Scams for the Holidays!

[jcook54]

There have been a lot of scammers getting through, the auto-reject software we have in place to try and eliminate this. It's something that we consistently look out for but it's just seems to be happening more and more often. Here's a short list of what to watch out for:

• Post count. The rule of "25 Post Minimum" is in place to try and prevent this from happening. It makes some people annoyed but every single scammer we've banned recently had fewer than 25 posts.
• In order to work around the 25 post minimum, they are requesting contact via text or email. For some reason they don't want to DM on this site. I don't know why but this has been the pattern for the last few incidents.
• Shipping only. When pickup or meeting up has been suggested, it is declined. I'm assuming this is because the most recent scammer I've banned was in Nigeria. I don't know where the others are from but don't send anyone any money without knowing who they are.
• The conversations that I've seen have been very, very aggressive with deep discounts offered because they're in a hurry.
• Often times they report to be selling for someone else. When you ask a question, they can't elaborate because they are just he middle man.

Please keep this in mind when buying stuff. If it's too good to be true, it may well be. Don't give anyone any information until you are comfortable dealing with them. We have DMs and it's a safe way to communicate if everything's on the up-and-up. If they only want to talk via text or gmail, see it as a red flag. Never post your information in the forums. There have been people viewing the sales threads and reaching out directly to people to try and get a deposit to hold an item.

Be safe and please report anything fishy. Our forum software does a pretty job of auto-rejecting but more and more folks have been getting through.

 

[scottw]

Thank you ARC team for the help with this!

 

[Adam]

I stuck this and got it in the featured rotation.

 

[NanCrab]

Thank you so much BOD for doing your best to keep us safe on this site! Your efforts are appreciated!

 

[splitcog]

This sounds like a lot of buying scams I've run into recently on FB marketplace too. Thanks for getting this out there!

 

[bhodges82]

I got hit by a scam too, I'm out $60 total. Watch out guys they're out there

 

[SWATLTank]

@jcthank you for being willing to look up the account when asked. I know you are busy, but stopping what you were doing to review details for me...well it really went far with me

 

[ELBee]

Wow. These scammers are even scamming poorly (not laughing at those that got scammed, just at the ineptitude of the scammer by picking such a niche, and relatively tight knit community)

A grift of sub 1k? That's a really poor payout for the time and effort involved to make offer, discuss and finalize sale.

Don't get me wrong- they ARE scamming and I hate it completely. I used to work as a fraud analyst at a financial institution so i've seen my fair share of fraud rings and tactics, but corals for around $40-$100 per sale is a new one to me.

 

[Genius]

Did anyone else get a message from this person

johnmark00165 he just joined the ARC community Friday and making a few offers inbox jeffersongrey67@gmail.com that’s his email as well if you know anything about this guy, please let me know.​

 

[ELBee]

Did anyone else get a message from this person

johnmark00165 he just joined the ARC community Friday and making a few offers inbox jeffersongrey67@gmail.com that’s his email as well if you know anything about this guy, please let me know.​

Profile link looks dead. You sniffed out a (or THE) scammer, methinks!

I've got $10 that says he'll be back within the week with a new alias. I'd rather see him just go away though.

 

[SWATLTank]

Did anyone else get a message from this person

johnmark00165 he just joined the ARC community Friday and making a few offers inbox jeffersongrey67@gmail.com that’s his email as well if you know anything about this guy, please let me know.​

One of the scanners. Reported this to @jcook54 this past weekend on Saturday.

 

[Genius]

I do not buy nothing on ARC if I cannot see it first I like to meet and see the product that I’m buying before I end over any type of money no disrespect to anybody’s business, but I do not send anybody any money to hold nothing I work too hard for mine

 

[SWATLTank]

I do not buy nothing on ARC if I cannot see it first I like to meet and see the product that I’m buying before I end over any type of money no disrespect to anybody’s business, but I do not send anybody any money to hold nothing I work too hard for mine

And you shouldn't. That's one of the ways you know it's a scammer.

 

[ecoreefguy]

As with any platform, please be careful with who you do business with. Scammers have been rampant but honestly the scams are quite obvious.
This will make honest reefers suffer on both ends as buyers and sellers.

 

[ELBee]

Tips to avoid fraud/scams:

Never send Paypal to friends/family unless you KNOW the person or they have a solid presence/reputation here at ARC

Check posts here and via paypal/venmo/cashapp/whatever method they are requesting for feedback/reviews

Be wary of new users with no posts other than newly listed sales.

Be wary of people that wish to move conversation platforms immediately upon contact

I'm sure there are many more, but I've been out of the fraud detection arena for years now.

 

[SWATLTank]

As with any platform, please be careful with who you do business with. Scammers have been rampant but honestly the scams are quite obvious.
This will make honest reefers suffer on both ends as buyers and sellers.

Yeah. I reached out to Justin over the weekend because someone who I was texting was so pushing?
So, how many bounce do you want? 375 with shipping. I was like I'm not into bounce mushrooms and I don't think anyone is going to pay you for shipping when they can drive to a member's home for pickup.

I can let you have them for 85.00.

No, I am not interested in bounce mushrooms.

I can let you have small ones for 40.00.


It was all happening like buying a time share. LOL. They just keep going lower and lower and it's like if it were worth such and such, how can you go THAT low so fast. No offense to anyone with a timeshare. I have one in Los Cabos and love it. Knowing that's how they operate, it was the strategy I used to get it for 'nothing'

 

[Justin Ranke]

That Jeffersongrey67 email was the same email from a differant account that tried to scam me.

It's the same guy that is popping up on reefclubs all throughout the country, and other forums as well. So sad honestly

 

[Adam]

Another set of tips.

If it looks even remotely suspicious REPORT IT! PM/DM's can be reported too, just like any posts in threads.

Most of the time these $#!+ heads don't put a local location in their profiles or it's outside of Georgia. RED FLAG! REPORT IT.
I'm betting they will start using that tactic soon though.

Any requests for contact or payment via and email address? Google the address! If you get results that look like this below, REPORT IT!

jeffersongrey67@gmail.com - Google Search

Yes, this seems like small dollars for a scam in the grand scheme of things. But I'm willing to bet the majority of them are kids under 18.

Once you get to know people here you'll know pretty quickly who you can trust and who to stay away from.

 

[SWATLTank]

Another set of tips.

If it looks even remotely suspicious REPORT IT! PM/DM's can be reported too, just like any posts in threads.

Most of the time these $#!+ heads don't put a local location in their profiles or it's outside of Georgia. RED FLAG! REPORT IT.
I'm betting they will start using that tactic soon though.

Any requests for contact or payment via and email address? Google the address! If you get results that look like this below, REPORT IT!

jeffersongrey67@gmail.com - Google Search

Yes, this seems like small dollars for a scam in the grand scheme of things. But I'm willing to bet the majority of them are kids under 18.

Once you get to know people here you'll know pretty quickly who you can trust and who to stay away from.

Yeah. My guess was kids too. Amounts are too low to make it worth it. I mean if I were a scammer. It's seems like way too much energy to keep moving because once no product shows up, that account is burnt.

 

[BlackLitez]

Yeah. My guess was kids too. Amounts are too low to make it worth it. I mean if I were a scammer. It's seems like way too much energy to keep moving because once no product shows up, that account is burnt.

People in some other countries make very little money as well. They might only be able to make $10 a day if they can even get paid to do a local job. Making $40 in an hour of chatting someone up seems like it would be worth it to them.