# Sticky  How to Identify Scammers



## rockcrusher (Aug 28, 2003)

Here is a brief primer on scammers that frequent here:

User names will often include a name: chrisjohnson223 and email will often not match the user name.

They will tell you they or someone they know has whatever it is you are selling for sale and to email that person.


```
Kindly contact Andrew he has for sale in good condition his email
[email protected]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Do not give them your email, however if you do chose to engage them via email it makes sense to check the headers of the email and then check the IP addresses that are shown there.


```
Delivery-date: Tue, 20 Apr 2021 12:21:19 -0400
Received: from [173.44.129.85] (port=44578 helo=002e20f5.boostplan.buzz)
```
If it doesn't match where they say they are from, or if it links to Nigeria especially, it is most definitely a scam.

If you have been contacted via PM here from a person you suspect to be scammer please report the PM or send a link to their user profile to a moderator for them to check.








There has be a large uptick in scammers joining since we changed owners and this should be a heads up to those that sell here that this is happening.

Feel free to PM me if you need a potential buyer checked out.

Thank you,
Rockcrusher


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## milehi (Nov 2, 1997)

I had this happen yesterday. Same format as above with the emails, and they did contact me here. The user has since been banned. For extra insurance, I googled the photos they sent and they were from a PB ad from 2017 and had already been sold. I would've been out $80.


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## OldMike (Apr 30, 2020)

milehi said:


> I had this happen yesterday. Same format as above with the emails, and they did contact me here. The user has since been banned. For extra insurance, I googled the photos they sent and they were from a PB ad from 2017 and had already been sold. I would've been out $80.


Anyone (and I mean anyone) who doesn't use Paypal for a used purchase (non-pick up) is a fool.......
Add the 3% or whatever it is and be secure and re-assured.


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## Shark (Feb 4, 2006)

And of they ask for western Union ( can't do PayPal for whatever reason) also a red flag

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk


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## milehi (Nov 2, 1997)

OldMike said:


> Anyone (and I mean anyone) who doesn't use Paypal for a used purchase (non-pick up) is a fool.......
> Add the 3% or whatever it is and be secure and re-assured.


That was another red flag. They wanted me to use PP but friends and family. Like I was born yesterday.


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