Please watch out for replies to your Want Ads from brand new members/low post count sending you to a friend's email address off-site. It could be any id really but I've only seen brand new id's doing this.

Require a photo of the item and only send payment with buyer protection. If you get a photo right click on it and choose "Search Google for Image" or whichever browser you're using. Many scammers have been caught reusing images from a used parts site.

If nothing pans out then report the member's message via the little warning triangle found in the top right corner of every message for a moderator to look at.

P.S. we sure could use a sticky regarding this issue at the top of this forum. Alot of members have already said they got scammed. I get these scam replies on every single Want Ad now.

Wasted breath. The owners of this forum don't care that the couple of moderators we do have only seem interested in posting sales for the parent company. About all you can do is be vigilant and flag every single spammer you run across.

__________________
Current stable:
1995 E320 149K (Nancy)
1983 500SL 120K (SLoL)

Black Sheep:
1985 524TD 167K (TotalDumpster™)

Gone but not forgotten:
1986 300SDL (RIP)
1991 350SD
1991 560SEL
1990 560SEL
1986 500SEL Euro (Rusted to nothing at 47K!)

^^^^

So true. Or the Open political forum to bolster threads and posts to maintain a high viz on the Internet.

Filled with Bimmerfest refugees who came over when that forum closed their political subforum. Because we all know they came here for discussing Mercedes cars right?

__________________
Current stable:
1995 E320 149K (Nancy)
1983 500SL 120K (SLoL)

Black Sheep:
1985 524TD 167K (TotalDumpster™)

Gone but not forgotten:
1986 300SDL (RIP)
1991 350SD
1991 560SEL
1990 560SEL
1986 500SEL Euro (Rusted to nothing at 47K!)

on the other hand shouldn't all of us know how to detect a scam by now?? it is 2021...

__________________

You'd think so, but you'd be wrong.

__________________
Current stable:
1995 E320 149K (Nancy)
1983 500SL 120K (SLoL)

Black Sheep:
1985 524TD 167K (TotalDumpster™)

Gone but not forgotten:
1986 300SDL (RIP)
1991 350SD
1991 560SEL
1990 560SEL
1986 500SEL Euro (Rusted to nothing at 47K!)

If we as a forum took a true “hands off” approach then let’s have a true anything goes forum. The forum owners need to pick an approach. Either police all the scammers and bogus posts which includes getting rid of the political and religious forum or just state it’s no holds barred.

When someone gets ripped off that hurts the entire community. If you haven’t noticed, the entire car hobbyist contributors on this forum is shrinking. Making up volume with permissible scammers, ID hustlers, forum members with multiple sign-on names, banned members sneaking on now with new IDs (forced induction a/k/a Lance) for example , endless open threads , and do you think if someone gets scammed they are going to stick around with the hobby? It’s easy for a joker like me since I’ve been tinkering with the old German steel for over a decade now. My time is coming to an end in less than a decade when I either sell out or just hire someone to wrench for me because I’m getting bored with it. However the newer folks are either facing a scammer or sifting through a zillion impeachment threads and how God sucks threads.

You want a cesspool? You’re getting one here

disagree....i submitted my concerns to the mod in the parts fs board and they took care of closing the account of the offending individual.

__________________
0o==o0

James 4:8

"...let us put aside the blindness of mind of those who can conceive of nothing higher than what is known through the senses"
-Saint Gregory Palamas, ---Discourse on the Holy Transfiguration of Our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ


Centrally located in North East Central Pa.

And no one disagrees this also happens. However, for some of us, it takes a while. It only takes a few days for someone to get suckered. For me I just opted to stop reporting after one ping because I saw nothing happening. I wish I had all day to police the FS section and to pester the mods with multiple pings. And I appreciate the mods are volunteers who don’t get paid.

I've seen a scammer removed. Maybe two iirc. I try to keep the report short like "New member answering want ads sending me off-site to a non-member email address, no original photos and only takes cash pmt(unsecured)."

I can see getting scammed. I was excited that someone had a certain item in new condition, etc. The payment restrictions stopped me. These people have likely signed up to every forum that has want ads. It sounds easier than a more complex long drawn out scam. All they have to do is say they have the item(the collectible, the old sewing machine, the woodworking tool) and where to send pmt. A low post count is a sign of something phishy but I suppose not always. I'm sure people have signed up to a forum, said hi(1 post), and then had every part in every Want Ad of every model.

Keep being aware.

Stay sharp. Scammers still working these forums.

Not a scammer here, I am just way more of a lurker. I usually use my real name for forums, but I don't have the option to change mine. Feel free to google me, though: Jordan Rimpela.

You actually don't have a low post count as per these scams and you're also not a new member. As before it could be any ID really but so far it's ID's that are days old and it's their first or second post.

One observation for a secondary line of defense when using any online payment processor, if your source of payment is an attached credit card and there's a problem with the transaction, you have two separate claims processes available, the pmt processor and the pmt source aka a chargeback.

One time, as a seller, I went as far as taking a video clip of placing the item in the box, sealing it, and putting it in a postal drop. That's for disproving claims of "they sent me an empty box". A couple of times as a buyer, knowing what time UPS arrives, I've done a full chain of custody video of them rolling up, delivering the box, and me opening it. That's for proving claims of "they sent me an empty box". LOL. It's rare and nothing has ever happened but sometimes you have that 'just in case' feeling.