BUYER BEWARE: I got robbed by a hacker.

Ron Sabbagh

Ron Sabbagh

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Gold member BumblingBear aka Stella Jepkoech - HACKED!!

Purchased a Thorburn custom from this member last week. He had five positive feedback comments and zero negative. I paid immediately his asking price with PayPal F&F. Unfortunately, I have not heard a word from him despite multiple texts and emails. No knife. No refund. No communication. At first I thought I got scammed but members pointed out to me that his account was hacked.
I realize we are all leaning towards Paypal F&F because of PayPal‘s tax policies but please be careful as there are still scammers who are preying on our members.

Here is his ad. In hindsight, I should have realized the deal was too good to be legit. My bad.


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Perhaps there is a different explanation for your situation but not only are there stil scammers, I'd expect more.

How many of you need to get burned by scammers before you learn not to use Paypal Friends & Family?

Read this thread: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/2-more-people-burned-by-using-paypal-friends-family.1866006/ Stop using Friends and Family. Just stop If you insist on doing so, why aren't you requiring that they show you positive ID, like their driver's license with today's date, then a...
www.bladeforums.com www.bladeforums.com
 
I’m not sure what a “hacked account” means. I know the seller has my money, my shipping address and my email but I have no knife, no refund and no communication

If the seller is somehow not at fault I will revise my post.

Just be careful with the F&F. No recourse if things go bad.
 
Ron Sabbagh said:
I’m not sure what a “hacked account” means. I know the seller has my money, my shipping address and my email but I have no knife, no refund and no communication

If the seller is somehow not at fault I will revise my post.

Just be careful with the F&F. No recourse if things go bad.
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You're not dealing with a "Seller". You're dealing with a person who flat out robbed you.
 
Better ask for confirmation before sending out money. But I know sometimes the deal is too good not to jump on right away.
 
Recently another member made a good suggestion.

Asking for ID , as much seller information as possible. I don’t think most legitimate “sellers” or members would have a problem offering contact information besides screen name.

Goods / services is the only true safeguard in these situations though.

These Scumbags are getting more comfortable scamming others by the minute.
 
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luethge said:
Asking for ID , as much seller information as possible. I don’t think most legitimate “sellers” or members would have a problem offering contact information besides screen name.

Goods / services is the only true safeguard in these situations though.

These Scumbags are getting more comfortable scamming others by the minute.
Click to expand...

I certainly don't mind paying the difference as a BUYER between FF and G&S - but as a SELLER, it may keep me from selling knives that I am selling for less than I paid for them, when the government is going to tax me 15% or more on the total amount. It's a no-win situation.

1. Asking for ID (as a buyer) and providing ID (as a seller)
2. Asking for phone number, voice call and text message - Providing phone number, speaking on voice call and sending a text message.
3. Of course feedback score on BF is still a big consideration!

What steps can one take to make sure one is not dealing with a HACKED account?

I don't have the answer, but what I am NOT going to do is buy a knife to check it out and handle it a bit for $175, turn around and sell it after a few months or a year of mostly sitting in the box for $149 minus PP G&S minus shipping costs and THEN get hit with an extra $20-$25 TAX BILL at the end of the year!
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Edited to add: And if I buy the knife NEW from a dealer instead of here on the Exchange, my $175 knife is now a $188 knife (!) due to SALES TAX. In which case I have gone from around $30 $38 to enjoy ( I sometimes consider it 'rent' ) the knife for awhile, to ($188 - ($49+$6+8+22.5)) = $85.50.

I don't mind taking a hit ($15, $38, sometimes more, depending on cost of knife) but I'm going to try not to take any 45%-50% hits on a knife I didn't use much and took very good care of, that was mostly or even totally a safe queen, regardless of price.
 
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rje58 said:
I certainly don't mind paying the difference as a BUYER between FF and G&S - but as a SELLER, it may keep me from selling knives that I am selling for less than I paid for them, when the government is going to tax me 15% or more on the total amount. It's a no-win situation.

1. Asking for ID (as a buyer) and providing ID (as a seller)
2. Asking for phone number, voice call and text message - Providing phone number, speaking on voice call and sending a text message.
3. Of course feedback score on BF is still a big consideration!

What steps can one take to make sure one is not dealing with a HACKED account?

I don't have the answer, but what I am NOT going to do is buy a knife to check it out and handle it a bit for $175, turn around and sell it after a few months or a year of mostly sitting in the box for $149 minus PP G&S minus shipping costs and THEN get hit with an extra $20-$25 TAX BILL at the end of the year!
Click to expand...

100% agreement.
 
rje58 said:
I certainly don't mind paying the difference as a BUYER between FF and G&S - but as a SELLER, it may keep me from selling knives that I am selling for less than I paid for them, when the government is going to tax me 15% or more on the total amount. It's a no-win situation.

1. Asking for ID (as a buyer) and providing ID (as a seller)
2. Asking for phone number, voice call and text message - Providing phone number, speaking on voice call and sending a text message.
3. Of course feedback score on BF is still a big consideration!

What steps can one take to make sure one is not dealing with a HACKED account?

I don't have the answer, but what I am NOT going to do is buy a knife to check it out and handle it a bit for $175, turn around and sell it after a few months or a year of mostly sitting in the box for $149 minus PP G&S minus shipping costs and THEN get hit with an extra $20-$25 TAX BILL at the end of the year!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Edited to add: And if I buy the knife NEW from a dealer instead of here on the Exchange, my $175 knife is now a $188 knife (!) due to SALES TAX. In which case I have gone from around $30 $38 to enjoy ( I sometimes consider it 'rent' ) the knife for awhile, to ($188 - ($49+$6+8+22.5)) = $85.50.

I don't mind taking a hit ($15, $38, sometimes more, depending on cost of knife) but I'm going to try not to take any 45%-50% hits on a knife I didn't use much and took very good care of, that was mostly or even totally a safe queen, regardless of price.
Click to expand...

I dont think you actually are getting taxed by the IRS for selling knives at a loss. People are just switching to the FF to avoid having to prove they didnt make a profit. If you pay vial FF and fund it with a credit card, you can still do charge backs also.
 
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