Military member needs help

T

tacshooter223

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Aug 25, 2009
530
17
30
Destin, FL
#1
Hey guys,

Currently stationed at Ft. Sam Houston until the end of August.

Was going to purchase a DDM4V7 from a post on armslist. Came to an agreement with the guy (from Davenport IA) and mailed him the MO. As soon as he received the Mo( 5-21-2013) the emails stopped. Then again, after a few more emails from me on 5-31-2013 I got an email saying that he had lost a childhood friend but the rifle would be shipped out monday and he'd email me back with a tracking number as soon as it was sent.

Well, that was the last email I got since then and nothing has been sent to my FFL. I tried calling the San Antonio police to open a report but they said since I'm stationed on post they couldn't help because it's not their jurisdiction. The on post police say they can't help because this is out of their scope of investigation.

Not sure where to go from here? Did i just make a 1200$ mistake? Any help would be appreciated from you guys thanks.
 
#3
He is definitely scamming you. I suspect that the PD in Iowa is incorrect, and that it is their jurisdiction. Personally I would jump on this, as the "death of a childhood friend" sounds like a classical scam.

You might contact armslist, as they might know the rules. However they might not be helpful, not wanting to be partially responsible. Hopefully an attorney here would give some quality advice. You might repost on Monday, as many persons will not monitor SH on the weekend.

If it is a postal MO, there might be some laws in your favor. Check with the local USPS, ask the manager of the PO. However, they might be lazy and might not want to get involved despite their legal responsibility.

s
 
#4
Yeah the PD is full of shit, lazy, or ignorant on the subject matter. Base police only have jurisdiction on their base or in some rare circumstances the immediate outside area. I would call back and remind the recipients local pd that the crime occurred in their backyard and your base/local pd have absolutely zero jurisdiction there.
 
#5
Now that really sucks. I wanted a benelli M4 listed on that site, but I insisted he take it to a FFL where I'd send the money. His response was: " I don't trust the FFLs around here and wanted the MO up front, no deal on my part. I kept following the add and it was flagged as a fraud.
 
#7
sidewaysil80 said:
Yeah the PD is full of shit, lazy, or ignorant on the subject matter. Base police only have jurisdiction on their base or in some rare circumstances the immediate outside area. I would call back and remind the recipients local pd that the crime occurred in their backyard and your base/local pd have absolutely zero jurisdiction there.
Click to expand...

Correct! The crime/scam occurred in Davenport so the Davenport PD has an obligation to open up an investigation. Seems like you were getting brushed aside which is a scumbag move on the part of whomever you spoke with. Call them again and be insistent. I'm sure you already have but keep copies of all emails and communications with this guy.

Good luck, hope it works out.
 
#8
I looked on the site under FAQ's and they discuss similar situations. They say to call local authorities, file a fraud Complaint at the Internet fraud center and notify armslist so they can remove the listing. If it was a bank check you may have some resolution but if it was a regular money order you might be screwed. I have purchased 7 firearms over the Internet and I always use gunbroker even though I pay retail, they cover loss in scam transactions and I only purchase from reputable sellers that have at least 50 prior sales. Good luck and call the local Iowa PD as well and file a report even though the name of the seller is most likely BS, they may have the ability to trace the email and identify an address or user name.
 
#10
SAPD is likely feeding you a line.
Most bases operate under concurrent jurisdiction with the local authorities, though that is not 100%.
The base is still within the city limits, they COULD take a report and then contact Davenport PD to have them investigate their end.
This is actually an interstate affair and could be pursued by the feds, file the complaint through the internet fraud complaint center.
That will get the FBI involved, the crime should meet the requirements for filing there.
 
#13
Armslist is well known for frauds. When I was new to Armslist, I almost got suckered in, but the idiot had copied photos from an ad here on the Hide. I contacted the original seller here, verified it wasn't him, and then a little more digging later, I discovered just how rampant fraud was on there.

A good way to check it out is to ask the guy for a face to face meeting at an FFL local to him (doesn't matter if you can make it or not). If he posts that he's in KY but suddenly changes his story to "Oh I'm in Idaho now," chances are he's scamming you.

Good luck getting your issue resolved.

tacshooter223 said:
Hey guys,

Currently stationed at Ft. Sam Houston until the end of August.

