[Junnie]

Used $1000 Zelle and $500 Paypal FF

Never ever use Zelle or any other direct payment method. Once you hit enter or return the money is instantly sent from you account to whomever.... If seller does not use MasterCard or another charge card steer clear, it's more than likely a scam. I get 5 scams calls daily all from Nigeria or the British East Islands... ALL SCAMS> I got took for $270.00 using Zelle,,, never again.. Charge Card only.

 

[Junnie]

Six months ago I was scammed out of $440 after posting a "WTB" on another forum. That forum had no rules regarding minimum posts on the WTB / WTS forums.

The scammer quickly went from pm format to text and sent me pics of the items. We went back and forth for a couple of days and he responded promptly to questions. He sent me his contact info for a USPS Money order and that's where I made my first mistake. I did NOT Google his mailing address. If I had I would see that it was a decaying Section 8 housing project in the inner city of Pittsburgh, which in hindsight matched his first name, if you know what I mean.

I learned my lesson. Several.

Check the member's 'time on the forum'. In my case they guy had been a member for 9 months. I read some of his posts. They were technical and gave him credibility. But he was patient and playing the long game.
Insist on pics of the item(s) with your username and or date written on a piece of paper placed next to the item.
Google the street address. Does the environment look right?
Google the cell number. If it's from a carrier you never heard of, it's probably an Obamaphone / Gov't subsidized provider and those folks obviously can't play our game.
Pay with a credit card if possible and stop trying to save a 3% 'noncash' fee; look at it as cheap insurance.
Money Orders are like cash and all you can do is file a complaint with the USPS Inspector General. The only thing that you'll get out of that is an email months later saying 'thanks for your information'. Nothing more.

I posted my situation on the other forum like the OP did here as a warning to others and maybe a bit of self-flagellation. Deserved. I think most folks understand and my warning was useful, the scammer got banned. Although the one board know-it-all felt compelled to tell me I was stupid and deserved to be scammed.

Ditto on all above.... I checked on a street address once. Vacant lot in Chicago.. Telephone was a blank etc. As reported Credit Card only. I can't stress this enough.. Credit card only.

 

[Junnie]

Good luck, I got scammed on a hacked gunbroker account, paid by Zelle and my bank said too bad!

Ditto.... Again,,,,, Never ever use Zelle or any other direct payment method... once you push enter key its gone in 1 second... Only use Zelle if sending money to family members and then better make sure its a family member. buyer beware.....

 

[Junnie]

Scammers will duplicate sites, except change payment method,,, Zelle etc. and telephone numbers,, no answer ...

Again never ever use Zelle and other direct payment methods.............

 

[Junnie]

As I reported got scammed a year ago. Reported to FBI< Postal Service, Local Police, State police and other agencies. They all did absolutely nothing. Although FBI reported they receive thousands of scam calls and reports daily. go figure. Please please do not use any direct payment method, Zelle and other payment methods etc. Use national charge cards, if you have a problem suspect fraud you call them and cancel payment etc. Had a local woman got scammed out of one hundred thousand dollars ,,, scammer reported that they were DEA and she should put $25,00 thousand dollars on from porch. next day called her and asked for $75.00 thousand in gold and stuff ,,, she did. Dumber than a box of rocks, another family lost close to a million on Bit Coin, As WC Fields reported there's a sucker born every day. This Forum should start a permanent category dealing with nothing but scams etc.

Thank you in advance; Junnie

P.S.: Dont risk a questionable buy just because you want that object asap. That's how i got suckered. Need powder and loading components. Bit hook line and sinker.