On Scammers and Avoiding Being Scammed

I’m curious how a seller could confirm for the buyer that the email they receive is indeed from the actual seller. Right now all I can come up with is to include a picture of the item being sold taken within minutes of sending the email or the buyer could request a specific pic be posted to the thread. Any other suggestions?
 
Bill Siegle said:
I’m curious how a seller could confirm for the buyer that the email they receive is indeed from the actual seller. Right now all I can come up with is to include a picture of the item being sold taken within minutes of sending the email or the buyer could request a specific pic be posted to the thread. Any other suggestions?
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I think they could post on the sellers profile, asking if an email had been sent to them with just enough info such as a couple letters, so that the seller would recognize it as his or hers
 
Thanks, hhmoore hhmoore . Your response is more in line with what I would have expected to read from you. Appreciate your taking the time to clarify.
I hope I didn't give too much offense...but I was a bit taken aback by what I took as the "tone".

All good from my end.
 
Bill Siegle said:
I’m curious how a seller could confirm for the buyer that the email they receive is indeed from the actual seller. Right now all I can come up with is to include a picture of the item being sold taken within minutes of sending the email or the buyer could request a specific pic be posted to the thread. Any other suggestions?
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How about this, Bill?

Let's say I'm a registered member and can't send or receive a PM.

I post my email in the thread for a reply by you. You send an email to the buyer's posted email address and at the bottom of your email you include a series of letters and / or numbers. Or a name...or a picture of an object.

You tell the buyer that you are sending the email in the thread, and he is not to send any payment before confirming the letters, numbers, name or picture with you in the sale thread.

The buyer replies to the thread that he received your email by posting the "secret" code. You then confirm...or not.

If correct, he can send payment as directed in your email to the buyer.

Sound doable?
 
I come off as a jerk by default...usually I go back before posting, and sometimes a few times after, to smooth the rough spots. Unfortunately, I was pressed for time last night and didn't do that well enough.
 
A unique keyword/key phrase would work as well.

1. Buyer posts their email
2. Seller sends an email that includes the keyword: "Hey this is kreole from BF. Shoot me $150 to my@email.com and I'll get it sent out Friday. The keyword is pebble."
3. Buyer confirms in the thread or a profile the keyword they received: Buyer posts on my profile, "Did you email me with the keyword 'pebble'?"
4.. Seller either confirms or says that wasn't the keyword: I reply to the post on my profile, "Yep 'pebble' is the keyword I used."

The buyer then knows the email really from the seller *as long as sellers aren't reusing keywords*

Edit: Blues Blues beat me to it. Great minds and all that :D
 
I think the easier option is for the seller to post in the ad, if for no other reason than some of us disallow profile posts. When contact is made the seller can provide payment information and say check the ad for this_______ before sending payment. It should be something that is unlikely to be posted otherwise. A random sequence of letters & numbers, an image of something unrelated to the ad, etc. I'm suggesting that it come from the seller to eliminate steps; but if that doesn't happen it can be requested by the buyer (though, in this case a word, number, or combination should be requested as opposed to pictures - the goal is to confirm that the correct connection is made, not to create hurdles.

And, for the record, anybody asking me to jump through such hoops will lose their claim.
(For those that don't know, I put my email in my ad to facilitate contact)
 
Anything has got to better than allowing more fraud to continue 👍 I’d prefer all parties involved simply use PM but not all buyers can and I’m not onboard with requiring that as I know it will decrease the buying pool. I think if we just take some easy precautions we can avert issues easily enough. Just gotta be more cautious even when excited about a new knife 😎
 
Bill Siegle said:
Anything has got to better than allowing more fraud to continue 👍 I’d prefer all parties involved simply use PM but not all buyers can and I’m not onboard with requiring that as I know it will decrease the buying pool. I think if we just take some easy precautions we can avert issues easily enough. Just gotta be more cautious even when excited about a new knife 😎
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If they can't afford ten bucks for a "Basic Membership"...they really oughtn't be buying knives here on BF.

Let's see...that works out to 2.7 cents per day...

Screenshot 2024-04-02 5.32.39 PM.png

Call me crazy, but that's somewhat cheaper than sending tens or more likely hundreds of dollars to some dirtbag scam artist via F&F without any return on the investment whatsoever.


Roll them dice!
 
It’s a concept many just won’t accept. I’m not into the idea of forcing it on anyone either. It’s a funny thing, I’ll try to help folks be safe even if they won’t secure themselves. Can’t save everyone for sure but we as sellers can do better if we choose to.
 
Bill Siegle said:
It’s a concept many just won’t accept. I’m not into the idea of forcing it on anyone either. It’s a funny thing, I’ll try to help folks be safe even if they won’t secure themselves. Can’t save everyone for sure but we as sellers can do better if we choose to.
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Bill, I did that for a living most of my adult life as a federal LEO and I've been doing it here on BF for 25 years. Forgive me if I vent every now and again. If you had any idea of how many hours (per day) we put into trying to address these problems, you'd be pulling your hair out too.

(I don't have all that much left, so I have the wife use the clippers on it so I can't grab it so easily.)
 
I don't think the forum should force anyone to get a membership to buy on the exchange, but it is extremely poor economics of time(all the convaluted verification)and money not to when faced with the present scam.
Moderators can't save non swimmers that keep jumping in the water.
 
Everything you and the other the admin do is much appreciated E! Sadly you can't help those who won't listen and try to help themselves.
 
JJ_Colt45 said:
Everything you and the other the admin do is much appreciated E! Sadly you can't help those who won't listen and try to help themselves.
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Thanks, JJ. We try. It's like trying to shovel the tide, though, to be honest.
 
kreole said:
A unique keyword/key phrase would work as well.

1. Buyer posts their email
2. Seller sends an email that includes the keyword: "Hey this is kreole from BF. Shoot me $150 to my@email.com and I'll get it sent out Friday. The keyword is pebble."
3. Buyer confirms in the thread or a profile the keyword they received: Buyer posts on my profile, "Did you email me with the keyword 'pebble'?"
4.. Seller either confirms or says that wasn't the keyword: I reply to the post on my profile, "Yep 'pebble' is the keyword I used."

The buyer then knows the email really from the seller *as long as sellers aren't reusing keywords*

Edit: Blues Blues beat me to it. Great minds and all that :D
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Welcome to all our brave men out there! Remember.loose lips sink ships!
In a minute we'll be back to the RKO Broadcasting Comedy Hour on Armed Forces Radio sponsored by cool, refreshing Old Gold Cigarettes but first..

Bill had a pebble.
Repeat:
Bill had a pebble.
 
Can we get clickers too?

Saint-Lô or bust.


(I used to smoke Old Gold in high school and college for a while. I thought they had a certain panache.)
 
SimplyMinded said:
Folks could use mobile communications.. phones.
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Sure...and rifles instead of sticks.

You'd never have made it in the Traditional Forum when I ran it with Gus.

(For the record, there are few I share my number with. They have to pass the friend test.)
 
Blues said:
It's like trying to shovel the tide, though, to be honest.
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You just brought back memories with that one...
Roughly 26 years ago, during a freak thaw turned flood, one of the townies trying his darnedest to clear a section of road. With a plow truck. He'd make a pass, back up, make a pass, back up. I'll admit that I watched him for 20 minutes before getting back on my way.
 
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