Public Service Announcement: Fake Online Retailers.

[HumptyDumpty]

Early during this latest shortage, I noticed a number of obviously phony firearms retailers popping up. Due to poor English, obvious ignorance of US laws, strange payment options, and absurdly low prices, they were almost comically easy to avoid. However, these miscreants are getting better. Take a look at this.
https://firearms-world.com/product/alliant-powder-pwr-pist-4lb/

The reviews are stolen from Midway USA, and their FFL info is lifted from a real licensee, who apparently has no website of his own.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/2184462668/
https://www.fflscope.com/ffl/548177012e03195/stueve-paul-m

The only remaining obvious giveaways, are the payment options (they don't take credit cards, only Bit Coin and Zelle), and the amount of in-stock inventory.

I've not yet called the licensee, owing to a massive time difference, but this looks clearly fraudulent to me. Be careful out there.

[MrWolf]

Legit companies are aware of these types. Sigsauer has one or two that look extremely legit except for the payment of no credit cards. I called Sig and they basically said yea we know but nothing we can do. Said how about putting on your home page a list of known ones? Silence.

[farmbif]

another good reason to support your local gun shops or shop from places that been around for a while like buds, or Williams gun sight.

[HumptyDumpty]

Well, they've listed the ffl number of what appears to be a home-based FFL in Kansas. I hope that can't somehow cause him trouble

[bakerjw]

For firearms world...
Payment types are a dead ringer. Zelle or Bitcoin?

And most telling. Primers in stock.
287876

[Soundguy]

I'm on a few facebokk gun related sites.. there are fake dealers popping up offering to do xfers.. one guy got scammed for 1300$ yesterday. guy even posted a real ( but doctored ) ffl license copy.. but it was lifted / stolen from another transaction...

[jimlj]

rainiersec.com is another scam.
I was looking for TX22 mags and came across the site. They showed in stock at $10 less than anyone else who was out of stock??? A quick google search told me what I already suspected.

[reddog81]

I've seen people asking about other gun related websites on other forums lately with official sounding names such as Remingtonfirearmsstore.com and Rugerfirearmsstore.com. Supposedly they look real official but there are a number of giveaways that they are fakes.

Additionally I've received a couple real official looking emails just today. I received a Medicare renewal email today with a link that looked like it takes you to medicare.gov however the link goes to some other website. I also received a $50 reward email from Costco that looked legit other than coming from some random abc123@gmail.com email address. I'm not on Medicare and not a member of Costco... The fraudsters are stepping up their game. Be careful out there.

[gwpercle]

" ...We know about it (scammers) but there is nothing we can do..."

You mean we have enough "smarts" to put men on the moon , stop global climate change and develope Critical Race Theory but NOT enough smarts to stop scammers ... that's a crying shame .
Where are the "smart" people when you need them to do something useful .

I keep getting a notice on the lower right side of my computer screen , something about updating a password for my Microsoft Account . I asked my wife about it ...she said don't click on it ... we don't have a Microsoft Account ... but that notice appears about 10 times a day and I sure wish I were smart enough to cripple it and the person sending it .
I wish I knew how to work computers ... the scammers would hate me .
Gary

[MaryB]

" ...We know about it (scammers) but there is nothing we can do..."

You mean we have enough "smarts" to put men on the moon , stop global climate change and develope Critical Race Theory but NOT enough smarts to stop scammers ... that's a crying shame .
Where are the "smart" people when you need them to do something useful .

I keep getting a notice on the lower right side of my computer screen , something about updating a password for my Microsoft Account . I asked my wife about it ...she said don't click on it ... we don't have a Microsoft Account ... but that notice appears about 10 times a day and I sure wish I were smart enough to cripple it and the person sending it .
I wish I knew how to work computers ... the scammers would hate me .
Gary

Virus scan your computer, you have one most likely.

[Handloader109]

rainiersec.com is another scam.
I was looking for TX22 mags and came across the site. They showed in stock at $10 less than anyone else who was out of stock??? A quick google search told me what I already suspected.

Davidson's has some, but I don't buy enough from them and they show Allocated. Only the better dealers can get them. If you have a LGS that you have bought from, they should be able to get some fairly soon. A lot of guns are starting to show an in stock so supply is getting way better. Smith & Wesson is one brand that is now almost back in stock completely.
But if you don't recognize the name, just don't buy. Too many scams. I've been on MeWe a bit and they were posting almost every day a new scammer for about 3 or 4 months. It's slowed down, but I'll not send my money to anyone for primers or powder or gun if I'm not dang sure they are real.

[kayala]

Virus scan your computer, you have one most likely.

Not necessarily. If computer is Windows and microsoft account never been set that might be the reason - Microsoft very aggressively pushing their online services for which you need a microsoft account.

[john.k]

I view the endless offers and updates from the likes of Micro and Goog as good as scams .

[HumptyDumpty]

I view the endless offers and updates from the likes of Micro and Goog as good as scams .

Absolutely. It's one of the reasons I run Linux. I have a Windows netbook that sees occasional use with some Windows-only programs and websites. The last time I booted it up, I couldn't login to the desktop! The machine insisted that I synchronize it with an online Microsoft account. I had to pull the plug on my internet modem, reboot the machine, let the program fail, then login, dig through the settings, and finally re-enable local logins. Any time I experience aggravation with my Linux machines (which is usually self-induced), I just think of how much worse it could be.

[MaryB]

Not necessarily. If computer is Windows and microsoft account never been set that might be the reason - Microsoft very aggressively pushing their online services for which you need a microsoft account.

I run Win 7, it doesn't have that issue LOL

[jim147]

It's not just guns. A friend was looking for a part for his John Deere and said that price is way to cheap. He dug into it a little. The picture was pulled from a company in SC and the phone number list was for some phone company customer service.

Be careful out there.