Recently, one of our members got bit here on the forum and is likely out some real money. Avoiding this requires us all to work together.
When someone applies to join CFF, the moderators are only able to make a few checks. Many are rejected but some get through because there is nothing to raise suspicion. With the increased interest in firearms, there’s been a significant increase in membership. Some want to actively participate, some are just looking to sell or buy and occasionally there’s a scammer or someone wanting to compete with our Vendors without contributing.
Just because someone’s new to CFF doesn’t mean they’re a scammer. But, you should be prudent before sending money to one who joined yesterday or to a third party recommended by someone who joined yesterday. Someone who joined the forum years ago, has many posts/likes, is a Supporting Member and has numerous positive trades (all of which you can see from their profile) is probably a safe bet. Someone with none of that should make you wonder. This is one reason we try to “welcome” new members and suggest they introduce themselves. The scammers have nothing to say. There are also plenty of members who’ve been here awhile but have never posted. They could be good people or scammers waiting to pounce.
In this recent case, a new member immediately began sending numerous PMs after scanning the Wanted thread. The messages were something like, “Contact
[email protected]. He has that Python you’re looking for.” Many of you reported these PMs as potential scams and we banned the new member immediately. Unfortunately, one of us was already well on the path to losing money.
What can you do?
Report anything suspicious. At the bottom of every post, every PM, there’s a Report icon. The entire staff sees each report and every one is discussed. You may not hear back but your report has been reviewed and action taken if necessary (such as banning an obvious scammer). The sooner we know about an issue, the sooner we can/will deal with it.
Be suspicious. Someone who joined yesterday, has zero posts and sends you a PM offering something magical should be suspect. There are no NIB Colt Pythons for $1,000.
Ask a Moderator. We care about the CFF family and will do our best to help. A friend called me a couple months ago about a similar deal, through another forum. I asked him why anyone would sell that gun at the offered price, assuming the condition was truly as shown in the photos he received. Because I’m a bit more computer savvy, I Googled the email address and found reports of scams. I also found the identical photos elsewhere on the net. His call to me saved him from a big loss. He was disappointed but still had his money.
Think a hundred times before sending money, without any recourse, to someone you don’t know and can’t check up on. You can Google the email, you can check any physical address on Google Earth, etc.
We’re all in this together.
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