My recommendation, request a photo with the item or parts and a hand written note. Example: ("Item" in consideration for "buyer", from "seller" at the sniper's hide forum). If they don't answer back or they come up with some excuse to why they can't take those photos then its likely a scam. If they send photos of the items you're looking for, make a quick google search to try and find those exact photos, scammers are typically lazy about this and will bring up the first result they see. Pay close attention to the way they write down their ads and offers, reverse search some of the information they provide, you can typically pull up original posts from ads the information was ripped from. Lastly report everyone that has tried to scam you, do everything you can to get these guys off the forums.
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Feedback Avoid Fraud With This Feature
- Thread starter laurenf
- Start date
If I’m about to work a deal selling a rifle to someone, if they don’t have feedback, is there a way to get people to provide feedback on them?
You can ask them for Hide references but as the seller the risk is a lot less compared to when you’re the buyer. Risk Can vary a little depending on what payment methods you accept (i prefer zelle, venmo or PayPal FF vs paper due to no waiting). Just take plenty of packing photos, purchase insurance and keep comms open with you and the buyer. Do a bill of sale if you’d prefer some additional documentation.
Ive sold $5,000+ rifles to brand new members with no issues on here in the past. The buyer’s state may or may not require a pic of your driver license to complete the transfer if you’re shipping it yourself (mine does).
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Avoiding WTB Fraud - A Primer
Folks throughout India and West Africa have figured out that U.S. gun buyers are prone to trying to jump on good deals quickly and way too trusting. Firearm transactions also tend to be higher in monetary value - $500+, so they can represent a worthwhile time investment for scammers. Because the prevailing custom on U.S. gun forums is for a buyer to pay first, not using escrow, and often not using any insured financial method, you have a recipe for widespread fraud targeting buyers. Sometimes this will take the form of fake postings for items that don't exist, but more commonly this is messages directed at WTB posters.
A few tips - the people targeting you speak a different english. You'll notice grammatical inconsistencies, an overly polite diction, and words such as "regards and kindly". Any of this should be a huge red flag.
They will often seek to move the discussion off the platform, so usually in the first message you'll see a request to "contact me at x email." Many times this email address is a "privacy" provider, and outside the US, such as protonmail. Huge red flag.
They will often have photographs of the product you are looking for. These are commonly stolen from other firearm websites, and were likely found with a Google search. You can generally use a reverse-image search to determine where the photos originally came from. If you ask the "seller" to provide specific photos, they usually can't, same as with a photo using today's date.
You will usually be offered a sweet heart deal - 30 - 40% less than what you wanted to pay. This is merely a tactic to create a sense of urgency on your part. I'm not saying you can't find good deals, but I am saying the random guy who is offering you a pristine Sako Deluxe for half the going rate, or who is willing to negotiate the sale price down to mere pennies on the dollar, probably doesn't have your best interests in mind.
What they can't and won't do is get on the phone with you, because they speak with an obvious accent, and you're a red blooded American who knows better than thinking some call center lackey* actually has an AI chassis in the color you want. Talk to them on the phone before you send ANY money, and any suggestions that they can't or won't should be a huge red flag.
*This is not meant to demean any one of a specific race - most of these folks work as teams in call centers or Internet cafes. These are the same folks who try to tell you they will forgive your student loans for a one time payment of $2000. They are scum of the earth.
Folks throughout India and West Africa have figured out that U.S. gun buyers are prone to trying to jump on good deals quickly and way too trusting. Firearm transactions also tend to be higher in monetary value - $500+, so they can represent a worthwhile time investment for scammers. Because the prevailing custom on U.S. gun forums is for a buyer to pay first, not using escrow, and often not using any insured financial method, you have a recipe for widespread fraud targeting buyers. Sometimes this will take the form of fake postings for items that don't exist, but more commonly this is messages directed at WTB posters.
A few tips - the people targeting you speak a different english. You'll notice grammatical inconsistencies, an overly polite diction, and words such as "regards and kindly". Any of this should be a huge red flag.
They will often seek to move the discussion off the platform, so usually in the first message you'll see a request to "contact me at x email." Many times this email address is a "privacy" provider, and outside the US, such as protonmail. Huge red flag.
They will often have photographs of the product you are looking for. These are commonly stolen from other firearm websites, and were likely found with a Google search. You can generally use a reverse-image search to determine where the photos originally came from. If you ask the "seller" to provide specific photos, they usually can't, same as with a photo using today's date.
You will usually be offered a sweet heart deal - 30 - 40% less than what you wanted to pay. This is merely a tactic to create a sense of urgency on your part. I'm not saying you can't find good deals, but I am saying the random guy who is offering you a pristine Sako Deluxe for half the going rate, or who is willing to negotiate the sale price down to mere pennies on the dollar, probably doesn't have your best interests in mind.
What they can't and won't do is get on the phone with you, because they speak with an obvious accent, and you're a red blooded American who knows better than thinking some call center lackey* actually has an AI chassis in the color you want. Talk to them on the phone before you send ANY money, and any suggestions that they can't or won't should be a huge red flag.
