GunsAmerica Scammer?

[Colt]

I posted a pistol for sale on GunsAmerica this weekend. A number of interested parties inquired about the price, condition, etc.

I responded to a couple of the more serious inquiries with details on what type of payment I accept, and how their FFL will need to exchange licenses and contact information with my local FFL. My asking price for the pistol is $615. One of the interested parties replied with the following email this morning:

Thanks for the mail.I am okay with the price and details of the gun.My associate in the states will issue a check of $4,500 to you in which you are to deduct the asking price of the gun plus shippment which i believe is $615 and have the remaining funds transfered to My FFL Dealer who will give you his address for the shippment.Also he will be using the funds to get my License and some other Documents to own the Gun.I am aware of the stress and hassles so i am compensating you with an additional $100 so kindly get back to me with your full name,home address and all your contact phone numbers with go ahead to send the payment and the assurance that i can trust you with the remaining funds.
Awaits your mail soonest.

Obviously, this is not someone with whom I will be doing business.

What does this person hope to gain? What's the point of sending this to me? Does this person really expect me to send my full name, address, and contact information to him?

Is there anything I should do with this email, with either GunsAmerica or some other authority?

 

[Aguila Blanca]

I posted a pistol for sale on GunsAmerica this weekend. A number of interested parties inquired about the price, condition, etc.

I responded to a couple of the more serious inquiries with details on what type of payment I accept, and how their FFL will need to exchange licenses and contact information with my local FFL. My asking price for the pistol is $615. One of the interested parties replied with the following email this morning:



Obviously, this is not someone with whom I will be doing business.

What does this person hope to gain? What's the point of sending this to me? Does this person really expect me to send my full name, address, and contact information to him?

Is there anything I should do with this email, with either GunsAmerica or some other authority?

Yes, it's a scam. It has been written up previously, can't remember if it was here or on another forum. The checks are bogus, so what he's hoping is that you'll ship the gun and be stuck with a rubber check.

 

[markdaniel]

I would report it to your local authorities first then see where to go from there

 

[migoi]

A common scam..

explained at http://www.snopes.com/crime/fraud/cashier.asp

migoi

 

[BenW]

Sounds like a Nigerian wannabe...

 

[Colt]

Yes, it's a scam. It has been written up previously, can't remember if it was here or on another forum. The checks are bogus, so what he's hoping is that you'll ship the gun and be stuck with a rubber check.

I'm familiar with some of the other out-of-country scams, and I agree that this follows the pattern.

What I don't understand is the care, time & custimization of his response. First he contacts me about the GA ad, asking some specifics on gun condition, shipping costs, etc. Then he responds, citing specific dollar amounts contained in the ad, along with his unusual request.

Do these people really spend this amount of time and attention on each scam victim? I guess I always figured the scams were done using internet crawlers and automated email programs. Kind of a one-click scam tool.

I guess I'm just struck by the time and interaction that took place in order to generate this request, going so far as to include "FFL dealer" language, and so on...

 

[foghornl]

Let me see...how can I say this ? ? ? ?

SCAM! ! ! RUN AWAY!

A co-worker almost got caught in this same thing, but it was a car sale instead of a firearm sale...same basic premise.

Another site for info about scams & counter measures is {IIRC} www.419eater.com

 

[Declaration Day]

My associate in the states will issue a check of $4,500 to you in which you are to deduct the asking price of the gun plus shippment which i believe is $615 and have the remaining funds transfered to My FFL Dealer who will give you his address for the shippment.

I'll tell you what he hopes to gain. He wants to send you a fake check for $4500. Then he asks you to transfer the difference to his "FFL dealer" immediately. This is key, because he is trying get you to send your money to his partner in crime, before you (and your bank) find out that the check is fake.

I have seen this scam a million times, but never with a gun. It is usually a car or a boat.

Respond to him, and tell him that you want to wait until his check clears. I bet you never hear from him again, or if he is persistent, he will try to convince you to send the money.

See www.thescambaiter.com for hours of fun and a good education about what these guys do.

In particular, check out the completed "Cole 1.0" bait and the ongoing "Cole 2.0" bait. Set aside several hours for this, you won't be able to stop reading, or laughing.

 

[joab]

Agree to the conditions
Set up a new account with about a $5 or $10 deposit to recieve this check
Wait three days to tell the buyer that your bank will not release the funds and will have to wait for the check to clear with his bank.

While doing all this contact the authorities to set up a sting on the "FFL" if possible.

 

[Nathanael_Greene]

Do these people really spend this amount of time and attention on each scam victim? I guess I always figured the scams were done using internet crawlers and automated email programs. Kind of a one-click scam tool.

I guess I'm just struck by the time and interaction that took place in order to generate this request, going so far as to include "FFL dealer" language, and so on...

I imagine that they have a pretty streamlined operation, so each one may not take as long as you think. They've probably got boilerplate text for the emails, and they just substitute the details for each transaction.