Was going to purchase a DDM4V7 from a post on armslist. Came to an agreement with the guy (from Davenport IA) and mailed him the MO. As soon as he received the Mo( 5-21-2013) the emails stopped. Then again, after a few more emails from me on 5-31-2013 I got an email saying that he had lost a childhood friend but the rifle would be shipped out monday and he'd email me back with a tracking number as soon as it was sent.

Well, that was the last email I got since then and nothing has been sent to my FFL. I tried calling the San Antonio police to open a report but they said since I'm stationed on post they couldn't help because it's not their jurisdiction. The on post police say they can't help because this is out of their scope of investigation.

Not sure where to go from here? Did i just make a 1200$ mistake? Any help would be appreciated from you guys thanks.
Click to expand...
 
#14
Please place his name, address, and all contact information here:
"______________________________________________________"

There are many of us 'Hide members in every state, many cities, and someone is close enough to get a line on this POS. Me, I got Clarksvegas covered, we have 'local assets' in Nashville, Knoxville, and quite a few other places here in TN. I am certain we also have 'assets' in the area of complaint too
 
#15
TenZero said:
Fraud involving the mail. USPS postal inspectors have LE jurisdiction on both ends of this. I have seen them do some good work. Ymmv.
Click to expand...

The postal inspectors probably know the rules well, and being federal know how to get other agencies involved. The local PD is being supremely lazy I suspect. If they do not get on this, I would speak to the head of their local office, he might want to kick someone's butt for being lazy or stupid.

I would work this from many angles, with zero delay.
 
#16
Switchblade said:
Please place his name, address, and all contact information here:
"______________________________________________________"

There are many of us 'Hide members in every state, many cities, and someone is close enough to get a line on this POS. Me, I got Clarksvegas covered, we have 'local assets' in Nashville, Knoxville, and quite a few other places here in TN. I am certain we also have 'assets' in the area of complaint too
Click to expand...
Where I sent the MO:
Michael McFadden
2621 diehn ave
Davenport IA 52802

His email
[email protected]

Due to other business I didn't have time to call his local PD yesterday, but I'll do that tonight.
 
#17
"Gentlemen, I have something your department may be interested in. One of our members has been defrauded and posted it it on the forum in Sniper's Hide - For the Serious Tactical Marksman . Here is the link:

link pasted from this thread

Mr McFadden, it appears you have ripped off one of our members. Good luck getting away with it.

That email went to the cyber crimes division email address of the department CID. Also listed in the email address bar was Mr. McFadden's address. It should get the ball rolling for you.

I should probably leave shit like this alone, but I cannot help but giving the right people a chance to do their jobs, and besides, if these are good people, they LOVE doing their jobs!
 
#21
Report this incident to the postal inspectors. From what I understand that will have jurisdiction over this. Theft of a USPS money order isn't something to laugh at. If this asshat knows what is good for him he'd quickly return the MO or the rifle.

As as side note, Tacshooter223 how is everything going? Haven't heard from you in a while. How are they threating you in there? Thanks again for your service.
 
#22
Filed an IC3 complaint.

Switchblade thank you!

And Jeo556 not a whole lot new besides this escapade. Treatment is sadly disappointing. Instead of people being responsible for their actions the military is adopting the "trophy for everyone" and "mass punishment" mentalities.
 
#23
Found this:

Mail Fraud Statute:

A crime in which the perpetrator develops a scheme using the mails to defraud another of money or property. This crime specifically requires the intent to defraud, and is a federal offense governed by section 1341 of title 18 of the U.S. Code. The mail fraud statute was first enacted in 1872 to prohibit illicit mailings with the Postal Service (formerly the Post Office) for the purpose of executing a fraudulent scheme.


Looks to be a Federal Crime. A person can get up to 20 for each count. However, that's not likely. Still can go to the federal penitentiary. Good luck hope you get your money back.
 
#24
I received an Email back from the Detective. All information has gone to his top Cyber crimes workers for their investigation into this dirtbag. I find it quite amazing how a simple word or two to the right people really gets things moving, especially when it is essentially a third party with no real direct interest other than seeing justice well served
 
#27
Why stop at CID? This case falls within the jurisdiction of many federal agencies including the ATF.

I recommend an alphabet agency dog pile.
 
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