*This is not meant to demean any one of a specific race - most of these folks work as teams in call centers or Internet cafes. These are the same folks who try to tell you they will forgive your student loans for a one time payment of $2000. They are scum of the earth.
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I feel like this has happened to me by zero300’s account. Checked him out and then saw he had great reviews. Was on a Two vets qdt v1
Some times you can just feel it in your bones when you know something is a rotten scam, and It always seems like they have the color make and model you have been looking for at an unbelievable price. If it looks like a duck ya know what I mean… like others have said those people are SCUM….
Hello, I am new to the site and wondering what is the safest way to accept payments (to avoid being scammed as a seller) any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Hello! I am new to this site and looking for advice to avoid scams. What are the most trusted payment methods and tactics to use in verifying buyers? thanks in advance
Hello! is there anyway to post a for sale item via a proxy? I have a KRG Bravo I'd like to sell but no way to post it currently.
I have one or two trades here but really just looking for a proxy to help offload this bravo!
I have one or two trades here but really just looking for a proxy to help offload this bravo!
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So how does one let others know there is something they would like to purchase if the WTB is banned?
Folks still post them, but In my professional opinion it’s just a matter of watching and waiting. I keep about 4-6 tabs open on my desktop and while I’m working I’ll refresh them. We are in a buyer’s market. What you seek will come around without a WTB. It’s just not worth inviting a scam. I buy and sell across several platforms and a WTB has never been a deciding factor. Just be patient, you’ll find what you’re after. Follow the tips in this thread to keep from getting hosed and never send money before speaking to a seller. A legitimate seller will provide you name, email and phone. Call them like a human. If they don’t want to do any of that, move on. Check feedback and history. The more the merrier in that.
@tundrawookiee is a scammer. sent an image that I reversed searched and it lead to a 2018 F/S post on a different website.
I used the report button on a post that was made by the person. Tried to tag them again in this, but no results. I assume this means they were banned.
I've had this happen twice now but it's fairly simple to figure out the scammer from the real deal. I mean beyond their bad english/sentence structuring, looking at Feedback and other telltale signs gives it away. Attached is a post I received today after the deal was already done last night. I'm curious though if anyone is at fault for this from a buyer/seller standpoint or is this something that we can't avoid? I reported both FYSA.
I hope you are warning the people who are responding to the sales posts. Noticed a set of Peltor hearing protection that someone PMed about.
@OkieMike. is posing as @OkieMike and using images from another forum's listing for a KRG X-ray. His message to me has been reported.
Mike,
I've had it happen three times now and reported all of them. Looks like somehow scammer is able to intercept emails then mirror an account sending a PM to buyer for payment. From what I've seen, it's easy to verify because they literally have zero feedback and the account creation date is brand new. They also don't write very well (broken English).
Ah, ok. At first I was like I'm not posing as anyone... But I get it now. Damn scammers.
Mike
The account was using your username, but added a "." at the end of it. I interpret that as an attempt at deception, by using a potentially familiar name with a long post history and lots of positive feedback. They (the scammers) bank on others assuming it is the same person they've seen active, for so long, in the forums.
I checked his post history and feedback, and there was nothing. I then ran a reverse image search with the images he provided me with, and they lead back to a for sale post from 2021, on a different forum site. But he has been banned now, so all is well.
I've been a member here for less than one month and that is the second time it's happened. Glad to see proactive mods are quick to ban hammer these guys!
In regards to broken English, they also commonly include "USD" in their prices/pricing. As Americans, we never specific the type of currency. That is always a red flag for me. I also high suggest always running a reverse image search. It is very easy/fast to do.
I'm new here. I've been following the chats back and forth. Buyers, sellers, and the scams.
How does a new person hop on then?
Me being new, I'm sceptical to anything I buy. But also, when the time comes to sell, I'm in a pickle being new. However, showing ID works, eventhough it sounds personal, but it is a game changer for seriousness.
Any feedback for a newbie?
How does a new person hop on then?
Me being new, I'm sceptical to anything I buy. But also, when the time comes to sell, I'm in a pickle being new. However, showing ID works, eventhough it sounds personal, but it is a game changer for seriousness.
Any feedback for a newbie?
I saw an item I wanted and messed he member. About 45 minutes later I received a new message outside of the one I sent pertaining to payment and info but when I clicked on the members avatar and name the info was not the same. It was as if everything was new and he had just joined.
When this occurs, hit the "report" button in the lower left hand corner of the scammers private message. The moderators have been quick to remove this type of scam.
Just always check the users post history and trading feedback. Make sure that the post history is lengthy, with no large gaps in it. I recently had an account reach out to me, in regards to a WTB thread I made. He had a lot of post history, but there was a strange multi-year gap. He also had trading feedback, but it was years old. I requested images with a timestamp (hand written SH username and date) accompanying the item for sale. He sent a horrendous photoshop job that I was able to reverse image search on google. That lead me to an add from 2018, on a totally different forum.
