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View Full Version : BEWARE - New scammer approach in classifieds


FredRydr
April 10th, 2022, 02:19 PM
Here is another angle rip-off artists are pursuing in the FPGeeks classifieds.

Today, member singlechange posted a Balance for sale (https://fpgeeks.com/forum/showthread.php/36905-SHEAFFER-Lifetime-Balance-1929-Black-Pearl-Hump-Clip-Nib-Fine) in the FOR SALE subforum. While he was still editing his initial post with photos, I posted a reply requesting the length of the pen. Two hours later the following pops up in Private Messages. Notice the member name.


69036

The scammer is reading replies requesting information and then tries to intervene between seller and potential buyer by redirecting inquiries to a third party.
Jon Szanto
April 10th, 2022, 05:08 PM
Did you hit the report button, Fred?
FredRydr
April 10th, 2022, 05:21 PM
Did you hit the report button, Fred?
Yep
Medievalist
April 10th, 2022, 07:26 PM
It's pretty easy to spot sockpuppets via the vBulletin Admin interface.

I hate that people pull this kind of thing.
Chrissy
April 10th, 2022, 11:40 PM
It's pretty easy to spot sockpuppets via the vBulletin Admin interface.

I hate that people pull this kind of thing.
While bearing in mind that the vBulletin used here is probably old and out of date I hate that too. However, the scammer has already been removed from the thread that Fred mentioned. :)
FredRydr
April 11th, 2022, 03:43 AM
...the scammer has already been removed from the thread that Fred mentioned.
The scammer never posted in the seller's thread. By not doing so, the seller never knows of the subterfuge to head it off. It's all done via private messaging, so we don't know how long this has been going on or whether the scammer has been successful. If what Medievalist wrote is correct, only Eric knows the extent of the problem.
Chrissy
April 11th, 2022, 03:57 AM
...the scammer has already been removed from the thread that Fred mentioned.
The scammer never posted in the seller's thread. By not doing so, the seller never knows of the subterfuge to head it off. It's all done via private messaging, so we don't know how long this has been going on or whether the scammer has been successful. If what Medievalist wrote is correct, only Eric knows the extent of the problem.
Oh sorry my bad. I didn't concentrate on the fact that it was a PM. :(
FredRydr
April 12th, 2022, 07:42 AM
It's pretty easy to spot sockpuppets via the vBulletin Admin interface....
Please expand on what the software offers or how it works in order to see and deal with "sockpuppets."
Piersmorgan18
August 31st, 2022, 08:12 AM
Nice
Medievalist
September 11th, 2022, 01:47 PM
It's pretty easy to spot sockpuppets via the vBulletin Admin interface....
Please expand on what the software offers or how it works in order to see and deal with "sockpuppets."

The Admin can see IPs and the hardware footprint of a user. Depending on how the host server is set up, the Admin may have access to MAC address, the unique identifying number associated with a device's network card.
Ron Z
September 12th, 2022, 07:53 AM
What admin? What moderator? :noidea:


Maybe what we have to put in the sales post is "Contact me, and only me, if interested in buying the pen."
Chrissy
September 12th, 2022, 09:33 AM
What admin? What moderator? :noidea:
The admin could possibly see IP's, hardware footprints of users, access to MAC addresses etc if he cared to look but I don't think he does. :(
FredRydr
January 17th, 2023, 07:12 AM
Apparently this scam method has been around for a while. I stumbled on this while looking for wheels:

https://www.swedespeed.com/threads/scam-warning-pm-telling-you-to-email-someone.620699/