A Suggestion to Buyers to Combat Scammers

[tdw28210]

Maybe this has been posted here already but I would HIGHLY encourage buyers to NOT post on threads that you want to buy a part. Instead, send a private message to the seller. A scammer interjected themselves into a transaction related to a part I am selling and scammed the potential buyer by pretending to be me. I know this suggestion runs counter to long accepted protocols here on the forum, but until this problem can be eliminated I think this is the best and easiest course of action.

[Dan J]

Fully endorse this suggestion

[PK 77 911]

So do endorse this. Last week I got nailed for $120.00. I had been away for 8 years and was excited to purchase a steering wheel for my newly purchased 84 cab. The theif interjected him self in the exact manner which the OP described. It was A cheap lesson. I’m glad it wasn’t the Fabspeed exhaust I’m looking for.

[PK 77 911]

I believe the best and only solution is that of proven credibility and an email system instead of a forum format. Along with a buyer and seller feedback record. Facebook market place uses it, EBay uses it. Canuck/USA Audiomart uses it. It works period. Audiomart even includes a Tip option when you report your item has sold to help fund site security development. You get a certain amount of free ads and it is a lot, then you pay like $50 for a bunch more. I would pay a little if I was a constant parts seller on Pelican. The Audiomart sites have pretty much eliminated the scammers.

Others thought would be appreciated. Cheers

[scottyj]

The Scammers Interject Themselves Into Private Messages All the Time Here Too.

[famoroso]

Originally Posted by scottyj

The Scammers Interject Themselves Into Private Messages All the Time Here Too.

True, but communicating exclusively via PM, like in the case of the "Porsche Cars For Sale" sub-forum here, would at least mitigate the "false buyer persona scam" and may even reduce the incidence of "false seller persona scammers" too.

I'd say it would be worth a shot of piloting the Used Parts For Sale forums as announcement only, wherein only the thread starter could post. Perhaps an imperfect solution, but it could send the scammers elsewhere where it would be easier to ply their trade.

Scammers,

From hell's heart, I stab at thee.

[PK 77 911]

Agreed Most Classified are an online announcement. It would also help to purge the sold ads with a selection option.

For me. From now on I will only pm to ads and not comment in the forum.

“Fool me once shame on you fool me twice shame on me”

[tdw28210]

Originally Posted by scottyj

The Scammers Interject Themselves Into Private Messages All the Time Here Too.

I think you must be referring to members who create "WTB" or "WANTED" posts. These are risky too. Scammers lift pictures of parts from old post here or from the web and then offer them to the OP. The only thing I can think of here is for the OP to request a NEW picture of the item inclusive of something that verifies it is actually in the seller's possession. In the movies it would be a current dated newspaper, but who still gets the paper? LOL. Maybe it could be something like sending a new picture of the part along with the seller holding up a specified (by the potential by buyer/OP via a PM) number of fingers or maybe a household or garage item (i.e. coffee mug or screwdriver)? IDK if this is foolproof given today's AI and Photoshop tools, but it is still probably better than nothing. Again, I am trying to keep this simple for everyone involved here.

[2.7RS]

Stop the friend and family BS
Or phony money websites.

You are not my friend or cousin

Take honorable credit card payments. Be a big boy.

If there is a problem the buyer can dispute the charges and get a refund.

[stownsen914]

No one can force you to send someone money via Paypal F&F

So don't, if you don't know the person. Just like cash. Would you hand cash to some random dude on the street with a promise that he'll mail you something? Don't let your judgment get the better of you.

[tdw28210]

I will be adding this to all my For Sale postings going forward.

NOTE: This item is for sale via PRIVATE MESSAGE ONLY. DO NOT reply to this post with an indication of your willingness to buy it. Due to scammers imitating sellers on this forum, this kind of response is a security risk for YOU!

[zztot]

I have even found scammers who will take PayPal so even that gets tricky.
Recently on a WTB had one agree to pp but “address” was weird so decided to pass. ……just didn’t seem quite right. I feel there are so many out there we may be fighting a losing battle.

[Rick Cabell]

Great suggestions here. I have been smoked twice this year. When they insist on sending funds F&F that’s been the red flag for me, but as stated above, some have accounts. I go back and forth with the seller or buyer a few times and see if they know what they are talking about, some of these scammers don’t know the differance between and coil spring and a battery.

[MichiganMike]

Yep I am starting to see this. Just got 2 emails back to back on posts on items i want. I think this site is a huge target now on scamming (more so than ever before). All should be aware to communicate only through DMs to seller.

Also wish that the host (Pelican) would hide our emails so outsiders cant just email direct off this site.

[gtc]

I hate to say it, but buyers really need to perform their due diligence and vet the sellers.
It is also good practice to post in a thread and then communicate via PMs here... then nobody can spoof an email to intercept the conversation.

For sale threads are open so that we can post there for transparency.... otherwise scammers post a FS ad for something like a cheap set of wheels and privately take payments from as many members as possible until someone finally realizes that the parts aren't showing up and posts a scam warning.

[gtc]

I also cringe when known members here refuse to pay the paypal fees and insist on F&F... I know that paypal insurance is imperfect, but it does work sometimes.

[PK 77 911]

The Audiomart system runs maybe 80 to 90% on e transfer. Or PP friends and family. It works because of the feedback function. It a written feed back not a 1 to 5 star system. New members of Guests have to go through more vetting. When buying or selling something there The first thing I do is go to their feedback.

[deemsriddle]

I have another view of Family and Friends and it's the reason that I personally don't mind paying the Goods and Services fee. I offer to pay the fee when I am buying and I presume that I am going to pay the fee to PayPal on purchases. There are 100s of you that I would accept F & F gladly, except we are not really Family and a suspicious IRS agent would argue that we are not really Friends either. Mainly we are buying and selling parts. If the transactions are large enough, a IRS Form 1090 is needed. If the IRS agent want answers to their questions, I don't think that they will accept that we are either Family or Friends. I thinks that we are friends,but an IRS agent probably won't agree. The bottom line is that we need to consider that an IRS agent might consider F & F to be money laundering.

[Glenn at Pelican Parts]

I too have another view on F&F thru Paypal. I'd rather absorb the Paypal fees as a seller because I like to use their shipping service. The money I save on shipping easily covers the fees. The convenience is a bonus.

[Mark Salvetti]

Originally Posted by PK 77 911

Agreed Most Classified are an online announcement. It would also help to purge the sold ads with a selection option.

I get it, but at the same time it would be a shame to prohibit responses. Often there is important information exchanged, like if a part is misidentified or something rare that has a history. I learn a lot from some of the classified ads, and I even have some bookmarked for reference.

Mark