Possible scam attempt from new member

[casstony]

New member 'Acazias' offered me an FC100df at a good price but failed to respond to my request for personal details. I thought I'd should mention this here in case he's approached anyone else. I've sent a report to the mods.

[iceman (Mike)]

How long ago did you ask for his personal details? How long have you given them to respond before publicly calling them out as a scammer?

The user has only been a member for a day, Tony.

[casstony]

He joined just before replying to my wanted ad. I replied yesterday morning so it's been 24 hours and I've heard nothing. He entered lat & long details indicating a Melbourne address so I asked for pickup details - no response.

Note Mike that I said possible scammer as the situation appears very suspicious. I thought it prudent to report the case to others in a timely fashion in case it is a scam and others had been approached.

[casstony]

I'm happy for the mods to delete this thread if they think I've jumped the gun. Perhaps recent scams have made me too suspicious?

[brian nordstrom (As avatar)]

Good call Tony , its a healthy paranoia mate .
I had a similar bogus reply from a small want ad I put up a while ago , my hackles went up and yes , a few days later this looser was gone , cheeky buggers after all sorts of info , DONT !!! give it to these new members ( <24 hours ) .

They are the lowest of the low as far as I am concerned .

Brian.

[casstony]

Thanks Brian, still no response from the guy, definitely looks dodgey.

[csb (Craig)]

To me it seems that, in classifieds, there are more replies from new members with that reply being their first and only post.

Some replies also come across as very confident and sometimes zealous. It was this cockiness in their replies that prompted me to check their member status.

First post + cockiness really makes me suspicious.

[casstony]

I'm sure most new members are just people interested in astronomy, but there is apparently one or more crooks repeatedly attempting a scam. Scamming has become endemic (or is that epidemic?) so I guess it will only get more common on our little forum.
I certainly won't buy through the post from a new member.

[Mamba (David)]

Acacias has an astonishing good taste in telescopes, he's just offered me a TSA 120 for $2500!
Mamba

[casstony]

He lives in melbourne David. Did you ask if you could pick it up? He went quiet when I asked about pickup. While you're there can you grab my fc100df too please ☺

[Kunama]

Originally Posted by Mamba

Acacias has an astonishing good taste in telescopes, he's just offered me a TSA 120 for $2500!
Mamba

That sounds like a bargain....... I would advise CAUTION until someone can verify a person is who they claim to be..... just because someone then comes online and posts in a number of threads does not make me less suspicious.....

Two decades dealing with fraud has left me indelibly suspicious of anyone not willing to be identified in such a small community......

[fsphotography (Frank)]

Going by the tone of this thread a ''new'' member is risking being regarded as a scammer if they attempt to buy or sell some thing. It appears that one can be a member of the IIS community for years, quietly staying in the background, enjoying the wealth of knowledge and information available here and then be regarded with suspicion as soon as they try to sell or buy something. All because,it appears, they haven't posted enough. For some, just joining the IIS community is enough. They don't want to have to join the other ''club''as well. I have been a member of this community for over four years, this is just my fifth post, and i was intending to place a telescope for sale add. But just in case someone in the ''club'' decides to out me as a''possible''scammer, i don't think I'll bother.
And just for your information, i have bought several items on IIS over the years with just one bad experience. A prolific ''poster'' and member of the ''club'' miss described and miss represented an item i purchased and then subjected me to a deluge of abuse when i complained. Prolific posting
doesn't mean that someone is honest, it may just mean that they have got too much to say.
Despite that experience I still buy from IIS members and haven't succumbed to paranoia, i just give people the benefit of the doubt with
a little due diligence thrown in.
Frank.

