armslist scams

[us1911]

Anyone getting armslist scams? I recently responded to an armslist Ad for a high-end pistol that was a scam, and I wanted to share some of the obvious clues.

1) The ad was listed from Colorado, but his email said he was in Texas.
2) He offered to sell to me if I would drive to a non-existent city in TX for pick-up, or alternatively, he would pay to ship to my FFL. I assume his next email would ask for a wire transfer -- didn't get that far.
3) Both emails from him arrived around 4:30 AM. Unusual hours for the US, but daylight hours on the other side of the Atlantic.
4) Initial ad was in perfect english. However, both emails had numerous misspellings, strange sentences, bad punctuation, strange capitalizations, etc.
5) The kicker was the location of the email sender's IP -- his emails came from Africa.

The email sender's rough location is easy to ferret out, and can be really useful to test the veracity of the sender. In your email reader pull up the "full header" (also called header details, etc). Scroll down until you find the "sender's IP". Copy the number and look it up on the "whois" website to get the location. The sender IP is not necessarily the IP of his computer, but is some routing point near to him. Some who knows more than I can probably chime in on how well this works (or not). [Dunno]


Or just buy in the TP after checking feedback.........

[blm28]

Sounds like one to avoid.

[Eggysrun]

Armslist nigeria scam lol

[SideShow Bob]

Nigerians at it again ? I think I have won the Nigerian lottery at least 10X times, had several Nigerian relatives pass and leave multiple millions of dollars and last but not least two Nigerian kings want to give me a million dollars each just to receive and hold fortunes for them until their visit to the US.........[LOL]

[us1911]

A few years back I had an email offer to share a Nigerian businessman's fortune if I would help him to set-up bank accounts, etc. Surprised to see them scamming on Wilson Combat pistols.

[Scanker19]

I'm telling y'all, the best way to spot a scammer is if they use "hello" as the first word inthe Email. 9out of 10 times it's a scammer.

[JMBD2112]

i found a USP Tactical in nashville that i told the owner i wanted to buy, he wanted $750 for it, he responded that if i sent him a payment he would ship to a FFL of my choice. Well my folks live a couple hours from nashville and i told him I would wire them the money and have them pick it up for me. He INSISTED on a money order directly from me cause he couldnt sell my dad the pistol knowing it was going to me?!?! so yeah that was definetely a scam

[Eggysrun]

i found a USP Tactical in nashville that i told the owner i wanted to buy, he wanted $750 for it, he responded that if i sent him a payment he would ship to a FFL of my choice. Well my folks live a couple hours from nashville and i told him I would wire them the money and have them pick it up for me. He INSISTED on a money order directly from me cause he couldnt sell my dad the pistol knowing it was going to me?!?! so yeah that was definetely a scam

I dunno I guess maybe his point of view is he is thinking you can't buy a firearm legally (can't pass the BG check, etc) and having someone else buy it for you goes into a grey area even though private sales/transfers are totally legit. Not accusing you of anything, just saying some people are paranoid as hell.

[Goodburbon]

i found a USP Tactical in nashville that i told the owner i wanted to buy, he wanted $750 for it, he responded that if i sent him a payment he would ship to a FFL of my choice. Well my folks live a couple hours from nashville and i told him I would wire them the money and have them pick it up for me. He INSISTED on a money order directly from me cause he couldnt sell my dad the pistol knowing it was going to me?!?! so yeah that was definetely a scam

That's not a scam, that's someone playing by the rules refusing to sell to a straw buyer. YOU were the one trying to skirt the law.

[JMBD2112]

That's not a scam, that's someone playing by the rules refusing to sell to a straw buyer. YOU were the one trying to skirt the law.

really? by no means was i trying to skirt the law, he wasn't a dealer, it was a private party transaction. i didnt think i was doing anything wrong? unless their is something i don't know about i thought that was legal

[SideShow Bob]

I'm telling y'all, the best way to spot a scammer is if they use "hello" as the first word inthe Email. 9out of 10 times it's a scammer.

Well,
By your theory, I must be a scammer when I respond to ads in the trading post.......[Tooth]

[JMBD2112]

I dunno I guess maybe his point of view is he is thinking you can't buy a firearm legally (can't pass the BG check, etc) and having someone else buy it for you goes into a grey area even though private sales/transfers are totally legit. Not accusing you of anything, just saying some people are paranoid as hell.

i guess i really didnt look at it that way, eventhough my folks would have to ship it to me and to recieve it i would have to pass a CBI, but you're right, he wouldn't know that

[SideShow Bob]

really? by no means was i trying to skirt the law, he wasn't a dealer, it was a private party transaction. i didnt think i was doing anything wrong? unless their is something i don't know about i thought that was legal

Read the laws dealing with non state residents purchasing handguns, they must be sent to an FFL in the buyers state of residence for proper transfer......
And some states do not allow you to sell a long gun to a non state resident.

[JMBD2112]

Read the laws dealing with non state residents purchasing handguns, they must be sent to an FFL in the buyers state of residence for proper transfer......

even if its private party?

[68Charger]

I see ads all the time that don't list city- they just say "colorado", and they're usually a tempting price, but not so much that it's obvious.

I've sent messages to them, and when it's obvious that they're not in Colorado, flag as scam in armslist.

[SideShow Bob]

even if its private party?

Yes.

[JMBD2112]

i did not know that[facepalm]

[SideShow Bob]

i did not know that[facepalm]

So, what you are saying is : That you have committed a felony at least once by buying a handgun out of state by handing the seller a handful of cash and walking away with a handgun and bringing it back to CO.?

[JMBD2112]

no i've never bought one out of state before, i was weary of sending someone i didnt know that amount of cash before i recieved the goods. thats why i wanted to have someone i trust, my dad, go get it for me. i was completely unaware that if i did so it was felony

[islandermyk]

could'a had your Dad and the seller meet at a gun shop and had them send it from there to you...

