Which topic should we select to inform of a scam ? I placed a want ad on 2aHawaii and got caught in a scam. Wanted to get the info out.

This one

Which topic should we select to inform of a scam ? I placed a want ad on 2aHawaii and got caught in a scam. Wanted to get the info out.

Details, details, details! 

 

Paypal?

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Hey guys, getting this out and hoping no one else falls for these guys. They are super, super smooth. Had a want ad out for a P7 and they responded, they had pics to provide and insisted they will only ship to my ffl, which was ok on my part. Sent them my ffl's info and they sent him all the info, pics, serial numbers and even a copy of the drivers license, conceal carry permit etc.

Seller offered to send the pistol to my ffl with half down and the other half when it arrives at my dealer. They used the carissastivers86@gmail.com email for paypal, he said its his wifes email and account.

Once I sent the half and it was supposed to ship, that's when things started to become really obvious it was a scam. He said he was unaware that his wifes account had an unpaid depth and he cant access the money so he cant ship when promised because money is tight for him but he has some ammo for sale and he can use that money to ship. I declined the offer,, he then sent me a picture of two P30s to sell to help him ship. Then he said he wants more money from the half due when it arrives because now he is not sure if will even pay him when it arrives. 

He assured me prior to me figuring it out that is was not a scam that he is an old man and cannot be caught up in a scam, he is a man of his word and a man of god.

Bottom line, I'm not even sure if the id and conceal carry permit is the person behind the scam ?? Either way they are good, everything was checking out only until after I decided to google the timmiller email and a similar scam popped up looks like in April 2022. Try google it yourself. Wish I had seen this earlier. I will include all the pics they used.

I know and I might get bashed for this but pp was of no help, im informing them of the scam but its a waste of my time. I was really lucky my cc refunded my money if not id be out $875
This was a ad placed on here so watch out guys. emails posted below

Timothy Miller - Timothymiller2002@protonmail.com - carissastivers86@gmail.com

I'm a little more paranoid than most.
Unless it is an immediate family member or a very trusted friend
whose physical location is known to me or one of my close relatives.
I don't buy/sell/trade guns with them.
Samoan drug gangs in Seattle were more trustworthy than many internet guys.
I was a member of Washington arms Collectors for 18 years or so.
 

From what I can tell, "Timothy Miller" is a real person and that is indeed his address. However, his "wife" is not named Carissa Stivers, rather it's Deborah Miller who also resides at that same address.

Chances are, "Carissa" stole those pictures and is using them to perpetuate the scam. I was unable to pull any metadata from the images to verify their authenticity. If you have the actual images that scammer has sent you, it's possible that data is still there, provided they were not scrubbed any any point. Email to email is probably the best chance of leaving metadata intact.

People, remember that virtually NO PAYMENT PLATFORM (Google Pay, Paypal, Cashapp, etc.) ALLOWS FOR FIREARMS TRANSACTIONS. If you are going to purchase a firearm from someone over the internet, YOU MUST INSIST it be done through Western Union or similar service that requires an ID be shown to collect the payment. Obviously, if the person says to make the money order out to a different name, require a picture of that ID for verification.

EDIT: Also, if you want, you should contact the Humboldt County Sheriffs Office to report that Tim's ID has been stolen and send them the pictures. They will probably make contact with him and even though it's probably not him, he may be able to give the Sheriffs Department information on how those pictures were stolen which may help catch the scammers. 

For the future, if you are using PayPal for any firearm purchases, you're taking the risk (informed and educated risk  ).

PP will not offer any fraud or loss protection, since you're violating their terms of service.

You've been warned.  Most already know this, which is why they try to backdoor the system claiming it's a funds transfer to a friend or family member.

Next, most sellers advertise on Gunbroker or other legit sites.  Those sites offer a little more protection against scams if you follow their advice and policies.  To answer a WTB ad in a Hawaii forum from out of state is unusual.

Best advise I have is request the seller use an FFL to mail it.  That way you can verify on the phone when the item is given to them for shipping.  Basically, the FFL can act as your escrow service.  You don't pay anything until the FFL confirms the gun is in their hands.

Yeah, an FFL will add to the cost, but it's good insurance.  The FFL won't ship the gun unless the seller pays the FFL fee and shipping costs up front.

Glad you had credit card protection.  One other thing to keep in mind: CC companies have a time limit for submitting a fraud claim.  If you wait 2-3 months, they may deny protection coverage.  If the seller tries to string you along with promises on top of excuses, cancel the deal.  If you wait, you might be out of options.

I have made several gun purchases on Gunbroker, AIM Surplus, Bud's, PSA, Grab-A-Gun, etc.  I always used a credit card for the added protection, even when that involved a 3% fee.  Worth the added cost in case ....

 

Ugly ass gun anyway. I will never buy a gun unless it’s either through a trusted dealer site, in person in state, or I’m there with the, in person. No go whether the desk is good or not. Too easy to get scammed

Ugly ass gun anyway. I will never buy a gun unless it’s either through a trusted dealer site, in person in state, or I’m there with the, in person. No go whether the desk is good or not. Too easy to get scammed

Hans dissagrees

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