So there I was checking out Armslist this fine morning and lo and behold I see this ad for a nickel Python $700, very pretty. I thought ok, I’ll bite, lets see what this is all about. The guy texts me and immediately takes the ad down. He is in Page AZ, 4 hour drive. He agrees to meet in Flag in a public place, no problem with that. However he wants a $150-$200 deposit so he knows I wont flake. He wants me to install “Cashapp” and send the deposit to his “wife” Sylvia Ponce and then send me a pic of when the transaction goes through. I told him I’ll do his price and meet halfway, I even offered to share my location so he can watch me drive up the hill. Nope, he wants the deposit. Legit? A $2k Python for $700? The BS meter needle is moving. Anyway when I refused the cashapp and his response was “Ok bye”. Was it just maybe some older gent who didnt realize what he had? Maybe my over abundance of caution just screwed me out of a diamond in the rough? Slim chance but you never know. Anyway I thought Id just share this mornings Armslist adventure. Im sure it will pop up again shortly.
1980 Colt Python $700? Hmmm
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This is 100% a scam, and it's very common now. I've been in the identical scenario multiple times.
Though not consistent with all scam listings, they often are listing in "Arizona, Arizona" rather than specifying a city or area of the state. That way, no matter where you message from, they can say I'm a few hours away from you. I wonder what that guy would have said if you mentioned that you're wife was driving home from Utah later today and that she can stop in Page and pick it up.
Though not consistent with all scam listings, they often are listing in "Arizona, Arizona" rather than specifying a city or area of the state. That way, no matter where you message from, they can say I'm a few hours away from you. I wonder what that guy would have said if you mentioned that you're wife was driving home from Utah later today and that she can stop in Page and pick it up.
Pscipio03 said:
That's not a bad idea, but it doesn't mean they're not pulling a scam. It does give added legitimacy to the fact that they at least have the gun they listed.
One of the common scammer moves is to only have a couple of photos listed, and then offer the buyer a bunch of additional photos as they start going back and forth. As a buyer, it puts you at ease and makes you feel a little better about it, but in reality, it's just more photos of the same gun that they saved from someone else's Gunbroker listing.
About 5% of all items listed on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace and other venues are scams. Fortunately, at least when it comes to vehicles, they're pretty easy to spot. They claim to be selling in Arizona, but the picture is taken someplace OBVIOUSLY not Arizona. Then the price is too good. Then when you call, in some manner or form you need to send money ahead before you meet.
I got ripped off on Gunbroker for a Glock parts kit by some fraud ring. The seller listed PayPal was acceptable payment, and I thought PayPal had a pretty good record of protection from schemes, so I paid that way. The scammer said that PayPal was trying to mess with gun people and gun-related purchases (which was and is true) so insisted that to avoid such problems with PayPal, to select when I sent the funds the box on the screen which denotes the transaction is merely sending funds to friends or family, rather than goods and services. This would prevent PayPal from scrutinizing what was being transacted and keep their nose out of our business. Well,...yeah,...it sure as hell did that. What I didn't realize was that by choosing that option, I was bypassing PayPal's escrow protection for fraudulent transactions, and my funds would transfer immediately and permanently,...as well accepting all liability upon myself for if the transfer was somehow screwy, which this one was. I never received a damned thing. After waiting to receive my parts for a week and getting no response to my emails, I began to suspect I'd been had. When I contacted PayPal about it, they informed me of my error in not choosing the goods and services status for the transaction. By the time I was able to track down the account the funds had gone to, the name associated with it and the local police department to file a report, the account was long closed out and the amount of loss was under the petty theft threshold of that jurisdiction, so they were uninterested. Lord knows how many other dudes got taken like I did before that account was closed, and I'm sure their pulling that same crap today.
I got ripped off on Gunbroker for a Glock parts kit by some fraud ring. The seller listed PayPal was acceptable payment, and I thought PayPal had a pretty good record of protection from schemes, so I paid that way. The scammer said that PayPal was trying to mess with gun people and gun-related purchases (which was and is true) so insisted that to avoid such problems with PayPal, to select when I sent the funds the box on the screen which denotes the transaction is merely sending funds to friends or family, rather than goods and services. This would prevent PayPal from scrutinizing what was being transacted and keep their nose out of our business. Well,...yeah,...it sure as hell did that. What I didn't realize was that by choosing that option, I was bypassing PayPal's escrow protection for fraudulent transactions, and my funds would transfer immediately and permanently,...as well accepting all liability upon myself for if the transfer was somehow screwy, which this one was. I never received a damned thing. After waiting to receive my parts for a week and getting no response to my emails, I began to suspect I'd been had. When I contacted PayPal about it, they informed me of my error in not choosing the goods and services status for the transaction. By the time I was able to track down the account the funds had gone to, the name associated with it and the local police department to file a report, the account was long closed out and the amount of loss was under the petty theft threshold of that jurisdiction, so they were uninterested. Lord knows how many other dudes got taken like I did before that account was closed, and I'm sure their pulling that same crap today.
Oh jeez,...just read the description in the ad. Obviously English is not their first language. They know enough to say it is "vintage" thereby aware it is of greater value,...but they call the ejector rod the injector rod. Run away!!
