New Direct/Private Message/Email Scams Alert!

[Paul Schwartz]

If you post a message looking to buy something then receive a private/direct message telling you to contact someone by email that they have exactly what you are looking for, please do NOT reply and report the user to an admin immediately. This is a new type of scam going around.

 

Thank you for your vigilance.

[David Levine]

 But suppose that you do have something in which someone else is specifically interested. Would it be wrong to send a private message to a potential buyer? For one reason or another, a seller might not want to make the item available on a public forum. 

[David Barnert]

54 minutes ago, David Levine said:

 But suppose that you do have something in which someone else is specifically interested. Would it be wrong to send a private message to a potential buyer? For one reason or another, a seller might not want to make the item available on a public forum. 

 

You can write your message in a way that would be difficult for a scammer. Mention things about concertina.net (or concertinas in general) that would be familiar only to established members. If the other person is a familiar presence, mention a thread from the past that you remember, particularly if you both participated in it. That kind of thing.

[Paul Schwartz]

6 hours ago, David Levine said:

 But suppose that you do have something in which someone else is specifically interested. Would it be wrong to send a private message to a potential buyer? For one reason or another, a seller might not want to make the item available on a public forum. 

 

No, of course it's still fine to use the DMs as usual, but just be careful if you receive a DM from a new user with no forums activity who happens to supply you with an email address of someone who has just what you are looking for. Be very, very careful, and check on the forums first by posting a reply in public before replying so due diligence can also be performed by other users. This issue was discussed in another thread... keep an eye out for bogus/re-used/inconsistent photos, inability to provide additional photos, things like that.

[rockportland]

So who do I report this scam to? Soon after I posed WTB Morse Ceili,

I was contacted by outside email of a “friend” who had one to sell. Be very careful, they almost got me!!!

[David Barnert]

It’s curious that this “friend” knew your email address since nothing here points to it. Did you mention your desire for a Ceili anywhere else using your email address?

 

Paul’s original post at the top of this thread says “report the user to an admin immediately.” The admins are Paul Schwartz and Ken Coles. Since this was outside email from (presumably) a non-user, there’s not likely much they can do about it, but it can’t hurt to alert them, and they’d probably want to know.