SCAM Alert -- Everyone on this forum should read and heed

Joined
Jan 18, 2022
Messages
417
Time to air the hate in my heart. This is a long post, but it’s therapeutic. Read and heed to see how I got duped by a scammer on the forum here, because I think there are lessons everyone should learn from this.

It pains me to say it, because I don’t want to give this guy credit, and I am 100% confident the keyboard warrior that scammed me is sitting here reading this right now from the other profiles he has developed on this site over the last several months. But he got me. I’m an educated guy in my late 30s, relatively tech savvy, that has successfully avoided getting scammed online I’d say dozens of times over the years.

I was contacted by this guy about my WTB ad Tuesday night. At this point, with what I have seen in the last few days and the rash of attempted scams utilizing WTB ads as the in, I would hope no one considers posting WTB ads any more because you are only inviting shit-stain scammers into your life. It’s also probably all the same guy pushing the button to use all the different profiles he has created at the same time because he knew that it would quickly raise the collective hackles on this forum for the use of WTB ads in general.

This guy opened a profile 6 months ago. He has engaged on the forum 23 times, including starting two threads that many of you replied to. Real, normal threads, like asking about tips to beat insomnia, and asking about graduation gifts for his son. He had a feedback rating from another username on the site. The pics of the optic he sent me could not be found anywhere else on the internet by Google Reverse Image Search. The name and email addresses provided for payment info did not yield anything by Google search. And as a hallmark of scammers we are all familiar with, this guy did not have awkward, difficult English, full of typos. It was normal, conversational American English with no red flags. In all his content on the forum dating back 6 months, as well as in his PMs to me. The picture he sent me of the scope with a sticky note showing the Wednesday’s date did not look photoshopped, even at high zoom.

So the scammers have gotten better. This is likely one profile of many this guy has developed and is still developing on this forum to convince you they are legit. There are no tell-tale signs of scam any more that used to make it easy to identify.

So what raised my hackles on this? On Wednesday, hours after I paid this guy, when McCrapper posted that he had just been contacted that day by a scammer as well with a picture of a rifle the scammer was supposedly selling that had a yellow sticky note with the date on it to show it was current and legit. Except in this picture the sticky note was more clearly photoshopped in, and also McCrapper was able to find the photos this scammer was using on another hunting forum classified ad from years ago. I also did not originally catch that the 1 feedback rating he had on the forum here was from another scam username that doesn’t even exist on the forum any more.

I asked moderators on this site to look into this guy’s profile, and their feedback is they had indications that this guy is a scammer from whatever it is they can see, his PM activity or log-in activity or whatever in addition to what I can see. I then asked the seller to FaceTime me to show he was legit, and they have since gone radio silent and stopped logging into their account. They are gone like a fart in the wind.

So good job man. You got me. There is no getting my money back because my initial attempt to pay with Venmo froze my account for the fact that I was attempting to pay for something firearm related, so I then paid with Zelle. That's on me. $500 from a fixed-income, single-income family active duty military guy. Who now doesn’t have the funds to purchase another scope, setting me back for an unknown amount of time to get out and hunt. But enough sob story. **** you, Rokslide username “Sky.” I know you’re reading this from another scam username, so I hope you get cancer and your dick rots off.
 
OP
A
Joined
Jan 18, 2022
Messages
417
Do you have a city location for this guy?

And you don't have to get cancer to lose your dick.......when ya get to 80, all you have left is the skin it came in.
I do not, his profile did not say his location and I never asked.
 
OP
A
Joined
Jan 18, 2022
Messages
417
Just in the last few minutes, I already heard from another guy here on the forum that said the same username was attempting to work a scam on him through responding to a WTB ad in the last few days as well. I contacted the mods before I was certain it was a scam because I knew that if it was my money was long gone anyway, and I was afraid he was actively working scams on other people. Sounds like he was. He tried to buy some time with me by telling me he couldn't get it shipped til "after work on Friday" after I paid him Wednesday, but I didn't wait til Friday afternoon to see if it materialized.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Jan 9, 2022
Messages
43
Yep, the same dude tried to scam me on my WTB ad for binoculars. Didn't get the warm and fuzzies on the deal and backed out. I notified the mods but it looks like they nuked his account based on your experience. I hate scammers!
 

Rick M.

WKR
Joined
Mar 9, 2018
Messages
532
Location
Upper Midwest
Sorry this happened to you. Does Rokslide IP ban these guys when they find them? Even if they're using a VPN, Rokslide can block / ban them based on whether or not the IP belongs to a VPN provider. That would prevent much of these scumbags from returning under different users.

Thus far, I've had nothing but positive interactions when buying and selling on here, but then again I've never done so via a WTB thread. Even so, if I'm selling anything of major value, I try to do so in person.

Lastly, I would at least make an attempt to contact your bank and have that Zelle payment reversed. Explain to them it was a scammer and they may help you. It's worth a shot.
 

dtrkyman

WKR
Joined
Oct 2, 2014
Messages
2,928
Only sketchy interactions I have ever had on any forum was the first and last time I posted a WTB ad.
 

CorbLand

WKR
Joined
Mar 16, 2016
Messages
6,556
WTB are magnets. Unfortunately the new tax deal is going to make scams even easier and it gives a reason not to accept G&S even if the buyer pays the fees.

Report members that seem fishy, even if its when they are trying to get their 10 posts. There are a couple ways to indicate that its most likely a scammer. Remember that they use multiple profiles and are working more than one member at a time so report them ASAP, post a thread, do something to get the information out there.
 
OP
A
Joined
Jan 18, 2022
Messages
417
An unexpected consequence of posting this has been a quick bunch of replies from guys willing to send me an optic they don’t use any more. I did not anticipate that, nor was it my intent with my post. Honestly I just wanted to put this guy on blast, vent the anger out, and warn everyone here to help avoid him being successful again. Goes to show you how good the vast vast majority of the users on here actually are. So thank you for those that have offered, I have been taken care of by another forum member with an optic that will get me out there in the field. I won’t mention his name unless he tells me he wants me to.
 
Joined
Aug 17, 2015
Messages
1,962
Location
Iowa
Or only buy local, face to face. You're options may be limited but at least you know the person is for real.

Or at least from dudes that have been on here a while and you "know" and trust. Plenty of guys on here that I've never met but wouldn't hesitate to buy from.

OP - the scammers are definitely stepping up their game and sorry that happened to you! Hopefully karma gets the best of him!
 

rclouse79

WKR
Joined
Dec 10, 2019
Messages
1,725
It would be nice if there were a few bored Roksliders with tech skills that would take up the hobby of "hunting" down these dirt bags in the off season. I would volunteer but I have no tech skills. Thanks for the reminder to be careful. I am pretty much jaded to the point where I will only buy new or face to face.
 
Joined
Jan 29, 2017
Messages
69
Location
AK
An unexpected consequence of posting this has been a quick bunch of replies from guys willing to send me an optic they don’t use any more. I did not anticipate that, nor was it my intent with my post. Honestly I just wanted to put this guy on blast, vent the anger out, and warn everyone here to help avoid him being successful again. Goes to show you how good the vast vast majority of the users on here actually are. So thank you for those that have offered, I have been taken care of by another forum member with an optic that will get me out there in the field. I won’t mention his name unless he tells me he wants me to.
I enjoy hearing this though, with all the bad, it's nice to be reminded how much good still exists out there.
 

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