SCAM: Fell for it. Email, Number, Convo, Pictures inside

[lracerk]

Hey Yooooo,

Well, so, I fell for a scam artist's trickery.

TL;DR:
I am in the middle of doing my exhausts and frantically reached out to few sellers here. Both on the threads and by DMs so I lost track. Then I received a text.......lost $400. Juicy text screenshots attached.

Scumbagger's Name, emails, phones, etc:
John Norman
prestonjohnso6584@gmail.com
Jsnorman64@gmail.com
$AlshteMatt663
978-613-9270

Looks like scammer harvested photos of product from this post:
https://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=2039301

He must have gotten my number from this post:
https://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1854304


Cheeers

[StockholM3]

Sorry to hear, thanks for warning others.
Any chance of getting your money back?

[wishbone]

Sorry to hear The second cash app name was a dead ringer but all the other info was hard to have any advanced warning. Zelle will tell you the money is gone, there is no buyers protection as it's treated like a wire. Really terrible customer service from the banks on these...

[lracerk]

Originally Posted by StockholM3

Sorry to hear, thanks for warning others.
Any chance of getting your money back?

BofA denied. I didn’t know Zelle had no buyer protection.

[GuyLedouche]

Same thing happened to a guy I sold my wheels to last week. I called him to discuss the deal and he said he was already talking to me on a different number. The scammer used all my pics from the for sale post. Same exact quote too... "Fedex works best for you or the ups ?"

[noemon]

Fucking hell.

Only things I can think of, is video nstead of pics for confirmation of goods and paypal and ebay for money protection. Whatever it is being sold, list it on ebay and all payment to be done via ebay or paypal, otherwise no sale.

[Boznien]

Sorry to hear that man. I would have fell for it too. Seemed pretty legit. After seeing this, makes me want to switch to PayPal for anything like that.

[wishbone]

Originally Posted by Boznien

Sorry to hear that man. I would have fell for it too. Seemed pretty legit. After seeing this, makes me want to switch to PayPal for anything like that.

Well, you have different incentives. As a buyer you might want paypal G&S however, as a seller you might want Zelle.

There are lots of examples of reverse charges on paypal, so nothing is safe

[Boznien]

Originally Posted by wishbone

Well, you have different incentives. As a buyer you might want paypal G&S however, as a seller you might want Zelle.

There are lots of examples of reverse charges on paypal, so nothing is safe

Agreed. I guess your best bet is local-pick up with cash only.

Cash is king like they always say.

I always look out for deals but I try to buy new from retail even though it ends up costing more.

[N44RP]

If it’s not PayPal goods and services and it’s a deal done remotely, good luck

[Kilabyte]

Originally Posted by N44RP

If it’s not PayPal goods and services and it’s a deal done remotely, good luck

If anyone suggests anything other than Paypal I automatically cease all contact

[MisterF80M3]

Originally Posted by Kilabyte

If anyone suggests anything other than Paypal I automatically cease all contact

Unless it is a reputable member with iTrader feedback and high post or just pay the PayPal fees for the extra security

[NSX2M4]

Please people, STOP BEING A VICTIM!
Zelle, Cash app, wire transfer, Pay pal F&F, no es bueno!

[wishbone]

Originally Posted by N44RP

If it’s not PayPal goods and services and it’s a deal done remotely, good luck

Originally Posted by Kilabyte

If anyone suggests anything other than Paypal I automatically cease all contact

Originally Posted by MisterF80M3

Unless it is a reputable member with iTrader feedback and high post or just pay the PayPal fees for the extra security

Originally Posted by NSX2M4

Please people, STOP BEING A VICTIM!
Zelle, Cash app, wire transfer, Pay pal F&F, no es bueno!

Honestly, none of this is good advice. Nothing is 100% safe. There are ways to de-risk but a one-size fits all approach isn't constructive.

I've used all the platforms successfully, flown to a different state to buy a car & directly wired money, and i've been scammed on this forum.

All of it doesn't make me want to do one or none of the platforms. There is a certain level of trust but for the most part 95% of my transactions here have been positive.

[TR930]

When you get photos of objects for sale, always request something specific be included in the photo. I usually use my name and today's date written on a piece of paper laid over the object. Not 100 pct foolproof but usually shows the seller is in actual possession of an object.

[pikkagtr]

In person cash transaction in front of the police station is quite safe

[arfboy]

Originally Posted by TR930

When you get photos of objects for sale, always request something specific be included in the photo. I usually use my name and today's date written on a piece of paper laid over the object. Not 100 pct foolproof but usually shows the seller is in actual possession of an object.

Scammers photoshop these individualized notes into photos nowadays.

[M3SQRD]

Originally Posted by arfboy

Scammers photoshop these individualized notes into photos nowadays.

There are websites that can check if a picture has been photoshopped/modified. However, nothing is 100% foolproof. A decade ago, it was extremely safe to sell/buy items on the forum. Unfortunately, over the past 3-4 years, it’s become a lot riskier to sell/buy items on the forum.

[NSX2M4]

Originally Posted by wishbone

Honestly, none of this is good advice. Nothing is 100% safe. There are ways to de-risk but a one-size fits all approach isn't constructive.

I've used all the platforms successfully, flown to a different state to buy a car & directly wired money, and i've been scammed on this forum.

All of it doesn't make me want to do one or none of the platforms. There is a certain level of trust but for the most part 95% of my transactions here have been positive.

I kindly disagree.
I have been on car forums since the late thousands and I've never been scammed on them. You need to evaluate the product being sold, the person selling it, payment accepted, etc. If you do not, there's always someone waiting and fishing for you.

[wishbone]

Originally Posted by NSX2M4

I kindly disagree.
I have been on car forums since the late thousands and I've never been scammed on them. You need to evaluate the product being sold, the person selling it, payment accepted, etc. If you do not, there's always someone waiting and fishing for you.

Fair, I'm not saying don't do these things. I'm just saying even with that level of diligence there are still scammers outsmarting those methods so nothing is 100% safe.

I've been on mye28, bigcoupe, r3vlimited, and other BMW forums for decades bought and sold on all of them. There are stories on all of them of "trusted sellers" that just go scam crazy.

And, it doesn't make me want to buy or sell less just something that happens.

[TR930]

Originally Posted by arfboy

Scammers photoshop these individualized notes into photos nowadays.

True, they try. But a person who is in actual possession of an object should be able to turn that requested object and have it in a picture very quickly. If alot of time transpires, then you should be suspicious.

[NSX2M4]

Originally Posted by wishbone

Fair, I'm not saying don't do these things. I'm just saying even with that level of diligence there are still scammers outsmarting those methods so nothing is 100% safe.

I've been on mye28, bigcoupe, r3vlimited, and other BMW forums for decades bought and sold on all of them. There are stories on all of them of "trusted sellers" that just go scam crazy.

And, it doesn't make me want to buy or sell less just something that happens.

For what it's worth,
Aftermarket companies scam people everyday. They post pictures of OEM products and "claim" OEM fit and finish. We all know, it's not what you actually get. These are the traps people fall for trying to save some bucks on forums buying 2nd hand goods. I still cannot believe there are people out there who buy used brakes and tires.