Are you asking yourself, “Am I being scammed?”

SCAMMERS ARE HERE!

If you think you are being scammed on this forum, then the answer is likely a strong  “maybe.”

We have had several users post in someone’s For Sale thread that they would like to purchase the item for sale.  Not long after, they will get a message via PM or an email from someone else with a similar item for sale for less.

A partial list of things to look out for:
—Usually from someone that has just joined.
—Maybe requested payment via non-refundable online payment methods.  Most of these payment methods are illegal for firearms!  
—Probably offering inter-state direct sale and shipping.  Also, illegal for firearms except for in-state direct person to person transfers under limited conditions.  FFLs exist for a reason!
—Probably asking you to contact ANOTHER party off site.
—Likely providing photos stolen from other online sources.
—Did they tell you a sad story or try to gain your sympathy in order to get you to do something you might not otherwise do?
—Are they getting desperate and suddenly begin offering you to send half the money now and half later?

Guess what, these scammers are also posting items up for sale as well!  We have already banned one user for this.  I am sure more will follow.

Here is a list of all the things the Bullseye Forum team of admins can do for you if you get scammed.
 1. Nothing
 2. Nada
 3. Nil

BUYER BEWARE!!!  We allow sale listings for members, but we are not enforcers or detectives.

Look for sellers with a past of valid posts. Not just filler posts that make them look like they have been active.
 
Look for sellers that can provide a reference or just ask the other forum users if they know the seller in real life.

Is it too good to be true?  It probably is!

What to do if you feel like something strange is happening?  Let us know what is going on!  Make a post in the thread, PM an admin, use the forum contact form.  We can’t do much AFTER the scam, but we can do things BEFORE they happen.

Help your fellow forum members and friends by reporting suspicious postings and messages.  We can’t help if we don’t know there is trouble, that is why the scammers will contact you directly, hoping to avoid public notice.

We seldom have trouble, as we are tight knit community, as such there is a lot of trust here.  That trust can be too easily taken advantage of. Be careful out there folks!

When buying things from other forum members, I ask them, "Where do you shoot? Who do you shoot with?"

I generally can get within at most two degrees of separation. Then I reach out to our mutual acquaintance and ask, "Hey, do you know BULLSY2601?" If I can't, then something smells funny.

The reciprocal is fine by me. If I'm selling or buying something, feel free to ask mutual acquaintances if I'm good for it.

(But please don't ask them to vouch for my character. )

I got scammed on here. A guy wanted to buy a red dot for his daughter. I sold him an Aimpoint 2000 for a great price. Less than a week later it was for sale on eBay. Big profit for him. Beware of the good story too.

I just read this post and saw I had a message. Someone offering a steal on some Pardini Magazines... I just happened to get some Pardini magazines from another forum member a few weeks ago... 

User has no posts, joined yesterday (7/22/2021), no name in message. He did mention he is selling due to pay for his cancer treatments.

If user maxspent is legit I would be happy to help him out, otherwise it seems like another sad scammer.

lyoke wrote:I just read this post and saw I had a message. Someone offering a steal on some Pardini Magazines... I just happened to get some Pardini magazines from another forum member a few weeks ago... 

User has no posts, joined yesterday (7/22/2021), no name in message. He did mention he is selling due to pay for his cancer treatments.

If user maxspent is legit I would be happy to help him out, otherwise it seems like another sad scammer.

Maxspent offer to sell me a built 1911 due to cancer also.

KNOW it is a BIG hassle to moderate and administer (I do it on a large MH site). But our local sites, which had a divorce and now there are TWO....same software and rules and such.... USE an eBay rating system.

After a sale/buy, you can leave a feedback. Your number of POSITIVE feedbacks becomes a factor in "Who Do you Trust...?".

Might be something to consider. Being a newbie, I can refer folks to our two local firearms blogs as well as my eBay rating (600 or so, I think).  

I DO get squeamish about large purchases for firearms that are sight unseen.  I have only done a few small purchases here which were great and I have not sold anything of major value.

As to the resale.....that DOES happen. The prices here, for the most part, especially on optics, are much lower ($$wise) than on eBay.  I also directed a local member here to sell a nice Ultradot that had no interest on our local blog as they are more "tactical" than BE oriented....

Just my $0.02 worth....

Maxspent contacted me through PM a couple days after I committed to buy Jon Eullete's Hammerli 208 offering to sell me a Hammerli for $500 due to cancer. I told him to keep his scam.

Bill

To Len - resale does not mean scam.  I understand you are willing to let something go cheaper out of comaradery and can certainly appreciate you being pissed off, but it is not defined as a scam.  If someone posts here cheaper and buyer resells higher it is their prerogative, you could have posted higher elsewhere or asked higher price here.  Again, I totally understand that we have comaradery to each other and not scumbag each other. 

Folks, ask for pictures from other angles, the ones that seller did not show.  If they cannot provide those pics then post is fake.  Google photos and wording.  I lately found like 5 listings on GB that were stolen word for word and pic for pic from other sales a long while back.  Ask for phone number.  IP phone is a good indicator of scam.  Google to align phone number with name and address.  Look at the vicinity of address and phone area code to be remotely close.  Ask questions that only a seasoned user would know.  I lately found a nice 2011 in a state restricted to mag capacity, asked seller how many rounds per mag and they were like 16, yea right = scam.  Ask to send check vs money order, in this case your financial institution may actually help you to track down transaction if it goes south.  Money order only when you know the other party well or seller is a business or FFL.

