[rhughesnc]

I like GA as much as the next guy. I recently got scammed which I take full credit for. When I asked GA for an explanation why they don't verify their members better. The people who scammed me were scamming several others. GA response is below. I think it speaks for itself!

Oh please you thought you were going to steal something from someone and you were in a big hurry to do so. Instead you were stolen from and you deserve it.

GunsAmerica Customer Service [email protected]


$1400 for a Beretta silver pigeon 1 is a good deal, but hardly a steal.

 

[Mainspring]

I recently got scammed which I take full credit for.

You take credit for getting scammed. You want to know "why they don't verify their members better", you don't like their reply so you join a forum to gripe, and you even leave a link so that I can gripe on your behalf.

Uh...nope.

 

[rhughesnc]

Didn't mean for you to complain. The link was at the bottom of their email. Just trying to be informative. Please learn from my mistakes

 

[Mainspring]

What information are you conveying? That you got scammed? How I can contact GA customer service? Your mistakes?...you didn't say what they were.

If you got scammed, name names and how it was done.

 

[rhughesnc]

The scam

So I am looking for a Beretta 686 silver pigeon. I find one on GA for $1400, ask for more pictures, get more pictures, ask about chokes, get an intellegent response. Agree on a price, texting now. Send a cashiers check because I have had difficulty with postal money orders in the past, stupidly thought that I could stop payment on a cashiers check if the deal went south, which it did. (you can't by the way) SENT TO ROBERT SCOTT IN CLARKSVILLE INDIANA Next day I get an e-mail from GA saying the account is fraudulent and not to do business with them. Call the bank to find out the only way to stop payment is to post a surity bond for double the amount. So now I have to hope that my fear is unfounded and I will get the gun. Tell them I want my money returned or I am calling the ATF and the FBI, They then try to send me money through Payapl with someone elses payment for a another gun that doesnt exist. I reversed the charges when I spoke to the guy and he explained he was getting scammed same way through GA. 2 weeks of text calls, threats, no gun no money, and a report with the FBI ATF and local police. These people are smart and they assume that they are doing this with impunity. I am hoping to catch them, but I am also hoping that no one else falls victim. I would have taken all this on myself, and I do, no one elses fault, but the response I got from GA was so outrageous. Even if you think I'm an a--hole,, have a little simpathy for the jack *** that just lost $1400. To accuse me of trying to steal, that's just low. hope this helps

 

[MikeG]

File with law enforcement, and good luck.

 

[rhughesnc]

thank you, appreciate the support, feel pretty stupid right now

 

[Mainspring]

I was looking at your thread title, Beware of Guns America, which is a pretty decent auction site. Instead we need to beware of this Robert guy in Indiana.

Thanks for the heads up. If he has an email address or user name, post them up. I know they can readily be changed, but sometimes they don't and can be tracked. Be sure to do an internet search for both, sometimes they are on a different site under the same info.

 

[rhughesnc]

Thanks, I did a title search on his house, looks like he actually owns the house where I sent the check. I hope that the local PD can catch up with him and his friends. e-mail they have used, [email protected], and they used, [email protected] to scam the Paypal guy.

 

[jbee]

I would not be surprised if the person is a squatter on a bank foreclosed property and they are using the IDs of someone that was evicted, from stuff they found in the trash.

FWIW. When buying a storage locker many times you can find the bank records and still valid cards (and prescriptions) of the person that rented it and then go live in the foreclosed house if you wanted to.

We have 8-9000 foreclosures a year in our county, funky stuff happens.

FWIW; The gmail address would have been the 1st give away of being scammed. If they are not close enough to drive over to get your money back if needed, they are too far away to send them the money. imho of course.

 

[rhughesnc]

good to know

 

[jodum]

Sorry for your difficulties. Check with your local postal authorities. If the scammers are using the US Mail in any way they can be prosecuted for mail fraud. That is one reason I use USPS money orders for payment.

 

[rhughesnc]

Thanks, filed a report with postal inspector last night. I appreciate everyones good ideas.

 

[Tnhunter]

Can you provide us with a link to the ad you saw and "purchased" from? Also, something I always do, buying or selling to private parties on GA is to speak directly by phone to that seller or buyer. If I cannot raise the "seller" by phone, I am not sending them my $$. Just a thought for next time. Good luck getting your $$ back!

 

[rhughesnc]

Totally agree. I did speak with someone, but turned out to be the front. In hindsight there were some redflags that I ignored. I stupidly thought, who is going to steal from a gun dealer? Not the brightest thing I have done.

Can't get the ad to paste. New user, Miller Scott, this had bad idea written all over it, but they answered all my questions in a timely way, and "what a deal"

 

[fred243]

I looked at their email addresses on the net and they both appear to be linked to American Airguns classified ads as well. The phone number that was attatched to them says they are in the Dallas area, is that correct rughesnc ? By the way, welcome to the site and sorry for your troubles and hope you get your money or your gun. Best to ya !

 

[rhughesnc]

Fred, what numbers did you get? The other guy from paypal said he was trying to buy an airgun. I looked up their email but didnt see any GA adds. Are those active ads, as pissed as I am with GA, I don't want anyone else getting scammed. The ad that I responded to said they were from TX. It's a good thing I leave this kind of thing up to the universe to solve. These people are clearly pros and have been doing it for a while. Bothe numbers I have are from Lebanon KY

 

[T.R.]

I feel badly for your loss; thank you for sharing.

TR

 

[rhughesnc]

Thanks for all the support guys. I've got to say, as I walk through the facts for you, I am realizing just how stupid I have been. I blame it on moving from LA to Charlotte. In LA I was as paranoid as they come, living in Charlotte has given me hope that people are good...sometimes people are just what they appear. A con artist from somewhere in the US.

 

[fred243]

One had a phone number and the other did not, it's a 972 area code which is the Dallas suburbs area. One is listed under the [email protected] email which is a BSA Ultra Multi Shot .22 ad # 46899 . The other is listed with the [email protected] and its a Weihrauch HW 100KT Quickfill .177, ad # 47489. Never heard of either one but don't really know much about airguns. American Airguns Classified Ads. Good luck to ya sir ! I didn't see any GA ads either !