This sort of thing pops up from time to time. Here are some things I've noticed about scammers:
1.) Don't trust someone just because they use a full name (as in the case at hand) rather than a handle. More often than not that is exactly what scammer do. They make up an alias and list under it.
2.) Be wary of people who are new to whatever forum where the listing is found.
3.) Pictures of item are stock photos.
4.) People were discussing a certain item to buy and suddenly it shows up in a listing for sale.
I usually look at how many posts someone has made and then look up some of there previous posts. If they seem like they know the sport, then that helps. If you are in any doubt - don't do the deal. If the seller is not known to you request them to send a Paypal invoice which means they will lose a few percent of the deal, but you will be more protected. Some might say do that every time. If you are a regular on that forum you can ask they send it first then you pay.
—
What happens in a black hole stays in a black hole.
This - so many scammers and their scams depend on the "mark" being greedy (or desperate). You want a great deal so badly that you overlook the little red flags. The misspelling, the stock photos, unusual ways of paying. If your spidey sense is going off, listen to it.
We all want a good deal - but learning to walk away from stuff is part of it.
—
--- The Arrogant Jerk: Crabby and irritable since 1998.
This sort of thing pops up from time to time. Here are some things I've noticed about scammers:
1.) Don't trust someone just because they use a full name (as in the case at hand) rather than a handle. More often than not that is exactly what scammer do. They make up an alias and list under it.
2.) Be wary of people who are new to whatever forum where the listing is found.
3.) Pictures of item are stock photos.
4.) People were discussing a certain item to buy and suddenly it shows up in a listing for sale.
I usually look at how many posts someone has made and then look up some of there previous posts. If they seem like they know the sport, then that helps. If you are in any doubt - don't do the deal. If the seller is not known to you request them to send a Paypal invoice which means they will lose a few percent of the deal, but you will be more protected. Some might say do that every time. If you are a regular on that forum you can ask they send it first then you pay.
What happens in a black hole stays in a black hole.
This - so many scammers and their scams depend on the "mark" being greedy (or desperate). You want a great deal so badly that you overlook the little red flags. The misspelling, the stock photos, unusual ways of paying. If your spidey sense is going off, listen to it.
We all want a good deal - but learning to walk away from stuff is part of it.
--- The Arrogant Jerk: Crabby and irritable since 1998.