Classified Ads: Swap Parts Here!

I got two emails that seemed suspiciously similar for separate items I'd put wanted ads for:

First one:
Contact Sam in Denver He has a buick 300 heads for sale. Here's his email sconor5456@gmail.com

Second one:
Contact Sam in Denver He has a couple of the pre 1981 valve retainers (single spring) for sale. Here's his email sconor5456@gmail.com

Googling the email address, it's all over car forums as a scammer:
For example:
[www.google.com]

Admin, you may want to Nuke user "Thomas05456" as he's either a scammer or a bot.

Cheers

Done. Thanks for the tip!

Seems like this guy has made a LOT of money in the past few weeks looking at other forums.

Tip for anyone buying off the internet:

Anytime you ask for a picture of an item, always ask the seller to take a pic of the item WITH something unique.
For example, ask them to include a pic of their hand making a fist or holding up two or three fingers, or ask them to put an ink pen on top of the part, or a piece of paper with a random number (of your choosing) in the background, or maybe even just a dollar bill...

At least that way you know the part exists - they may still be a scammer, but at least you have some confidence it is a real part.

If you are ever unsure, then you can perform a reverse image search using the magic of modern technology. It has a good change of advising if the image was ever uploaded to the net previously.

[support.google.com]

I have also ben contacted by "Thomas05456" asking me to contact sconor5456@gmail.com

just a little study made it apparent that something was wrong

he claimed his name was Sam Conner in Denver but his phone number was from kentucky and untraceable.
he sent me a lot of pictures but none that proved he had what i was looking for.
he also would only deal with cash transfer funds that had know way to track.
I spoke to him on the phone his english was broken, but I asked if i could pick it up in person since i am only a few hours from denver he said no and stopped corresponding.

this is my third experience like this this month

I have dealt with people through this forum, on Craigslist and Ebay. Only got burned once over ten years ago. It helps if you have a contact number for the person you're dealing with. Give them a call and feel them out. See if they are as they present themselves to be. I've developed several friendships with people I've never met face to face but keep in contact with because I bought stuff from them. Also as part of due diligence, one can use the internet to Google a person or address to see if they are bona fide. I bought a car a little over a year ago from a gent in Missouri but made sure I knew everything I needed to know before I put money down. Worked out just fine. So, do your homework and TALK to the people you want to buy from. Yes, there is a leap of faith involved, but if you take precautions, you can minimize the risk.

My two cents.

Greg

I not only worry about scammers, but also about legitimate sellers. There is so much "junk" out there that it is difficult to purchase the item as listed on the internet or ad. Thankfully most of the reputable sellers have decent return policies which results in a PIA experience but you get to keep your money (or get a refund).

There is no reason to take a leap of any kind. In this day and age there are many ways to safely handle these transactions, be cautious of any one wanting a money order for payment.