Watch out for this scam

[Marksman41]

I'm not sure if this is the correct forum to post this but it's a great fyi regarding buyer beware!

I thought I had a great buy for a Dan Wesson .44 Magnum lined up on Armslist until my sixth sense told me something wasn't right with the deal. My first clue was that it seemed to good to be true (it was a scam). Next was the style of the sellers communication which is very similar to the Nigerian money scam e-mails.

Here's the Armslist auction listing:

ARMSLIST - For Sale: B352 Dan Wesson 44mag 8" barrel 95%

Then after my spidey-sense kicked in I found it on Gunbroker:

Added to this weirdness is the fact that the seller wanted me to send a USPS money order to a name and address in Georgia, when his listing is for Nevada and the real gun is located in Texas.

I could easily have been out $450 if the seller had been smoother in his communication. Am I glad he wasn't!

 

[05CarbonDRZ]

Those same *** "Sellers" run scams on my local armslist also.Armslist should be treated exactly like Craigslist,Face to Face transactions ONLY.This will cut down on 95% of scams.Thanks for posting this,Knowledge is power.

 

[gdnagle]

Those same *** "Sellers" run scams on my local armslist also.Armslist should be treated exactly like Craigslist,Face to Face transactions ONLY.This will cut down on 95% of scams.Thanks for posting this,Knowledge is power.

In a well lighted high traffic area, preferably in the parking lot of your local PD if acceptable and you don't bring the SWAT team out. Heard of robberies with some car deals. And don't think just because you carry you can take on a gang of them. That's like all the pepper's thinking they are going to be the survivors. Might be prepared but someone has to lose.

CYA is good sense.

 

[ahoss79]

I've run into this a couple of times also. A trick that I learned is to copy and paste the description from Armslist into Google search. So far the scams have not failed to turn up to a previous auction or listing.

I've also found that if you request a phone number to call them, either they won't give you one, or you call and the person doesn't speak very good english or when asked on phone, either can't give a serial number or gives a serial number that doesn't make sense.

If you run across one, make sure you flag it, so someone doesn't get taken.

 

[BCDWYO]

The Armslist link has been taken down as a flagged scammer.

So the GB listing is legit and the Armslist scammer just copied the info?

 

[Tall Pine]

Same here. The one I noticed was for a 629 magna classic. He's probably still on there despite many flagged removals. The gun is pictured on a yellow cloth. He ripped off a gunbroker ad and pictures verbatim. Another way to tell is to click sellers other listings. Most of time they post in multiple cities all over USA. Buyers beware!

 

[Tall Pine]

The Armslist link has been taken down as a flagged scammer.

So the GB listing is legit and the Armslist scammer just copied the info?

Yes I think the GB ads are probably valid. The one in my case sold as normal, yet armslist scam remains.

 

[05CarbonDRZ]

Same here. The one I noticed was for a 629 magna classic. He's probably still on there despite many flagged removals. The gun is pictured on a yellow cloth. He ripped off a gunbroker ad and pictures verbatim. Another way to tell is to click sellers other listings. Most of time they post in multiple cities all over USA. Buyers beware!

You can also copy the text in to google and find the original listing on Gunbroker or Guns of america.These clowns don't even bother changing the text.

 

[THEWELSHM]

Had you bought it on a credit card you would be fine though right? That's if the buyer took credit cards I guess Maybe 3% could be cheap insurance

thewelshm

 

[Tall Pine]

Had you bought it on a credit card you would be fine though right? That's if the buyer took credit cards I guess Maybe 3% could be cheap insurance

thewelshm

I wouldn't trust the credit card company would honor something like that. Too risky to assume they would imho.

 

[05CarbonDRZ]

All the crooks want postal money orders anyways.

 

[haris1]

scams

One guy on armslist copied pattontime(forum member) ad verbatim with a buy it now except Armslist doesnt offer buy it now!! I found that their engish usually isnt good and they want wire transfers. A cyber crime detective told me that these scammers use bank accounts as mules. They find an inactive one and get access somehow. You wire the money in. They then dip in and take it out and the account holder sees money in and money out and assumes its just compensating errors.
The way I catch them is to ask a dumb question like how many speedloaders come with that 45 automatic or does that 3 inch 44 magnum have a blued slide stop or a stainless one?
Gets them every time!!!Another thing, they dont know about ffl's and are usually willing to ship direct to you .

 

[6actual]

Whut-the...

Not long ago I saw a pistol "listed" on armslist in Cali. the pistol was the exact same photos of a 4013 I had just bought in Fla. I was just doing a search to see how many were around and prices, low and behold there was my pistol for sale! LOL
ANYTHING on Arse-list is FTF only and with backup at the meet.

 

[AgentSmith]

All the crooks want postal money orders anyways.

I thought this was the safest form of payment?

 

[Marksman41]

BCDWYO - yep, the Armslist was the phony and the Gunbroker was the legit sale. Armslist ad copied the GB ad verbatim as well as the pictures. When I asked for additional photos beyond the four in the Armslist ad, the scammer copied more from the GB sale - but not the ones I requested. Three clues that set off my warning bells:

1. Armslist ad has the gun listed as a private sale, but there was a tag on the trigger guard like the ones you see at gunshops.

2. The seller said he really liked the gun and I would too, but didn't show any competence about firearms knowledge. I asked for photos of the front of the barrel/muzzle three times. Scammer replied with two e-mails that didn't acknowledge my specific request, and finally got lucky on the third e-mail with an oblique shot of the muzzle.

3. Scammer said he had other guys wanting to buy the pistol, but no deal yet. Big red flag as I can't imagine any Dan Wesson admirer passing up the gun in the ad at only $450.

THEWESLHM - paying by credit card wasn't an option. Not too much of a warning sign for me as I have bought from private sellers in the past and have used USPS money orders. With the issues that came up with this guy, though, if I was crazy enough to try the deal I would only have done it if he took the gun to a verified FFL, and I received confirmation from the FFL that the gun was real.

AgentSmith - from what I've been reading, a USPS money order is not very safe. Once it is cashed, the sender has no recourse as the Post Office only gets involved when something is stolen from the mail. In the case of a money order sent to someone, nothing was stolen so no interest in prosecuting.

 

[shouldazagged]

Call me a sentimental old fool, but if I had any money to buy guns (I no longer do since I retired) I would never buy a gun I couldn't examine thoroughly. And I want to look the seller in the eye in a public setting.

It was nearly always LGS or pawn shop purchases, or buying from people I knew reasonably well.

I know that puts me behind the times. So do lots of other things.

 

[haris1]

scams where ads are copied

here is a python for $3100 in a real Auction ARMS ad that closed in february

Item:10869007 Colt Python Nickel 2 1/2 Sweet 357 Magnum 1972 Manufac. For Sale at GunAuction.com


look below-same ad going on now at Auction Arms-the site disabled the ad but wording is exactly the same-

Colt Python Nickel 2 1/2 Sweet 357 Magnum 1972 Manufac For Sale at GunAuction.com

great Buy - a Colt/Clark pistol for $450 wow!!

http://www.armslist.com/posts/18407...s-rifles-for-sale--clark-long-slide--38-super

 

[glenncal1]

I had a similar experience with a shot gun I saw on armslist, when the "seller" stated that he wanted the money sent by western union- game over.

 

[Lost Lake]

I thought this was the safest form of payment?

Safe for who? Not the payer...

Use a credit card when you don't know the person. You can cancel the transaction if you get burnt.

I argued for two months when a guy kept my deposit on an ATV he said was good, but I found the frame had been re-welded and a lot of new parts were installed. Only my credit card could get the money back for me.

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