Get a rope…

Bert H. said
If anyone receives an unsolicited offer to sell you anything, please report it to me immediately.  In the past several months we have had a scammer attempting to sell items via a third-party person.  I have deleted at least three different Guest user registrations from what I suspect is the same person (the most recent was from a “Ferrell Cohen”).

Again, if you receive an offer to sell you something, immediately report it directly to me. Forward the PM to me with the suspect User name.

Bert – Admin

  

Hi Bert,

I just forwarded you a PM from Ferrell Cohen.

Thanks,

Don

Got a couple coming to you Bert. Involves Ferrrin and adds a personal address of a member. When responding to that personal address, they seemed surprised I had the address, disclosed they were a member, then offered an 1886 barrel I had posted as a WTB. Will send personal email address of that member to you, all in a private message to you. I have his offer and pictures of barrel he wants to sell. I’m sensitive to disclosing a private email address of a member involved in this, but will do so to you

Bill

The same problem has surfaced among luxury or rare vintage watch collectors. As in valuable Rolex or Patek 

watches, know your buyer or seller.  It does start getting personal when fraudulent individuals start hijacking member emails

and IDs including WACA membership data. The FBI does keep track of these incidents, and in some cases have worked to get 

funds recovered for victims of  the scam.

If WACA members would like, I can provide the individual FBI site location to them on a restricted basis. I am a former DOJ Special Agent.  Enough interest

from the government might just work to discourage these examples of low life.

Bert, 

I had Ferrell in a conversation back and forth about a barrel. He wanted money up front, of course.  As per your suggestion, I asked where the guy lived, and he responded “ Pasadena, Ca. “. Since it’s only an hour North of me, I suggested we meet for an inspection, and he got quiet. A week later I emailed him and asked if he still had the barrel. “ Marylin” responded yes, he still had the barrel, would drop the price $20 and would mail it after I paid him. Once again, I asked him to meet me and that’s the last I’ve heard from him ( or them )……maybe he’ll contact me and lower the price again !!!!

I don’t say I’ve seen the elephant and heard the owl, but this is what I’ve seen:

While offering-to-sell scammers are a serious concern, the sting is almost always intended to occur remotely and the potential victim is not at physical risk, UNLESS the scammer suggests a face-to-face closing.  If your local police department provides a safe place for that purpose, offer to meet there but not otherwise because, if it’s a scam, the plan includes armed robbery or worse. 

Offering-to-buy scammers have to work harder, to persuade you to ship the merchandise on the strength of a forged cashier’s check or money order. IMPORTANT SAFETY TIP: Don’t rely on the putative drawee bank’s computer to detect the forgery in a couple of business days. It can take much longer — even though your depository bank has credited your account with good funds. These scams that involve forged instruments typically seek expensive merchandise. One of my old banking client customers lost a pair of matched Purdey bird guns.  The sting was based on a forged bank money order for $25,000, which tells you how long ago it happened. 

Anybody who wants to meet you in person to buy a firearm for cash, that you don’t know well or who hasn’t been vouched for by reliable sources,  should be met only at your friendly cop shop, where “Riot Call” Dugan, the large, well-armed desk sergeant and his uniformed pals, can glower over the transaction.  If it was a scam, they (more than one) intended to murder you and take your stuff. If they’ll do it for a cell phone (and they have), they’ll do it for a Model 12 they can cut down. 

Once the horse is out of the barn, it is almost always a long time gone. Might as well sue the wind. 

I just received a PM from the “guest member” Jeffsheen with this email address.

When will the PM function be switched off for guests?

Greetings

Steff