JohnCh Posted July 18 Share Posted July 18 I've opted to hide the prior thread on scammers I started in 2019 and replace it with this new locked sticky thread. Given the importance of this subject, I want the ability to easily update it without requiring people to scroll through multiple comments made over the years to discover those additions. Background Scammers continue to prey on forums, not just USA7s. They join, find someone who is looking for a part or is selling a part, then either send them a PM, or reply innocuously to the thread to start a conversation. Although we are all on high alert for scammers when selling something expensive like a car, we tend to let down our guard when it's a $200 part. Scammers know this and take advantage of that relaxed due diligence. How to spot scammers When you're contacted by someone you don't already know on the forum, please check them out first by doing the following: Click on their user name to visit their Profile page and take note of their join date and post count. If someone recently joined or joined a while ago but has no posting history, be extremely wary. If they only have a handful of posts, scroll down the Profile page to the Activity section to read the previews. Want to read the full post? Simply click on the post title and you will go directly there. Then ask yourself: does the person sound legitimate or do they sound like someone who is posting just for the sake of upping their post count? In the example below, although I love Fangio, I would put him in the be-extremely-wary bucket. He joined a long time ago but never posted. What to do if you suspect a scammer If you suspect you've been contacted by a scammer, please reach out to me. I may have additional information that may support or refute your concerns, and if that information supports them, I can take action to ban the user and potentially save other members some grief. Thanks, John 4 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnCh Posted July 29 Author Share Posted July 29 I just had a member reach out to me to identify a potential spammer, who was subsequently confirmed as a scumbag and banned before he was able to bother anyone else. This reinforces the importance of contacting me immediately when you are PMd by a suspicious person. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnCh Posted August 7 Author Share Posted August 7 I just received another heads up from a member about someone attempting this scam on them today. Logs showed the same person also tried it this with a second member yesterday. That individual has been warned, and the sccammer has been banned. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnCh Posted September 24 Author Share Posted September 24 We had someone who joined about a month ago, and who has a couple of approved posts, attempt to scam four people today. Three of these individuals were looking for cars, not just parts. I have added a new sticky thread in that forum which points people here. If you are contacted by anyone regarding a wanted or for sale thread you have started and something seems off, please don't hesitate to reach out to me. Thanks to one of our members who did just that, I was able to warn the three other people and ban the scumbag. 4 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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