SCAM ALERT!! - WTB ads
Posted: Tue Jul 30, 2024 7:26 pm
There is a new version of an old scam going around. I still don't know exactly how it is being perpetrated, but I know how it works. If you have a WTB (Wanted to Buy) ad, please read this.
If you receive a Private Message (PM), ostensibly from a member, offering an item that meets your needs, with a request you contact them via email, do not respond. You can respond via the PM system, but I doubt you'll get an answer. A twist on this is "My friend has the part. He wants you to contact him directly..."
If you respond to the email, you'll get pictures and info about the item available (probably pictures from the internet) and a request for payment by PayPal friends and family, Venmo or Zelle, all ways that offer no buyer's protection. Once you pay, you will hear nothing further from the "seller," and, needless to say, you won't receive the item.
I'm still not sure how the scammer gets the initial PM out, but they appear to come from legitimate members, so, if you see one from me, just remember, it could be a scam!
If you receive a Private Message (PM), ostensibly from a member, offering an item that meets your needs, with a request you contact them via email, do not respond. You can respond via the PM system, but I doubt you'll get an answer. A twist on this is "My friend has the part. He wants you to contact him directly..."
If you respond to the email, you'll get pictures and info about the item available (probably pictures from the internet) and a request for payment by PayPal friends and family, Venmo or Zelle, all ways that offer no buyer's protection. Once you pay, you will hear nothing further from the "seller," and, needless to say, you won't receive the item.
I'm still not sure how the scammer gets the initial PM out, but they appear to come from legitimate members, so, if you see one from me, just remember, it could be a scam!