Scammer Hi-fi Gear (Sensitive topic)

[Hi-fi DTH]

Hello fellow Audioreviewers,

I am very new to this forum and I am looking for a database where scammer pictures existed and update frequently for gear selling. I got in one of the case recently, unfortunately I learned it the hardway and I want to report this, to see if any one have seen these pictures or name before. Is it appropriate to call out for scammer here or how should I do it?

If I should provide evidence and details where should I create thread or put it in.

Best regards,

DTH

 

[Madjalapeno]

I have bought a few things here, but always PM to ask for a picture of the equipment being sold with a piece of paper with the sellers username and date written on it.

It's a simple check, and real sellers should not mind.

 

[amirm]

THere is nothing we can do as staff about such issues since we are not part of the transaction. You are welcome to post in the forum any bad experiences you have had.

 

[NiagaraPete]

It’s a two way street with selling and buying. There are scammers everywhere. I just got burned on eBay selling.

Bottom line due diligence is required.

 

[gene_stl]

@Seeker-Smith how did you get burned?? please share details to help others avoid whatever trap/pitfall it was.

 

[NiagaraPete]

I had a item for sale with a make an offer option. The scammer clicked the offer and I excepted. That's when the horror story started. The item was then classified as sold. The buyer then wanted it shipped to a different address and wanted a gift card included and offered to pay the extra.

At that point I knew it was a scam and didn't comply. However as far as ebay was concerned it was sold. I was at my limit for selling. I had to wait a month to relist the item.

Any deal to good to be true is likely a scam.

 

[gene_stl]

I am glad to hear you avoided actually getting burned or scammed.

 

[Count Arthur]

Not long ago I was selling some amps. Alarm bells started going off when the buyer insisted on paying by cheque. I explained that I wouldn't send anything until it had cleared and funds were in my account.

When the cheque arrived it was for double the amount of the item, now I knew something was up: https://cba.ca/overpayment-scam

I ignored his subsequent enquiries, of which there were several, and passed his details on to the police.

 

[Kevinfc]

It’s a two way street with selling and buying. There are scammers everywhere. I just got burned on eBay selling.

Bottom line due diligence is required.

In my book, getting burned as a seller means losing your item and not getting paid. Anything short of that is a hassle, but doesn’t rise to the threshold of a burn.

As far as buying or selling on the internet, my advice is to start small and practice. Once you’ve done it a few dozen times you’ll begin to understand the subtle things that indicate you’re dealing with an honest individual.
I have personally bought and sold tens of thousands of items and I have almost never been burned. eBay is a slam dunk as a buyer in that they will always side with you, so you‘re protected. Using PayPal also gives you protection. But start small and talk to the sellers if you buy outside these entities. You’ll get a feel for who you’re dealing with if you listen.

 

[Hi-fi DTH]

So this is how it all started with me. I am new to this, especially I have got lucky with a few real deal hi-fi seller from another country. One guy is from Romania from Head-fi forum, the other was on Denmark on a market place called Den Bla Alvis.

As a reference you guys can check these few pictures that he had used to scam me. I also link the whole email conversation between me and this guy. I am taking every comment that is either positive or negative but please keep it as constructive as possible.

https://imgur.com/a/vR5Bwrx

These attached below are those pictures that he used to scam me. If you guys found any similar pictures please let me know. Thank you!

 

[Hi-fi DTH]

My apologies I forgot to add his name. He has a name of Jeffrey, here is his contact. I called this number for 3 days straight and it is always unavailable and not even a ring tone. The address is fake, he claimed himself with his real address mentioned in the email in Copenhagen.

 

[JayGilb]

I'm love 80s/90s vintage gear and was searching Ebay, Reverb, Mercari, 10k, etc for a particular amplifier when a new site popped up on my search.
The price was good, yet not too good to be true, but the images looked familiar. I emailed the site owner who was located in Georgia USA and the response indicated that English was their second language. I stopped the conversation and searched for the Ebay site where I had first viewed the image. I messaged the seller and gave them a link to where the amp was found to let them know that someone was trying to sell their listing.

 

[Martin]

Sorry you got scammed but any seller requesting payment via Bitcoin or wire transfer is a HUGE red flag.

Martin

 

[Hi-fi DTH]

Yeah at first I think he is normal because he also mentioned about bank detail. But still bank is very risky if they just take your money, same for bitcoins. If they have some middle man option for escrow or paypal credit card payment for goods and service then it should not be a problem.

