Firearms Scams - how to avoid them...

S

Skans

New member
This thread is for those who buy/sell guns on Gunbroker and the internet in general to offer up suggestions on how to avoid getting scammed.

I have noticed a rash of scammers targeting the NFA market. While I don't buy/sell NFA firearms over the internet, I buy a number of guns using Gunbroker, and have sold a couple of guns using forms, such as this one. So far, I've been very lucky. But, I can see where I really need to take steps to be much more careful in gun transactions going forward.

For buyers, one method I read about (on Sturmgewehr) is requiring sellers to email you a photo of the gun you will be buying with a piece of paper containing the seller's hand-written email address placed over the gun itself. I think I'm going to require this from now on.

If anyone has other thoughts on good strategies on how to avoid getting scammed, let's hear them.
 
Skans, with throw-away emails from gmail and yahoo, it's probably not going to help much.

I haven't bought anything off of gunbroker, but they have a rating system similar to ebay for sellers. If you stick with reputable sellers, you'll probably do OK.
 
2ndsojourn, What it does is it shows that the seller actually has the gun he is allegedly selling in his possession. Apparently, the scammers are using stock photos or stealing them from various websites and they never had the gun to sell in the first place. Someone would have to have physical possession of the gun to place a piece of paper on it with his email address. Photoshopping this doesn't work. It could still be a scam, but at least you have verified that the seller actually has the gun he claims he's selling.
 
ask for references, check references. check sale history. speak with the seller over the phone, confirm any FFLs..... send a personal check so you can have fraud protection against your account so you have the bank and ATF to initiate the criminal investigation.

there are plenty more ways to conform the seller of a gun is legit.... if they're on GB they should have a history of selling or buying....
 
skans, the local paper's front page with date shown along side the gun helps with the proof they actually have the gun. also, asking for various angles and close ups of the gun's certain areas....
 
"What it does is it shows that the seller actually has the gun he is allegedly selling in his possession. Apparently, the scammers are using stock photos or stealing them from various websites and they never had the gun to sell in the first place."

Ah...gotcha.
 
That works unless they know how to photoshop.
Click to expand...

I saw one photo example of someone who tried to photoshop this, and it was all too obvious. Even if someone is good with photoshop, if you blow up the photo to pixel size, it should become more apparent whether its a fraud.

Some other things to consider: Calling the seller and asking questions; ask for additional photos - one with him actually holding the gun he intends to sell. If the Seller doesn't have the gun, I doubt he's going to want to answer questions about it. And, he won't have the gun for additional photos.
 
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