Have you contacted Gunsamerica about this? They're known for being indifferent to complaints, but this sort of international scam might bring them a lot of unwanted attention.

 

[hso]

I'd contact the FBI since this involves both wire fraud and an ATF issue.

 

[DHFirearms]

Do these people really spend this amount of time and attention on each scam victim? I guess I always figured the scams were done using internet crawlers and automated email programs. Kind of a one-click scam tool...

Absolutely, they spend a few emails and a few hours of their time trying to bilk you out of a few grand. Thats a pretty good hourly rate. What was their offer to you $4500 you keep $615 then send $3885 to a third party.

Malicious P.O.S. Internet Scam artists. I have my concerns about a guy wanting to pay through Qchex right now for a gun.

 

[trickyasafox]

its definatly a scam. i've seen it more for appts and cars though. tell him you only accept certified checks.

 

[Declaration Day]

I imagine that they have a pretty streamlined operation, so each one may not take as long as you think. They've probably got boilerplate text for the emails, and they just substitute the details for each transaction.

You are right, this is exactly what they do. They have a template e-mail, and they simply change out the details.

They also have a hierarchy. The "high level" scammers, called Ogas, pay recruits to find email addresses and send out the scam mails en masse. Once somebody responds, the potential victim gets passed up the chain to a more experienced scammer.

 

[redbearde]

The same sort of thing was tried on me when I tried to sell my truck. I had some fun with the guy.

Check it out here: http://ydna.freeshell.org/mugupaul.html

I never did get any money out of him...but it wasn't for lack of trying.

 

[JohnBT]

Well, you can do what this woman did when they tried to scam her on a horse sale...jerk 'em around and around and around. (She has a whole site devoted to these tales.)

www.bustedupcowgirl.com/scam1.html

 

[Lucky]

I read a case where a guy had a scammer try to get him to send his laptop which was for sale. He posted it on a forum, and a plan was figured out to make a laptop out of cardboard, with just pieces of garbage thrown in, and a keyboard that was drawn on. The humorous part was that the dumbass pretended to be really really dumb, so that he could send the package by expensive mail, and he wrote a high $value on the package so the scammer would have to pay hundreds of dollars in customs duties.

Then they found the address and volunteers staked it out

 

[71Commander]

I'd contact the FBI since this involves both wire fraud and an ATF issue.

I'm not sure that the BATFe would be interested in a crook doing something illegal involving guns. I think that they're only interested in catching honest people who do something unsuspecting, such as putting your gun in a glove box while visiting a Post Office.

 

[WillBrayJr]

It's a scam. In November of 2005 I posted my KSC G-18C for sale and got a similar e-mail. I simply canned it and wen't to the next buyer. I maybe a dumb blonde but I'm far from being a stupid blonde.

 

[waterhouse]

I got several of these emails over a two month period last year, all for various guns I had listed for sale. I replied to all of them that I had no interest in being a bank. After a couple months they completely stopped, so I guess they crossed my email off the list and moved on to the next guy.

 

[DHFirearms]

I just recieved a check for $2000 through this Qchex system. Since the only transaction I'm currently working on is for $400 I'm waiting for the buyer to say he overpaid and ask that the difference be returned. I contacted the business listed on the check and they claim they've never heard of the person who sent the check but I'm not sure if thier part of the scam or are getting ripped off. They asked that I do nothing with the check but made no comment as to contacting thier bank or authorities to report this. Kind of questionable in my opinion.

 

[HerrWolfe]

If an out of country check, even cashiers check, is made out to you, and you cash it, you must endorse the check, which makes YOU liable if the check bounces.
If a deal sounds too good to be true, it usually is! This is why we need international kick men, to kick 'em in the groin so they straighten up.

 

[gulogulo1970]

I would report it to your local authorities first then see where to go from there

Well it involves guns state lines and such, sounds like a job for the FBI.

 

[Malice]

Funniest scam the scammers ever. This is a link to the powerbook story mentioned above.

WARNING STRONG LANGUAGE

http://www.zug.com/pranks/powerbook/

 

[Manedwolf]

I posted a pistol for sale on GunsAmerica this weekend. A number of interested parties inquired about the price, condition, etc.

I responded to a couple of the more serious inquiries with details on what type of payment I accept, and how their FFL will need to exchange licenses and contact information with my local FFL. My asking price for the pistol is $615. One of the interested parties replied with the following email this morning:



Obviously, this is not someone with whom I will be doing business.

What does this person hope to gain? What's the point of sending this to me? Does this person really expect me to send my full name, address, and contact information to him?

Is there anything I should do with this email, with either GunsAmerica or some other authority?

It's a really sorry rewrite of the Nigerian bank scam. You can look that one up for more info on how it works. Basically, you'd end up with a bum check and they'd get the purchase amount.

Also an example of Darwinism in action, if they're trying to scam armed people.