Anyone familure with the Amazonia/Saint Joseph/Kansas City MO Area?

[ETG]

A guy has almost 900 sales with a perfect record so I didn't think much about scams. There was one feedback that said sent money and never received gun just a week earlier. The feedback changed to as described but slow in shipping. Leaving feedback at two weeks was a little fast to me but they said he wouldn't answer phone or emails. I had sent him an offer 4 or 5 days earlier and hadn't heard from him. Finally I heard from him (same time feedback was changed), he apologized - said he had been ill. He is 77 so that didn't seem unusual. He accepted offer and said to Zelle payment to some woman that didn't have same name. The first women had gone by that name earlier (daughter I assumed). then said she wouldn't be back for a few days and gave me another name and email I asked a few questions because something didn't quite feel right. I asked him about a response that said FFL received and to send payment. My FFL was closed that day and the day before. Waited until next day and checked with my FFL - they never received request. I asked to talk to him to clear things up and about FFL. He got rather agitated saying he had never not completed a deal or had anyone question him. Said I had given him FFL information in earlier email and all he had to do was call them. His response wasn't out of line from an old fart that had all that positive feedback but he still wouldn't talk with me. Anyway, I got $1K transferred with Zelle and was blocked. he kept giving me other email addresses and names to try and they would all fail. I offered to get a cashiers check and drop it in priority - would have gotten there faster even if $1K a day did go through. No, he wanted to do it with Zelle. Finally today he gave me information for some other guy to do a bank transfer - name, address, account and routeing info. Again it was to someone else in a different town in Fredericksburg, VA??? All the phone numbers I could find for him had been disconnected. The number on FFL is quiet for a long time then a recording says Hatfield's leave a message. That message does sound like a 77 yr old man. He owned Hatfield's Hardware and Sporting Goods store but that closed years ago. FFL doesn't expire until 2025. Am I just being paranoid or does this sound scamish to others. I'm 70 so I do like to give people the benefit - especially when they have been doing business for over 20 yrs. with only positive feedback. Anyway, if anyone has any knowledge or opinions let me know. I've already sunk a thousand and don't want to throw away another $1600 if it is a scam.
Thanks,
Ed

[GONRA]

GONRA sez - PLEASE don't send any more $$$ to this creep! !!

[M-Tecs]

Run away from that!!!!!!!!! Never ever pay will Zelle unless it's a known trusted entity. You have zero recourse when it goes bad and it will go bad.

The IP address for the scammer you have been dealing with will most likely be outside the US. Scammers can and do hack the e-mails and forum sites. One of the members here was hacked and scam sales items were posted under his name. I posted a I will take it on one but then things got strange. I had done business with him before and I knew something was off. Contacted Admin. here and No. 1 had an IP address search done and it was in Europe. The actual member here was not aware of any of it until Admin. contacted him.

The name change game that is done to stay ahead of the bank blocking scammers.

Closed business are a perfect front for scammers.

Try contacting your bank and LE but 99% you are SOL on the $1,000.00. Zelle is intended to be used between people who know each other, and the money goes directly from one bank account to another, there is little to no protection if you fall for a Zelle scam.

https://donotpay.com/learn/zelle-chargeback/

[ETG]

From feed back on Gunbroker and Guns America he has had 5 positive feed backs in June 23. I replied to sender on Guns America with an offer which he accepted. Now it has all the indications of a scam - only non-retractable payments Zelle or wire transfer but not to him - wire transfer to someone in Fredericksburg Virginia and Zelle's to various emails none of which associated with his name (as far as the people search sites report). The routing number is to First Citizens Bank & Trust Company in Raleigh, NC. I'm thinking of sending a letter to the P.O. Box on the FFL and asking if he is who I am dealing with or has someone hacked his email. Any Thoughts on that?

[poppy42]

Really? Just walk away from the deal! Your trying to buy something from someone but once you to send the money to someone else. It’s a hussle one way or another! He either doesn’t have the item and is brokering it. Or he’s pulling the old contractors hussle. Spending the upfront money from one job to pay for the supplies from tha last job that he’s already spent the money for! Sooner or later it’ll catch up and nobodies job gets finished! It’s almost like a pyramid scheme . I’ll bet money that if you contact that ffl and check on him it’ll open up a big poop storm with you right in the middle, and you’ll never get the item. If you want blow the whistle on him fine. but do that after you have no intention of buying the item. When it comes to money I give no one the benefit of the doubt! Your 70, you should know better.

[MrWolf]

Chalk it up to learning and possibly notify the police. Anyone that you do not know personally requesting payment via Zelle, bitcoin, etc is to be CONSIDERED a scam.

[JRLesan]

What has this o do with KCMO/StJoe???

[Buzz Krumhunger]

Legitimate guy’s account has probably been hacked. Scammer probably has cohorts or multiple accounts to post positive feedback for supposed recent sales. All of his proposed payment methods are dangerous. Run away.

[Finster101]

If I have to work too hard to get a deal done, that to me tells me I should not be doing it in the first place. Things happen for a reason. Walk away and be thankful.

[ascast]

Or, the guy has dementia or is moving to a kids house, or blah blah. Run away. No future business.

[Handloader109]

Scam. I'm so sorry you finally gave away a thousand dollars. Yes, it is gone. You won't ever get the gun. Just because he gave you an FFLs number doesn't mean he is that FFL. The guy may have just renewed and then closed. Happens all the time.

Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk

[tja6435]

For $1000 if I was somewhat local, I’d be running this guy down in person to get the straight story.

[M-Tecs]

For $1000 if I was somewhat local, I’d be running this guy down in person to get the straight story.

If it was actually local the OP would have options. My bet is the IP address for the Zelle transfer address is outside the US. The OP authorized the transfer, so he has basically zero recourse.

https://www.zellepay.com/support/report-scam