An HK USP Tactical for $750.. I would've made that work... was it in .45?


damn... why do I keep missing the good deals [Tooth]

[JMBD2112]

i know, i figured since it was so cheap it was a scam when he refused to meet my dad. maybe he was covering his ass, bob says its illegal to knowingly do so and according to this.....

A person not licensed under the GCA and not prohibited from acquiring firearms may purchase a firearm from an out-of-State source and obtain the firearm if an arrangement is made with a licensed dealer in the purchaser’s State of residence for the purchaser to obtain the firearm from the dealer.
[18 U.S.C. 922(a)(3) and 922(b)(3)]

which is basically what bob is saying. i just backed away from the deal cause he refused to make a transaction wiith my dad, i didnt even think about having them both meet to send it

[SideShow Bob]

could'a had your Dad and the seller meet at a gun shop and had them send it from there to you...

An HK USP Tactical for $750.. I would've made that work... was it in .45?



damn... why do I keep missing the good deals [Tooth]

Even adding the $60 dollars or so for such a transfer, transfer fee and shipping from the dealer, the price would still be a fair deal.

[JMBD2112]

screaming deal, i just paid $1100 for one from the potestio brothers cause i gave up on finding one

[Eggysrun]

really? by no means was i trying to skirt the law, he wasn't a dealer, it was a private party transaction. i didnt think i was doing anything wrong? unless their is something i don't know about i thought that was legal

I don't think your intent was to skirt the law, but a lot of guys who can't get guns legally are gonna use a third party to get them that. Now if your dad and yourself were willing to do a 4473 and you guys passed the check and he still said no dice then yeah he's being a douche.

[JMBD2112]

I don't think your intent was to skirt the law, but a lot of guys who can't get guns legally are gonna use a third party to get them that. Now if your dad and yourself were willing to do a 4473 and you guys passed the check and he still said no dice then yeah he's being a douche.

well the deal never happened, maybe a good thing anyways

[islandermyk]

was the USP Tact in .45?[pick-me]

[JMBD2112]

was the USP Tact in .45?[pick-me]

oh sorry mike it was in .45

[islandermyk]

[facepalm]

shit

[islandermyk]

[LOL]

oh well.... deals come and go... [Beer]


just like women in my life [Coffee]

[JMBD2112]

i will say one more thing since we jacked the hell out of this thread, thanks bob and eggys for schooling me on this, i seriously never had a clue about out of state purchases as so

[JMBD2112]

[LOL]

oh well.... deals come and go... [Beer]


just like women in my life [Coffee]

[ROFL1]

[islandermyk]

aren't we all just a bunch of Whores [LOL]

[centrarchidae]

even if its private party?

Private party sales are only legal between two residents of the same state.

[Ashton]

I'm telling y'all, the best way to spot a scammer is if they use "hello" as the first word inthe Email. 9out of 10 times it's a scammer.

Dear Sir,

[Byte Stryke]

you can also have someone "inspect it prior to shipping and pay you at that time" the funds are FROM you and he is simply an escrow agent (of sorts). the seller ships it to the FFL in CO with your relative in presence. No straw man purchase.
Feel free verify with ATF, but I am sure they would see no problem with it.

[JMBD2112]

Too late now, this was a while back, and I gave up on finding a used one so I saved up and bought one new from the potestio brothers gun room in Parker.

[JMBD2112]

Good to know in the future though

[Goodburbon]

Now you know


And knowing is half the battle.

[merl]

Now you know


And knowing is half the bottle.

[palepainter]

A real nice Russian Sniper Rifle... http://www.armslist.com/posts/697571/colorado-springs-colorado-rifles-for-sale--saiga-7-62-ak-sniper-rifle-

[Atrain1]

i found a USP Tactical in nashville that i told the owner i wanted to buy, he wanted $750 for it, he responded that if i sent him a payment he would ship to a FFL of my choice. Well my folks live a couple hours from nashville and i told him I would wire them the money and have them pick it up for me. He INSISTED on a money order directly from me cause he couldnt sell my dad the pistol knowing it was going to me?!?! so yeah that was definetely a scamI did the same thing to a guy who wanted to have someone else buy my gun for him,there was no way I was going to do that.

[merl]

I did do a FTF sale with someone that had someone else pick it up. Was emailing with someone in the springs, he had a friend in Denver pick it up.

I did insist in that case for full name & address copied from drivers license though (I wrote it down). As far as I'm concerned I sold it to his friend in Denver. Couple years later while sorting though old papers it got thrown away.

[joeyshoe]

A real nice Russian Sniper Rifle... http://www.armslist.com/posts/697571/colorado-springs-colorado-rifles-for-sale--saiga-7-62-ak-sniper-rifle-

HAHA! Woodland Park, not me...i promise. I do wish I had a sniper mag though.

[Aloha_Shooter]

I did do a FTF sale with someone that had someone else pick it up. Was emailing with someone in the springs, he had a friend in Denver pick it up.

I did insist in that case for full name & address copied from drivers license though (I wrote it down). As far as I'm concerned I sold it to his friend in Denver. Couple years later while sorting though old papers it got thrown away.

I don't know, if I was on the jury, I'd be inclined to see that as a straw purchase. As far as I'm concerned, if you're going to buy it, YOU buy it not your friend, not your parents, not your twin. The only third party I'll deliver to is an FFL in the buyer's home state.

[UrbanWolf]

i got one similar for a rifle, it seems fishy so i ignored him.
Did he write email like this?
"Yeah, still up for sale....i'm no longer in CO....tho....but i can ship to your FFL....if you pay shipping...."