Scamming a Callsign and/or email

[w0bkr]

Guys, please, please do your homework when buying gear or selling it.

I had a chap email me about a Collins speaker (W5INC) that supposedly mailed a USPS money order to Salem, Mass.

First off, I have never owned any Collins gear, secondly, I don't live in Mass, thirdly, I never was contacted by phone or email by W5INC. If I sell anything, we will be talking on the phone, I will be checking you out and you can be checking me out. To blinding mail off a payment to an address so removed from your own, isn't that a red flag? Did you bother to look up my QRZ Info and go, hey, that doesn't sound right....

You fellows have to do your homework don't blindly just jump into a purchase or sale. You may lose money and/or gear and it may be your own fault.

Bad enough we have these low lifes out there, but something this basic is beyond my comprehension why you would jump into the water without knowing what's under the surface.

What I usually do:

1. Get a phone number and have conversations (not one, but a few).
2. Talk about the item in detail.
3. Get pics and pics with the fellow's callsign in the picture (what I do almost all the time on any forum that posts for sales).
4. Do a bit of googling. You can usually tell about someone from a phone call but do google.

You can't trust anyone. Don't trust me, check me out, feel comfortable and then proceed.

I have no idea what this W5INC paid, but hopefully, he can go to his USPS office and cancel the USPS money order.

Sometimes it is a low life prank but most times, a low life theft...$20 is $20, and $1000 is $1000. Its your money, tread carefully.

I can only hope W5INC learns from this and gets his funds back (think he will) and be less anxious in the future. All the best.