While good deals can be had out there the old adage "if it sounds to good to be true it probably is" should always apply.
I cruise through armslist couple of times a week. Not really looking for anything .. just lookin.
Guy just recently had a BNIB Ruger 57 for $450. Its a gun I am interested in .. not hot for but interested ..but unless it fell off a truck why would anyone sell a BNIB 57 for about half the current asking price during a Gun buying frenzy? Pass!
While I am not a 20 something up on every new app .. I have never heard of the one mentioned and I am not installing anything on my computer or phone that can be a virus, sucking information.
I saw that Python and while I might give a kidney to own a nice old example I barely glimpsed at the ad as it hit the edge of my BS meter.
You done good!
Oh .. I especailly like the ad I saw recently that had a Glock 19 for sale ... and a Pic of a Ruger GP100!! :dance:
I cruise through armslist couple of times a week. Not really looking for anything .. just lookin.
Guy just recently had a BNIB Ruger 57 for $450. Its a gun I am interested in .. not hot for but interested ..but unless it fell off a truck why would anyone sell a BNIB 57 for about half the current asking price during a Gun buying frenzy? Pass!
While I am not a 20 something up on every new app .. I have never heard of the one mentioned and I am not installing anything on my computer or phone that can be a virus, sucking information.
I saw that Python and while I might give a kidney to own a nice old example I barely glimpsed at the ad as it hit the edge of my BS meter.
You done good!
Oh .. I especailly like the ad I saw recently that had a Glock 19 for sale ... and a Pic of a Ruger GP100!! :dance:
Keep flagging the ad. Tell the website also. I believed in one of these and did a friends and family paypal to an email. Lost my money. I keep looking for the ad so I can keep reporting it. Kind of an obsession now.
thom said:
Telling ArmsList via their contact form is utterly useless. I've contacted them numerous times in regards to obvious scam ads, my own ads being flagged as scams (even though they're not), etc. I never get a response, and they never take action on things through that method. As far as customer service goes, ArmsList is a crock of sh*t. All they care about is making money through commercial accounts and ads/clickbait. They don't give a rat's ass about all the fraud that takes place on their site, which I find a little surprising, but I guess their disclaimer supposedly absolves them of all legal responsibility involving mail fraud and firearms crimes. Go figure.
I usually ask for a hand-written note on lined paper. The reason for this is that it's easy to tell when they then crop the image of that paper into the stolen images they have. I was looking for a Beretta 92G several years back and a very enthusiastic seller got ahold of me, sending me numerous photos of a gorgeous 92G Elite II. I pressed for a written note on lined paper, so he sent me one. Except it would take far more time and skill than these people have to properly crop lined paper (especially when it's from a small spiral bound pad and you'd have to photoshop around each of the little holes at the top, including the torn ones). The "note" was handwritten alright, but he'd simply cropped it with a basic square shape. The lines weren't level, and the holes up top were cut off at an angle. The lighting in the note also didn't match the lighting in the photo, and there was no shadow near the edges. I called his bluff and he got pissed, but eff 'em. I'll waste as much of these douche bag's time as I possibly can, I can't stand thieves and liars!
Basher said:
Its funny some words that just get flagged.
Had a guy that desperately wanted to pay me to make him a holster. He goes to pay me and it includes my understanding of what I am making as per our conversation.
Paypal wont send the payment through... I cant figure out whats up and instead of them just denying the payment they put it in this limbo hell of "review" Days later still no money, still no change in "review" status. I start researching and think maybe because he added a gun type word and it was flagged.
The guy is frantic because he doesnt want me to think he was trying not to pay me. good dude.
Finally after almost two weeks I call.
Turns out the description included the Thread color which I called out as "Havana Cigar" Thread
Its the legit manufacturer name for it.
Havana was the lock because of the embargo!!! Cant write Havana in the description for anything on paypal or it goes to review hell!!
Im a pretty creative thinker .. I never would have come to that as the reason for non payment. World got weird while I was sleeping
I had something similar happen on a gun about a year ago. I knew it was too good to be true but I send an email anyway. The guy sends back where are you located? I said PHX and his response was the same kinda thing. Send deposit blah blah because he is in Yuma. I said perfect I have a good friend in Yuma he can meet you in 10 minutes if you'd like and then he came up with all kinds of excuses as to why he needed the deposit. Had another that said the gun was actually in Texas where he was currently stationed and the same type of deal. I said I will take the gun if you ship it to my FFL and then after I receive the item I will send the funds. He said that sounds good and I still have never got the tracking number or shipment hahaah
WIth all that said, you never know when a good deal is going to pop up. I bought a nice AK the other day from a guy for a really good price. He said I bought an AR and have no use for this anymore and this is what I paid several years ago and just want my money back. They are few and far between but they do happen.
WIth all that said, you never know when a good deal is going to pop up. I bought a nice AK the other day from a guy for a really good price. He said I bought an AR and have no use for this anymore and this is what I paid several years ago and just want my money back. They are few and far between but they do happen.
Ballistic Therapy
Member
Vinnie B said:
Nobody in their right mind would do that.
That sounds like a scam in itself.
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