On July 16 I placed an add in our Classified section to buy a set of plain standard grips for my N frame S&W. As usual, I included my email address for use by the sellers. A person using the name Kat Lee (katlee07k@gmail.com) contacted me to with a set of grips to sell. We agreed on price, and sent me a mailing address and said make out a postal M.O. to:
Anna Lipscomb
537 Greenfield Lane Apt 9
Erlanger, KY 41018

Well, you guessed it. I sent the money and haven't heard a thing; as in, no response. I guess I'll have to call the local police and see what I can do. I will also contact the Post Office since they wanted a postal MO, and defrauded me thru the mail.

I just thought I would post this to let everyone know our favorite site is not immune to evil people. Watch out for this predator.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: greco,

Did you email me with this information? This was not a member of this forum?

Look man, this is going to sound harsh, but it's your own fault.

SF classifieds are for members. You put your email address in your thread and sold to someone outside of the forum.

This has been discussed so many times. We all have our e-mails behind the membership wall so that non-members cannot reach us.

https://sigforum.com/eve/forums...640012724#4640012724

To add - your thread title is misleading. It gives the perception that you were ripped off by a member here. Which is not true.

Our favorite site IS pretty much immune if you make sure you are dealing with a member OF our favorite site. Only members can see your profile. Send them there for your contact instead of posting it in the body of the post and you won't be sending money to unknown miscreants from the Interwebz.

eta: Ronin beat me to it!

If you buy and sell on eBay, you communicate through the system they have. That's to keep you from stiffing eBay their commission but also for your protection.
Post your email or phone number to go around the system and good luck. That's like writing your number on the men's room stall.
Here there is no fee, just the assurance that a member is highly unlikely to act in a dishonorable way.
You did something stupid and you are casting aspersions on all the rest of us (reread your title).
Tell me where I'm wrong?

Ok, I hear you guys. Yes it was my own fault for posting my email. I guess it was just someone cruising our site and got me. I did not want it imply it was any member here.

I'll delete the thread so there is no misunderstanding.

I Googled it. It's a real address, maybe rburg can go there and break some kneecaps.

I don't want you to feel any worse about this than you already do, greco. Maybe some good can come out of this. I guess we need to post a warning in Classifieds about this kind of stuff.

My advice to anyone here is don't send money to any non-member of this forum. If they cannot give you a forum name that you can see as an active member in the forum (meaning that they have posts on the board), then you would be advised to refrain from dealing with them.

Kz, yeah i Googled it too saw that it wasn't too far off 75. It wouldn't be worth the gas for me to go down there, but it wouldn't break my heart if dis ho' had an accident or three.

This has been happening on other forums except the scammers at least register first. So, good rule of thumb is to not send $$ to newly registered members who have no back-story or verifiable presence on other forums, Gunbroker, eBay etc. Ask...if they're legit, they'll tell you. Also...ask for a pic of the item and they're username on a piece of paper. 100% of the time, scammers won't respond.

I'm looking for a S&W 617-3 and posted a WTB on the Smith forums and went back/forth with someone a few weeks ago and it went JUST like what you posted. It didn't smell right (new user) and a quick reverse GIS, I was able to find the 2014 Armslist post they copied pics and description from verbatim and that of course verified my suspicions.

I can tell you who you will find when you go there.

You'll find a person who responded to a "make money from home" ad. You send money to them, they "process it", subtract their percentage, and forward it on.

They generally have no idea who's sending them money, why, or who they're really sending it to. It may be worth reporting it to their local police department. Odds are good they don't know that they're involved with scamming people. Should an officer come knocking they may stop, saving others from the same fate.

Contact the Postal Inspector. Postal Money Orders are the best for protection.

I think they can be charged with FRAUD.

I Googled that addy because I saw the name Erlanger, which is but a stones throw from 1 of 2 Dunkin Doughnuts I go to. 236 Leads up to CVG Airport and DHL hub. I havn't been up that way in some time now.

Man am I feeling inclined to go peek around a bit. This whole northern section of Kentucky has turned into a route for me and I've come to dislike it here very much. Going back to the Buckeye State is a real possibility for me now.

If I get frisky, I will take a drive over that way. I seem to be good at making myself available of late catching scum bags and handing them to the Boone County Sherriff.

quote:

Originally posted by David Lee:
I seem to be good at making myself available of late catching scum bags and handing them to the Boone County Sherriff.

I like the way you think, Mr. Lee!

---

I, too, have been bitten, but my thing was with an actual member of this forum.

I purchased a "NIB" item from him, but received a package that had clearly been opened and was missing a necessary part. Clearly not "New In Box."

Forum member Anush happened to have a spare of the part that I needed, and he bailed me out on this (thank you, Anush!).

The original seller did not respond to my email asking about the missing part, nor to posts on his "WTS" thread in the Classifieds: neither to follow-up posts that I made, nor to posts that parabellum made in that thread after I informed him about the scam. And yes, it was a scam; the forum member sold TWO of these kits, and the member who bought the other one also received a previously opened package with the same part missing.

Here is the Classified thread: https://sigforum.com/eve/forums...650079624#8650079624

A word to the wise: Use caution if dealing with forum member jli567.

Is this the person whose only 5 posts were in response to WTB listings in the For Sale Forum? They had registered 3 days earlier and posted "I have that item" in 5 WTB Listings.

I reported them and they were removed.

Did a little digging into Anna. A James Lipscomb is a possible relative. A James Lipscomb is listed on the Ky. Dept of Corrections website as a probation absconder on a forgery charge. From Kenton Co. Same area.
Connection? Maybe. Hard to say, but interesting.

quote:

Originally posted by YooperSigs:
Did a little digging into Anna. A James Lipscomb is a possible relative. A James Lipscomb is listed on the Ky. Dept of Corrections website as a probation absconder on a forgery charge. From Kenton Co. Same area.
Connection? Maybe. Hard to say, but interesting.

Good sleuthing, Sarge!!!

Probably related and they sound like yucky people. I was wondering if Erlanger is far enough north to be in Kenton.

I hope the OP gets some help from the Post Office or maybe Erlanger Police.

quote:

Originally posted by David Lee:
Probably related and they sound like yucky people. I was wondering if Erlanger is far enough north to be in Kenton.

I hope the OP gets some help from the Post Office or maybe Erlanger Police.

Erlanger is just north of Turfway Rd on Dixie Hwy. Police dept is right there.

I wanted to make a comment that just because someone has a login/screen name/username to make posts here does not make them a "member" of this community.

Community members contribute.

I look to see if the buyer/seller is contributing to this forum by their active participation. If they don't make posts, or interact with others here outside of the classifieds, then I don't do business with them.