Scammed Again, Because I Was Not Paying Attention November 2, 2015 11:06
On October 31, I received a convo through my culturalpatina.etsy.com gallery from a fellow calling himself Randy Morgan. He inquired as to weather one of my Ron Stewart paintings was still available. If it were, he asked me for my best sales price. I responded in the affirmative with my best price and waited with baited breath for the response.
He responded almost immediately, telling me thanks and that he wanted to purchase the piece for his dad. He told me he was on an oceanographer on a trip to France and that he wanted to pay for the item via pay pal. He spent some time telling me how his pay pal account was connected to his personal bank account and that he needed my pay pal email address so that he could deposit the money into my pay pal account. He further noted that when the money was deposited into my account he would send his shipping agent around to collect the painting.
I responded again with my final price, but without the shipping and insurance costs, since his agent was going to pick the item up. Once I did this he responded almost immediately telling me that his agent needed $450.00 before he would pick the piece up and that since he was at sea, this was difficult for him to take care and asked me if I could contact the agent at pickupdelivery_msc@yahoo.com. At this point, I began to get suspicious as he also wanted me to take care of this by transferring the $450.00 via a Western Union Money Gram, and that he would pay me back when he deposited the painting price+shipping costs into my pay pal account.
I responded to let him know that this was becoming more complicated than it was worth and that I would pay the shipping and insurance cost for him and that all he needed to do was deposit the money for the painting into my pay pal account.
I waited and waited for his response, but nothing came. At this point I called pay pal to let them know what was going on and they told me that this was a scam which they had seen many times before.
Since I wanted to finish the game, I sent my final email to Randy, letting him know that his IP address had been captured and that it had been turned over to the FBI who were now tracking it back to his location. I also mentioned that he needed to continuously look over his shoulder because they were coming to get his ass. The message bounced back immediately, telling me the email address was no longer in service.
Key issues to be aware of. 1. Be concerned when someone asks you to consider the convo outside of your store platform. 2. Be concerned when the message is poorly written, 3. Be really, concerned when someone wants you to transfer money with a Western Union Money Gram, and 4. Be really, really, concerned when a potential buyer goes to great lengths explaining who he is and why he is doing what he is doing, and finally 5. Be really, really, really, concerned when someone tells you that they have their own agent standing by to pick up the item purchased. There are probably more warning lights that could be noted, but I think these are the most important. Hope this information helps some of you out there that might be exposed to a similar scam in the future.
He responded almost immediately, telling me thanks and that he wanted to purchase the piece for his dad. He told me he was on an oceanographer on a trip to France and that he wanted to pay for the item via pay pal. He spent some time telling me how his pay pal account was connected to his personal bank account and that he needed my pay pal email address so that he could deposit the money into my pay pal account. He further noted that when the money was deposited into my account he would send his shipping agent around to collect the painting.
I responded again with my final price, but without the shipping and insurance costs, since his agent was going to pick the item up. Once I did this he responded almost immediately telling me that his agent needed $450.00 before he would pick the piece up and that since he was at sea, this was difficult for him to take care and asked me if I could contact the agent at pickupdelivery_msc@yahoo.com. At this point, I began to get suspicious as he also wanted me to take care of this by transferring the $450.00 via a Western Union Money Gram, and that he would pay me back when he deposited the painting price+shipping costs into my pay pal account.
I responded to let him know that this was becoming more complicated than it was worth and that I would pay the shipping and insurance cost for him and that all he needed to do was deposit the money for the painting into my pay pal account.
I waited and waited for his response, but nothing came. At this point I called pay pal to let them know what was going on and they told me that this was a scam which they had seen many times before.
Since I wanted to finish the game, I sent my final email to Randy, letting him know that his IP address had been captured and that it had been turned over to the FBI who were now tracking it back to his location. I also mentioned that he needed to continuously look over his shoulder because they were coming to get his ass. The message bounced back immediately, telling me the email address was no longer in service.
Key issues to be aware of. 1. Be concerned when someone asks you to consider the convo outside of your store platform. 2. Be concerned when the message is poorly written, 3. Be really, concerned when someone wants you to transfer money with a Western Union Money Gram, and 4. Be really, really, concerned when a potential buyer goes to great lengths explaining who he is and why he is doing what he is doing, and finally 5. Be really, really, really, concerned when someone tells you that they have their own agent standing by to pick up the item purchased. There are probably more warning lights that could be noted, but I think these are the most important. Hope this information helps some of you out there that might be exposed to a similar scam in the future.