SCAMMERS

[DrScaryGuy]

I saw a DEagle post here yesterday morning that was just too darn good to be true, especially in today's market. I had to pass up a similar offer ~10 years ago and i've kicked myself ever since.
I reported it to the mods immediately and shot the guy a message just in case he was woefully stupid, i would be happy to separate him from his goods.

I did try calling yesterday but he didn't answer. he responded by text though.
Turns out he wanted to fill out a full bill of sale, wanted to know the FFL i needed it shipped to. awesome. He would even research ffls in my area for me if i didn't have a preferred shop. The guy knew some stuff, or at least he was learning fast. wanted $50 to ship because it's a pistol, and that's not completely abnormal at all. I said I wanted him to have a gun shop in his area sell it to me on consignment, so that way we'd both be protected and the shop would make money for the service. turns out he HAS an ffl - how lucky is that?

So i start asking more questions, guy directs me to his website, that has the same phone number he's texting me from. well that's comforting, right? except the domain was only registered 2 weeks ago. He listed 3 locations on his turnkey website.. that didn't exactly match with the preprogrammed "20+ locations" that was on one of his pages. I asked for a copy of his ffl, and he was quick to shoot me a picture. the FFL he shot me is even in the state he said he was in - but the address doesn't match his website. (I had already checked the ATF list of all FFLs in florida and his "shop" wasn't on it)

So I look up the company listed on his FFL, on the other side of the state. I figure i can't trust anything the guy is saying, so i go with google results. I called the shop and they said the ATF is already looking into it. somebody got a copy of the FFL and seems to be using it fraudulently. I asked if he wouldn't be interested in the information I had come up with, and he was happy to copy it down, including the website and phone number. Maybe it's one guy, maybe it's a group all working the same scam. i dunno. but that's how i spent a bit of my day off.

[coobie]

I saw a DEagle post here yesterday morning that was just too darn good to be true, especially in today's market. I had to pass up a similar offer ~10 years ago and i've kicked myself ever since.
I reported it to the mods immediately and shot the guy a message just in case he was woefully stupid, i would be happy to separate him from his goods.

I did try calling yesterday but he didn't answer. he responded by text though.
Turns out he wanted to fill out a full bill of sale, wanted to know the FFL i needed it shipped to. awesome. He would even research ffls in my area for me if i didn't have a preferred shop. The guy knew some stuff, or at least he was learning fast. wanted $50 to ship because it's a pistol, and that's not completely abnormal at all. I said I wanted him to have a gun shop in his area sell it to me on consignment, so that way we'd both be protected and the shop would make money for the service. turns out he HAS an ffl - how lucky is that?

So i start asking more questions, guy directs me to his website, that has the same phone number he's texting me from. well that's comforting, right? except the domain was only registered 2 weeks ago. He listed 3 locations on his turnkey website.. that didn't exactly match with the preprogrammed "20+ locations" that was on one of his pages. I asked for a copy of his ffl, and he was quick to shoot me a picture. the FFL he shot me is even in the state he said he was in - but the address doesn't match his website. (I had already checked the ATF list of all FFLs in florida and his "shop" wasn't on it)

So I look up the company listed on his FFL, on the other side of the state. I figure i can't trust anything the guy is saying, so i go with google results. I called the shop and they said the ATF is already looking into it. somebody got a copy of the FFL and seems to be using it fraudulently. I asked if he wouldn't be interested in the information I had come up with, and he was happy to copy it down, including the website and phone number. Maybe it's one guy, maybe it's a group all working the same scam. i dunno. but that's how i spent a bit of my day off.

Same guy I spoke with and reported.

[BillR]

I saw a DEagle post here yesterday morning that was just too darn good to be true, especially in today's market. I had to pass up a similar offer ~10 years ago and i've kicked myself ever since.
I reported it to the mods immediately and shot the guy a message just in case he was woefully stupid, i would be happy to separate him from his goods.

I did try calling yesterday but he didn't answer. he responded by text though.
Turns out he wanted to fill out a full bill of sale, wanted to know the FFL i needed it shipped to. awesome. He would even research ffls in my area for me if i didn't have a preferred shop. The guy knew some stuff, or at least he was learning fast. wanted $50 to ship because it's a pistol, and that's not completely abnormal at all. I said I wanted him to have a gun shop in his area sell it to me on consignment, so that way we'd both be protected and the shop would make money for the service. turns out he HAS an ffl - how lucky is that?

