I was scammed!

[kungfudill]

So, in looking for some wheels for my GTI, I was given a contact THROUGH THIS SITE. Long story short, I was initially suspect so thankfully I only gave a deposit on my "purchase", but at this point I will be shocked if the "seller" contacts me again.

Anyhow, I was referred to Daniel Ramsey in Massachusetts. Probably a fake name.
email: danielramsey775@gmail.com

Emails of "references" he gave me include:

mateyokay13@gmail.com
richjonny1999@yahoo.com
christine.j9584@gmail.com

I was first pointed to Daniel by a user on this site:

"S14life
Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 5"

So, fool me once, shame on me. Please everyone else beware, and always trust your gut!

As an aside, it seems unlikely that I could get anywhere with police, given I only have email addresses, and a voluntary Venmo payment. Does anyone have any tips on anything I could try to track this person down?

Lastly, on the very very off chance this is not a scam, and he is just slow seller with poor communication, does anyone know this guy?

Stay safe out there, people!

 

[Navi]

wonder if the moderators have a way to track them down

 

[kungfudill]

wonder if the moderators have a way to track them down

That's a good thought...

 

[THEREALVRT]

So, in looking for some wheels for my GTI, I was given a contact THROUGH THIS SITE. Long story short, I was initially suspect so thankfully I only gave a deposit on my "purchase", but at this point I will be shocked if the "seller" contacts me again.

Anyhow, I was referred to Daniel Ramsey in Massachusetts. Probably a fake name.
email: danielramsey775@gmail.com

Emails of "references" he gave me include:

mateyokay13@gmail.com
richjonny1999@yahoo.com
christine.j9584@gmail.com

I was first pointed to Daniel by a user on this site:

"S14life
Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 5"

So, fool me once, shame on me. Please everyone else beware, and always trust your gut!

As an aside, it seems unlikely that I could get anywhere with police, given I only have email addresses, and a voluntary Venmo payment. Does anyone have any tips on anything I could try to track this person down?

Lastly, on the very very off chance this is not a scam, and he is just slow seller with poor communication, does anyone know this guy?

Stay safe out there, people!

funny that s14 life name rings a bell to me. i was looking for a neuspeed wheel and believe he contacted me saying he knows someone who has one.
i never responded and it was awhile ago so i have long since deleted the PM.
maybe there is a way for the mods to see if i am correct

 

[cbass]

Never, ever, give money as friends and family! I got scammed a while ago by somebody I had done business with, and had no reason not to trust. I have taken up the stance that the fee is either negotiable with the seller, or that I tell them I am bumping the amount to cover it.

 

[vj123]

I see threads like this pop up once in a while.

How can we expect random people to keep up their word and ship goods as promised. I would never use anything other than Paypal to have a secure transaction.

 

[kungfudill]

I see threads like this pop up once in a while.

How can we expect random people to keep up their word and ship goods as promised. I would never use anything other than Paypal to have a secure transaction.

funny that s14 life name rings a bell to me. i was looking for a neuspeed wheel and believe he contacted me saying he knows someone who has one.
i never responded and it was awhile ago so i have long since deleted the PM.
maybe there is a way for the mods to see if i am correct

Yes, agree. Worst part is I was dubious from the get go. Glad I didn’t get taken for any significant amount, and lesson learned!!

 

[mopar22]

Always use paypal to save yourself if needed. I put down a down payment to hold my gti from a private party just in case they decided to scam

 

[zinfamous]

Not seeing any details on exactly how you were scammed--not that I don't believe you.

Only that we had this same complaint on the forums a couple of weeks ago, but the details emerged that "not being contacted again" actually meant a couple of hours, and everything was actually fine in the end--just a jumpy, paranoid OP.

But yeah, I just don't buy stuff from randos on the internet without a thorough vetting and protection system in place, like heatware, via EBay and through paypal, etc.

 

[r32bmore]

Sorry to hear that bud
I would use paypal instead. It is safer... Lesson learned

 

[cb1111]

Taking purchase references from someone with 5 posts might not be a good idea either.

 

[kungfudill]

Lol.
Appreciate the comments. Having already acknowledged I was a dumbass, against my gut reaction, all the notes about how doing those things is a terrible idea aren’t really necessary. Thanks though!

 

[KyACRASH]

Agree with the group - always paypal and never friends and family.

And a note to honest sellers trying to save a few bucks - do not ask the buyer if they are ok with sending friends and family. It is not ok and just because you may be trustworthy it is setting a bad precedent.

 

[Golfs everyday]

Yes, Paypal is the way to go. They can help you recover your funds and if you're playing tied to a credit card through Paypal, that is double security with your credit card company.

 

[jimlloyd40]

Why do people keep making this mistake? There's been several threads warning people to only pay through PayPal.