savewave

There are people out there who would take advantage of our tendency to believe everybody is as fair and honest as we would be in an online transaction.

We’ve had some recent examples of people registering for the purpose of scamming others by “selling” parts that don’t exist.

A few have included the added twist of hijacking user IDs by including a link that tricks you into believing you are logging into the Forum and, thus, recording for the scammer your user ID and password. Then, they sell bogus stuff using your user ID to people who think it must be legitimate because you have tenure and a good reputation on the site.

To avoid problems, consider these suggestions:

• Don’t follow links sent by people you don’t know.
• Don’t give anybody your password. There is no legitimate reason for anybody to ask for it.
• Don't post your email address in threads. If you do, scammers can harvest the address and bypass the site to contact you directly to avoid sanctions or oversight.
• Be wary of deals that sound too good to be true.
• Exercise caution in dealing with newly registered users with no track record.
• Ask a lot of questions. Ambiguous answers should raise a red flag.
• Ask for pictures of the parts being sold. If the item/s don’t exist, you won’t get a picture or you’ll get a generic image stolen from the Internet that probably doesn’t match what you need.
• If at all possible, inspect the items in person. If that’s not possible, ask if there is another Forum user in the area that can inspect them for you.
• Check references. Who on the Forum has the seller done business with in the past? Did they have a good experience?
• Search the Transactions Feedback section for complaints.
• Pay for any item using PayPal and/or a credit card so you’ll have some recourse on a charge-back if a problem arises. Note, however, if you designate the PayPal payment to "friends and family" and they determine it was for goods and services, no protection is afforded.
• Run if someone insists you pay by money order or some other means that doesn’t allow you to recover your money if you don’t get the item you were trying to purchase.

If you are contacted by someone you believe is suspicious, report it to a moderator/administrator.

savewave

Surely all of you know not to fall for the scam where somebody sends you a check for more than your asking price and then asks you to send them the difference after deducting a small amount for your trouble. Anytime you see a request like that, it is a scam.

Also, the scammer/s referenced in the first post have been telling potential customer his PayPal isn't working and to send him the money via Moneygram. Don't do it. Once the money is sent, you are stuck whether you get the item you purchased of not.

savewave

I'll PM you to see if I can get enough information to understand your report.

mlewis100

I got a reply to my, Wanted C6 18” wheels from a guy with some really nice looking OEM wheels. The person speaks broken English and could not answer my questions correctly regarding origin and correct sizing for his car. Anyway, I’m backing out of my intension to buy his wheels. Also, note the seller is a new forum member. Just don’t get a good feeling about the seller.
Thanks,
Mike

ConanElBarbaro

T

his guys contacted selling a intake but not sure if his legit

HOF ZR1

If you think somethings wrong..... it probably is. If I’m selling something I will verify my identity anyway someone requests to prove I am who I say I am.

Klawp

Also be aware of payments such as Zelle. They offer ZERO buyer protection. Once you hit that send button if something happens, you are SOL.

ptroxx

Good advice. this goes both ways. As a seller I prefer zelle over paypal. No charge backs. Sales are final.

MartyKC

Scammer alert 213-523-3260.

I made an offer on a item in the for sale section of the parts, and got a text almost instantly from this number. I think he must have gotten my phone number from a completely different post I made via the forum, visible to everyone. Probably a bad idea, even though I coded the phone number by using words. (Nine four O for 0.)

Scammers Yay.

Ramets

Facebook is getting notoriously bad for scammers.