So i start asking more questions, guy directs me to his website, that has the same phone number he's texting me from. well that's comforting, right? except the domain was only registered 2 weeks ago. He listed 3 locations on his turnkey website.. that didn't exactly match with the preprogrammed "20+ locations" that was on one of his pages. I asked for a copy of his ffl, and he was quick to shoot me a picture. the FFL he shot me is even in the state he said he was in - but the address doesn't match his website. (I had already checked the ATF list of all FFLs in florida and his "shop" wasn't on it)

So I look up the company listed on his FFL, on the other side of the state. I figure i can't trust anything the guy is saying, so i go with google results. I called the shop and they said the ATF is already looking into it. somebody got a copy of the FFL and seems to be using it fraudulently. I asked if he wouldn't be interested in the information I had come up with, and he was happy to copy it down, including the website and phone number. Maybe it's one guy, maybe it's a group all working the same scam. i dunno. but that's how i spent a bit of my day off.

Whats you're opinion on a post count limit for the classifieds ?

[a.lantz733]

I like the idea of a members only marketplace in addition to general classified ads

[Quads]

I like the idea of a members only marketplace in addition to general classified ads

Meaning anyone can view, but only paid / credentialed members can participate?

[DrScaryGuy]

Meaning anyone can view, but only paid / credentialed members can participate?

from what i understand, the pay-to-play at armslist has only stopped some of the scammers
remember that we may be dealing with people who are out of work and have nothing to do but dream up ways to scam folks for minimal investment.

[DrScaryGuy]

Whats you're opinion on a post count limit for the classifieds ?

you mean like posting your own introduction and then saying hi in the last 20 threads opened there?
30 seconds per post - ~10 minutes
Won't stop somebody who wants to scam folks
buyer beware, rely on feedback, do your diligence, keep your own butt covered.

[Quads]

from what i understand, the pay-to-play at armslist has only stopped some of the scammers
remember that we may be dealing with people who are out of work and have nothing to do but dream up ways to scam folks for minimal investment.

Armslist's footprint and audience is 49X that of MGO as well.
https://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/migunowners.org
vs.
https://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/armslist.com

You're never going to get rid of all of them. For a normal user who wants to be part of the MGO community, you're not asking a lot to have them validate their intentions, post count, paid membership to sell, whatever. Versus MGO being a free for all marketplace of hit and runs and scammers and flakes that make it a challenging experience at best for regular users to buy, sell, and trade occasionally. At some point, (and perhaps this has already happened) the management of MGO Forumlandia needs to ask and decide if they want the forum classified to be open to the hit and runs, flakes, and fly by scammers, or for the benefit of the community to its core user base. If what it is now is acceptable, then you deal with it and move on. It's just that easy. I can spot a scam a mile away. I've been scammed and flaked on. It sucks. Whatever. I proceed with extreme caution and reservation with someone I don't know or new to the community. Caveat emptor. It doesn't get any more clock-cycles put into it until it's more of a problem than anyone wants to deal with. If what it is now is acceptable, (whatever that number is, a few a week, one a day, whatever) then keep on keeping on. Life is good. If it's not, then a different solution is put in place.

[AxlMyk]

I like the idea of a members only marketplace in addition to general classified ads

Another forum I belong to, sawmillcreek, requires you be a paying member to post, or reply to an ad.
All others can view, and only PM the poster.

[Wdoug1958]

I was a paying member before, then changed ISP, lost email tied to that provider and couldn't remember my login and had to sign up with a new email through gmail.

I was selling off my collection on another site and shipping everything. Then someone recommended coming back here and putting up ads. I've been pricing most of my stuff low and sold a bit in face to face deals. I'd rather do that then get someone's money and taking the risk of items going missing with today's shipping.

I no longer ship ammo and haven't in years. Just not worth it coming up missing and having someone think you have scammed them. I was ripped off once on an online gun purchase, money stolen. I always sell a gun that has to ship high enough to cover full insurance, even though I have never had one go missing that I have shipped.