I purchased a pistol earlier in the year from Hammer457 and was concerned as user had only 19 posts.  However, he gave me exact pics I asked, his cell phone number was sourced in the vicinity of the address.  I googled his name and address matched perfectly + even had radio related certifications to the address and name.  He did me a solid by holding gun for few months as my permit cleared (NJ is terrible).  I was assured everything is good as he reached out to me few times to check if ready.  Gun received in perfect condition, so huge thank you!

Stay vigilant!!!

THANK YOU for telling me about Maxspent.  That user is banned now.  He was the reason I made this thread and I figured someone would corroborate the story I had already heard from one user.

These guys try to get as many folks as possible before the inevitable ban happens in hopes of getting lucky.

Also, thanks to you guys looking out for each other.

Let's not get carried away. Fraud is an intentionally deceptive action designed to provide the perpetrator with an unlawful gain or to deny a right to a victim.  There is nothing unlawful and victim willingly gave away at a reduced cost while keeping a right of not doing so.
It is unethical, but not fraudulent. Big difference.

However, obtaining money or goods free of charge under false pretense IS fraud.

NO!  You say it To-MAY-to, not To-MAH-to.  

Back on topic folks.  We are looking for scammers seeking to take advantage of multiple forum members with malicious intent, not some dude being a butthead.

Max spent tried to sell me 38 sp brass with the cancer BS too. I did NOT fall for it luckily.

I’m fresh as morning dew here, but when perusing the for sale forum (newbies like to buy stuff lol ) I’m looking at the seller’s profile, history, and, most importantly, whether they participate in other sub forums here and how they have conducted themselves. If they are absent, huge red flag regardless of date of joining. If they are constantly critical and argumentative, red flag. Heck even if they are legit, I don’t enjoy being around that attitude.

Btw, I would want to know if a purchaser was a flipper. No thanks, your money is no good here. I look for good folks with legit interests in the subject and supportive camaraderie. And my selling is as often to help someone out as for the money (I’ve been on RFC, off and on, for many years).

RodJ wrote: and,  most importantly, whether they participate in other sub forums here and how they have conducted themselves.

Agreed

I used to frequent another forum that required a minimum of ten posts in order to sell in the classifieds. The posts had have some substance as well Not just "+1" or "What he said". You had to actually contribute to other discussions.

It seemed to work fairly well.

The issue there is that it puts extra burden on the Administrators/Moderators.

Some good thoughts there from everyone. From now on I'm only selling to people that have more posts than I do.

Good idea! It is a limited customer base, but Jim is loaded with tons of cash from all the $$$ we make volunteering here!  

He’ll take two of everything you got.  


Len, I do sympathize with you.  I was taken advantage of by a fellow BE shooter I have stood next to on the line for years.  He beat me down on the price because “We are shooting buddies, come on man! You got to give me a good price!”  

****Two weeks later he is BRAGGING TO ME about how much money he made reselling my pistol!****

LenV wrote:Some good thoughts there from everyone. From now on I'm only selling to people that have more posts than I do.

Len, I'll cut you a deal on some once-fired primers. Practically new.

PM sent (to Len)

Joytoshoot underbid you John. And it's for a good cause.. on a side note. Did you know primers are brass and worth about $5 a lb?

LenV wrote:Some good thoughts there from everyone. From now on I'm only selling to people that have more posts than I do.

Y’all are going to make it tough on us folks that just found out about the site!

I’m a member of a site here in Mississippi...MSGO.com  we require a number of post before they’re allowed to sell in the classified section.  

Regardless!  Thank you for accepting my membership!  

In the 80’s I was fresh out of college, working, no kids, no wife.... now I’m considering selling some of the toys I accumulated that are only lovingly fondled maybe once a year....

Lol, I’m a sorry shot and all my handguns and long guns shoot better than me!   Here I am later in life learning that i have an astigmatism .... never really understood how others perceived the proper site picture!  .... that pumpkin on a stop just didn’t look right...

My post was a little bit sarcastic. There is only one poster I know of with more posts than me. And we already sell things back and forth...

I'm concerned by the volume of folks in the last week posting their personal phone numbers and email addresses. This forum is public - classifieds can be viewed without logging in. Do our members just get so much spam email and scam phone calls that they've already given up? Phone #s and emails unless they're purposefully public to all knowledge (like contact info for your business) should be kept to PMs. Your phone numbers and email addresses Will be targeted if posted on public forums first by scammers, and perhaps some day by anti gunners.

If a user wishes to share their personal email or phone number. That's not a scam.

We are all adults here, and we can decide for ourselves what sort of internet footprint we have.

If you think you are being scammed, CONTACT the admin team by clicking "contact" below. Tell us the username of the scammer and what they did to you. Follow ups lead to delays and other scams.

Just click the "Contact" link at the bottom of every forum page and the entire admin team will know about it.