbroker.” But I could be wrong. I’ve always won or lost the auction. Sending an email for a “buy it now” gun seems like cheating . . .
 
malercous said:
I DID NOT TRY TO MAKE A DEAL OUTSIDE OF THE GUNBROKER WEBSITE (Why do so many people think that?) I contacted the seller thru GunBroker, I did not try to go outside of the website. All I did was make an offer on a revolver, which I did (again) via GunBroker..
Click to expand...

To reiterate, just because you make a direct deal by using Gunbroker‘s e-mail does not mean you’re not scamming Gunbroker. The ONLY way to buy on GB is to bid on the auction or buy now. Anything else cheats GB out of the fee for their services of providing the platform.
 
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How did the auction end? If the seller lowered his price to your offer and you won the auction, then GB got their fees and it is a legit sale. If the auction ended with reserve not met or the seller ended the auction and then sold you the gun for your offer, then GB did not get their seller fees. If this happened, GB is not responsible.You either win the auction by highest bid or buy it now. Any other way, they are not responsible. I have been selling and buying on there for 14 years and no problem but always use some of the points made here if any doubt- request specific pics, look at feedback and make sure it is not all from same person. If I have a buyer or seller with at least 2 neg feedbacks , I don't do business with them. Period.
If something doesn't feel right, it's probably not.
 
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It's still not completely clear here, but bottom line is if you actually WON an auction, or hit the Buy-it-now button, and got scammed, then yes, Gunbroker should attempt to make it right. If not....my Grandpa always said "your best education comes from your dumbest decisions".
 
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Why is it so hard to believe that incredibly intelligible scammers operate on GB, post on GB, and bill through GB. Go search coltforum.com. Seems a lot of scammers like to sell high end collectible Colt SAA.
 
"How was payment made and how was your payment sent? If you used the USPS First Class mail and/or you used USPS Money Order to pay for the item, file a mail fraud claim with the USPS Postal Inspectors."

I paid with USPS money orders sent via USPS Priority Mail. I did file a claim, but the actual seller was not the party who received my emails, nor my payment.

"I hate to say it but ANY WEBSITE is no longer safe and requires caution and common sense when using!"

Agreed, but this scam was so slick that anyone would have been taken. This isn't my first time on the internet.

"When you get an e-mail, hover your pointer over it. It will give you the actual e-mail address. G-mail click the "to me" under the email address and it will give you all the info you need about the sender"

It was an email from the GunBroker website, not a private email. I contacted the seller through GunBroker & the response looked like every other email I've received on GunBroker (same GunBroker logo, same font, size, layout, etc.

"Sending an email for a “buy it now” gun seems like cheating"

There was no "buy it now" option. There were no bids on the item & I merely sent the seller a question asking if he'd take $1500 for it (I made an offer). How could that possibly be construed that as "cheating?" That insinuation sounds like blaming the victim.

"To reiterate, just because you make a direct deal by using Gunbroker‘s e-mail does not mean you’re not scamming Gunbroker."

***? How could I have possibly been trying to scam GunBroker? That's quite rude of you to say something like that. If the previously cited post wasn't an example of blaming the victim, this certainly is & I'm quite offended by this insinuation; that's quite rude.

Alright, I give up. I was simply trying to warn others about being scammed & I get treated like I'm somehow at fault and/or an evil person?
 
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I mentioned it before, did you go thru Gunbroker's Check out?
How did you get the address to mail the MO?
Please post a link to the actual Gunbroker auction listing. I'm surprised no one has asked for that before.
I'm still not fitting the pieces together and I'm normally pretty good at this stuff. I am not accusing you of anything.
 
malercous said:
There was no "buy it now" option. There were no bids on the item & I merely sent the seller a question asking if he'd take $1500 for it (I made an offer). How could that possibly be construed that as "cheating?" That insinuation sounds like blaming the victim.
Click to expand...

Why didn't you just bid $1,500 and see what happened? That's how auctions work. It's clear now that you tried to circumvent the auction process . . .
 
I have never bought or sold on GB. I want to hold the gun in hand before I hand over the CASH. When I sell a gun, the buyer has the opportunity to inspect it before he hands over the CASH. That way the buyer and seller are responsible for the transaction. No second and third parties are involved. It has always worked well for me.
 
Face time or duo me with the firearm in the video so we can inspect and discuss or I will not even bother bidding.



OP you got and expensive lesson, but hopefully lesson learned.


That being said I have had EXCELLENT dealings with individuals on this site both as a buyer and a seller.
 
gotta play by the rules if you want the rules to apply to yourself.

sorry you got burned.
 
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