[Nikolas (Nik)]

Originally Posted by fsphotography

Going by the tone of this thread a ''new'' member is risking being regarded as a scammer if they attempt to buy or sell some thing. It appears that one can be a member of the IIS community for years, quietly staying in the background, enjoying the wealth of knowledge and information available here and then be regarded with suspicion as soon as they try to sell or buy something. All because,it appears, they haven't posted enough. For some, just joining the IIS community is enough. They don't want to have to join the other ''club''as well. I have been a member of this community for over four years, this is just my fifth post, and i was intending to place a telescope for sale add. But just in case someone in the ''club'' decides to out me as a''possible''scammer, i don't think I'll bother.
And just for your information, i have bought several items on IIS over the years with just one bad experience. A prolific ''poster'' and member of the ''club'' miss described and miss represented an item i purchased and then subjected me to a deluge of abuse when i complained. Prolific posting
doesn't mean that someone is honest, it may just mean that they have got too much to say.
Despite that experience I still buy from IIS members and haven't succumbed to paranoia, i just give people the benefit of the doubt with
a little due diligence thrown in.
Frank.

Unfortunately that's the way of the internets. Everyone is suspicious because of all the bad eggs out there.
What have you got to sell? Don't be put off just do it

[casstony]

Frank, you've got the bull by the tail on two counts.

(1) The suspected scammer in this thread has offered to sell two Takahashi scopes at low prices but won't supply a pick up address - you seem to indicate that we shouldn't be suspicious, even though a similar scam was perpetrated recently on Morton.

(2) There is no real "club" on IIS, only a perceived one born of our own insecurities. I'm not in the imaging 'club' but I'm sure I'd be welcomed in if I decided to enter.

I've had rare bad experiences on IIS but it's generally a pleasant place. Recently there's been an upsurge in scamming through various mediums and it pays to be cautious.

[RB (Andrew)]

Originally Posted by casstony

(2) There is no real "club" on IIS, only a perceived one borne of our own insecurities. I'm not in the imaging 'club' but I'm sure I'd be welcomed in if I decided to enter.

Depends on how good your images are Tony.

[Mamba (David)]

I think that this guy does bear watching, he offered me TSA 120 for $2500, I doubt that scope has been offered as low as that in the last ten years.
I asked for details, serial number, address as he is only about 15 km from me, l am still waiting.
Mamba

[Atmos (Colin)]

Originally Posted by fsphotography

Going by the tone of this thread a ''new'' member is risking being regarded as a scammer if they attempt to buy or sell some thing. It appears that one can be a member of the IIS community for years, quietly staying in the background, enjoying the wealth of knowledge and information available here and then be regarded with suspicion as soon as they try to sell or buy something. All because,it appears, they haven't posted enough. For some, just joining the IIS community is enough. They don't want to have to join the other ''club''as well. I have been a member of this community for over four years, this is just my fifth post, and i was intending to place a telescope for sale add. But just in case someone in the ''club'' decides to out me as a''possible''scammer, i don't think I'll bother.
And just for your information, i have bought several items on IIS over the years with just one bad experience. A prolific ''poster'' and member of the ''club'' miss described and miss represented an item i purchased and then subjected me to a deluge of abuse when i complained. Prolific posting
doesn't mean that someone is honest, it may just mean that they have got too much to say.
Despite that experience I still buy from IIS members and haven't succumbed to paranoia, i just give people the benefit of the doubt with
a little due diligence thrown in.
Frank.

The problem is less to do with "new" members or members with a small number of posts, but more to do with such ones offering very expensive gear at insanely cheap prices.
The same concept follows itself onto eBay; if you have one person selling high end gear at a third of cost, someone who has no feedback vs someone that has a 99% rating and has sold thousands of items. We all know who we're more likely to consider trustworthy.

[RB (Andrew)]

Originally Posted by Mamba

I think that this guy does bear watching, he offered me TSA 120 for $2500, I doubt that scope has been offered as low as that in the last ten years.
Mamba

The situation has previously, already been reported to Mike.
It's up to him.
In the meantime just use caution and if a deal sounds to good to be true...well you know the rest.

[casstony]

Originally Posted by RB

Depends on how good your images are Tony.

I've started practicing - should be ready for membership in about 10 years

[RB (Andrew)]

Originally Posted by casstony

I've started practicing - should be ready for membership in about 10 years

Ah just jump in, the water's fine.