 

[MCH]

sorry to hear your story.

seems that the real headphones were sold at USaudiomart in August this year:

Mint Pr Sennheiser HD-800S Headphones, Owners Manual, Balanced + Unbalanced Cables, Packing, LIKE NE

As New pr of the top of the line Sennheiser HD-800S Headphones, with protective carrying case, owners manual, unbalanced and balanced quality cables, Flash Drive, like new, rarely used. These have been rarely used as they were purchased for a 2nd system that never materialized. The sound quality,...

www.canuckaudiomart.com

to me (i am not smarter than anyone else, but have had attempts of scams many times) the biggest red light is always a too low price. Second, if someone is willing to sell something at such a low price, he will want to do it fast and easy, not writting so many emails... third is language. someone that supposedly has many headphones and is selling a expensive and very well known model, does not refer to it with those generic descriptions that seem a copy/paste of the worst marketing leaflet, not to mention that he uses the word bitcoin 10 times more often than headphones...

hope it helps, really sorry for your experience. i use a lot ebaykleineanzeige in Germany and even though is not free of scammers, most of the people there are legitimate and honest.

 

[Katji]

Sorry you got scammed but any seller requesting payment via Bitcoin or wire transfer is a HUGE red flag.

Any odd payment system, local quick payment systems.....which have proliferated, smartphone apps systems. More often the money type scammers, not AV in particular. Apparently they show up all the time in the local Facebook hi-fi marketplace and gumtree [AKA scumtree] (sort of SA version of craigslist, also in UK, known for scammers and people selling stolen goods, like bicycle thieves.)

 

[Hi-fi DTH]

aykleineanzeige

sorry to hear your story.

seems that the real headphones were sold at USaudiomart in August this year:

Mint Pr Sennheiser HD-800S Headphones, Owners Manual, Balanced + Unbalanced Cables, Packing, LIKE NE

As New pr of the top of the line Sennheiser HD-800S Headphones, with protective carrying case, owners manual, unbalanced and balanced quality cables, Flash Drive, like new, rarely used. These have been rarely used as they were purchased for a 2nd system that never materialized. The sound quality,...

www.canuckaudiomart.com

to me (i am not smarter than anyone else, but have had attempts of scams many times) the biggest red light is always a too low price. Second, if someone is willing to sell something at such a low price, he will want to do it fast and easy, not writting so many emails... third is language. someone that supposedly has many headphones and is selling a expensive and very well known model, does not refer to it with those generic descriptions that seem a copy/paste of the worst marketing leaflet, not to mention that he uses the word bitcoin 10 times more often than headphones...

hope it helps, really sorry for your experience. i use a lot ebaykleineanzeige in Germany and even though is not free of scammers, most of the people there are legitimate and honest.

Yeah I also used ebaykleinanzeigen. Tried to buy of one legit guy with HD800s there but the paypal did not work that night and he got another one picked up in person so I missed it.

 

[KellenVancouver]

The internet is a scammer's paradise. Shopping online for used equipment feels a bit like swimming in shark-invested waters. Will you get burned every time? Of course not, but once burned, twice shy. Unless I am specifically and uniquely looking for something vintage, I choose to purchase new from either manufacturers or reputable dealers. That means I pay more, I don't get the deal of the century, and I don't experience the "thrill of the hunt" and the buyer's high that some people get. But I'm okay with that. I'm not a shark so I choose to avoid those waters.

 

[Hi-fi DTH]

Here is the update to the case.
He has another person highly fake guy or himself. The conversation between me and this guy and he is trying to scam me again.
These guys are really that desparate.

 

[PierreV]

Sorry you got scammed but any seller requesting payment via Bitcoin or wire transfer is a HUGE red flag.

Martin

Yes on Bitcoin (obviously) but wire transfer is mostly the standard in EU. I haven't seen a cheque in 25 years.
I've sold a couple of things and we simply used instant wire transfers. EU to US or vice-versa is not as safe ofc.

SEPA Instant Credit Transfer

The EPC SEPA Instant Credit Transfer (SCT Inst) scheme enables the transfer of up to 15,000 euros in less than ten seconds. The SCT Inst scheme is highly convenient in an increasingly digital world.

www.europeanpaymentscouncil.eu