1. Check for post history and trading feedback
2. Request photos of item, accompanied by timestamp
3. Reverse image search, using photos provided by seller
4. Talk on the phone/facetime
If the seller can check those three boxes, you should be good to go. If you still feel weary, trust your gut. And the whole ID thing doesn't do much. Could be a fake, stolen or just some dude who doesn't care about you knocking on his door because he's ready for a fight.
Cheers, and good luck.
Had it happen this morning - posted I'll take it in a thread and got an PM from some other than the OP asking to take the discussion to email.
I reported it and they are now gone. I guess it's better to not post in the thread.
I reported it and they are now gone. I guess it's better to not post in the thread.
There is a scammer using the name "soiidcopper" only with an upper case "i" to make it look like the "L" in my screen name. I have feedback. They do not. Direct replies to ads only please. Many thanks to @1911hombre for making me aware.
Buyers Beware!!!!
I was scammed for 2000 Dollars.. I attempted to purchase a Scope. Private Messaged my cell Phone number to the Seller. I was contacted through text from someone else named Chris Fabian with his PayPal information's. I sent him payment thinking it was the original seller.
Next day the actual seller contacted me asking if i still wanted to buy the scope.
Hard Lesson Learned on my end. I am trying to get refunded from PayPal now but Friends and Family is not insured.
I was scammed for 2000 Dollars.. I attempted to purchase a Scope. Private Messaged my cell Phone number to the Seller. I was contacted through text from someone else named Chris Fabian with his PayPal information's. I sent him payment thinking it was the original seller.
Next day the actual seller contacted me asking if i still wanted to buy the scope.
Hard Lesson Learned on my end. I am trying to get refunded from PayPal now but Friends and Family is not insured.
I just put in a claim in a thread from a legitimate seller and was contacted via PM shortly thereafter by a user with the same name but with a period at end of user name. I had checked the original sellers feedback and saw he had 130 positives and the user who contacted me had zero. He was requesting pp ff for payment and thread did not list that as an option and he was requesting ffl for a scope purchase. I also had sent a PM to original legiitcandvthis requedt came from a new PM thread. This all made me suspicious and realized it was a scammer. Original post and user was legit but this guy saw the thread, saw the claim, and quickly created a profile and sent me a payment request via P
How can we know this and if so, what do we do about it. I believe that I am in this situation right now with a seller on this site. I feel I need to warn folks but I dont want to handle this incorrectly. Anyone with any ideas I am all ears. post here or PM privately....especially moderators or anyone in charge.
thanks,
Jamie
the account in question is Shields shtr....refuses to answer the phone, refund the money or ship the product. I think I got lucky because according to paypal his account for Goods and Services is locked and a dispute has been filed.
You can report any post or communication to the moderators using the report function. That is what Frank recommends. Losing an account to hackers can be lessened by using the two-part authorization the site started a few years ago.
I already did report it but thank you for the advice. I see the post is still up and I dont want anyone else to get taken. Should I post in that thread that its a scam? I dont want to overstep my boundaries but folks gotta know before he gets someone else.
I am not sure what "two part authorization" consists of. I there some info or a post I can read to clarify? thanks again.
Click the button for your account at the top of the page>Password & Security>Two-step verification
Warning: someone just created an account to mimic mine named @GBMaryiand including stealing my avatar. Uses a capital i as opposed to an ell.
Please delete that account!
GBMary(CAPITAL i)and
It is obviously a scammer. @Lowlight @MarinePMI @padom
Please delete that account!
GBMary(CAPITAL i)and
It is obviously a scammer. @Lowlight @MarinePMI @padom
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We are on them,
I just had a note on Insta from a piece of shit who said they are adding more Spam accounts and going to DDoS us, which whatever join the club
But we are nuking them
I just had a note on Insta from a piece of shit who said they are adding more Spam accounts and going to DDoS us, which whatever join the club
But we are nuking them
Probably not news but they are mining old sales posts for text and images and using that on FB to try and scam.
Just got a message this morning from a guy that found my old PVSA-31A sales post through a google search. He joined the board to message and ask if it was me with the attached facebook ad. Text and images both copied from my post here or perhaps one of the two other boards I use.
Probably time to start including a piece of paper with username and date in every pic of sales items to make them harder to re-use.
Just got a message this morning from a guy that found my old PVSA-31A sales post through a google search. He joined the board to message and ask if it was me with the attached facebook ad. Text and images both copied from my post here or perhaps one of the two other boards I use.
Probably time to start including a piece of paper with username and date in every pic of sales items to make them harder to re-use.
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Some a hole is trying to scam people on my posts on items I have for sale. They copied my user name and put a period in front of the name. My user name is Walker TR theirs is .Walker TR
You are not the first:
New Scam Appearing, Buyers Be Very Careful
A new scam has emerged in the PX. The scammers are copying the member names with a very slight variation of who are selling items in the PX. When someone posts, "I'll take it," or tries to interact with the ads, they use the fake account to complete the sale before the actual member can...
www.snipershide.com
They’ll complain but we’re are the reports …
No, I reported it, but here. Odds are it was removed already but this is what we deal with, and you wonder why they stick around.
No, I reported it, but here. Odds are it was removed already but this is what we deal with, and you wonder why they stick around.
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