Grayling, MI
I just posted a bunch of craigslist ads on your behalf. Thanks! 
(Topic ID: 210578)
Lol, too bad for Melvin Marty’s yahoo account. No clue who that is. It’s not my email address.
None of that information is mine. The phone number is the scammer’s. The secret code is useless unless you are the scammer requesting it, and they’re time sensitive (rendering it further useless). It’s kinda convoluted, but it’s a thing apparently.
Edit: looks like I jumped the gun assuming the scope of the scam. Had I given the scammer the code before it expired, it would’ve granted him access to poor Marty’s account. I’ve read other scenarios where the email was the actual user’s email address.
Either way, stay vigilant! Scammers are getting creative.
Quoted from Travish:Is this a scam? You just posted your phone number and your super secret code number.
They never stop. It's easier to steal than work.
He really didn't. The first picture features the scammer's phone number. The second picture's code came from Craigslist to mbaumle via text. That's not mbaumle's email address.
The scammer *does* have mbaumle's phone number because the scammer was texting mbaumle. So the scammer was going to create (or steal) a new Craigslist account using the @yahoo.com email address and mbaumle's phone number. The scammer would then post stuff for sale under that new account, potentially leaving mbaumle on a hook.
Pretty incredible.
Bingo. Thanks for explaining it better than I could, alex.
This one caught me by surprise because I’ve never seen it before. It seems pretty unlikely that anyone would actually fall for it, but it’s still worth it to warn people here.
I’m currently stringing along another scammer who wants to send me a money order for $100 more than my advertised price and have a shipper arrange for pickup here.
There’s a lot of satisfaction to be had wasting their time!
As far as scams go on Mr Pinball Classifieds I'm noticing a pattern of Ads with just State and Zip Code that all have the markings of a scam (some are literally marked SCAM!). The markings are illogical email addresses at generic email hosts (yahoo, gmail, etc).
One example that I expect is a scam is the new listing for Black Rose.
Scams don't only extend to pinball (obviously), so be weary in any transaction. Scammers are also targeting event tickets (think pro sport events, theme parks, festivals, etc.) Do not pay anyone via PayPal, especially friends and family. Use your best judgement in these deals, and don't get suckered in on a "great deal." If it's too good to be true, it probably is.
The only way that seems feasible to me is cash on the glass or E-Bay, pick up only. You reach a lot of customers and the transaction is set upon pickup. No haggling which I avoid and pretty good protection through Paypal if you don't need the money quickly.
It seems like the scams come through remote purchase and shipping sight unseen.
So, the scammers (or scammer, I’m not sure if it isn’t just one guy who has learned the ins and outs of our hobby) are growing more sophisticated. They now know our hobby specific vocabulary.
Remember, threads like this one that ear mark what they (or he) are doing wrong help them (or him) to improve as scammers.
I’m not sure what the answer is gang. Be careful, don’t trust people you don’t know, protect yourself, report suspicious activity...
If you even suspect a scam, report it--flag the post, open a moderator feedback thread, or PM a moderator.
There's no harm in being suspicious and giving us a heads up about something--you will not get in trouble for it. We would rather see a few false positive reports rather than no reports at all. So, better safe than sorry--don't wait for "someone else" to report it. You saw it, so please go ahead and report it.
Your early heads up could mean the difference between a scam ad being taken down only a few minutes after being posted, or being left up for hours with other members potentially falling for the scam.
I'm sure you all dislike scammers as much as we do, so please keep an eagle eye out and let us know if you spot anything.
The bottom line is use your head. If something seems too good to be true, or in any way feels a little off, just walk away.
Quoted from phil-lee:Sounds like we need Kowalski to deliver the pins to us. Do the deal, load it up, get there in 24 hours.
Hmm, Kowalski as a pinball shipper...
1 week later
Thanks to some eagle-eyed members, we caught & banned two scammers today, each under 45 minutes of posting an ad. Nice job guys 
Quoted from ForceFlow:Thanks to some eagle-eyed members, we caught & banned two scammers today, each under 45 minutes of posting an ad. Nice job guys
What telltales showed the scammers? Anything mentioned above or anything new?
Quoted from madscientist101:Big red flag right there. Ppl in military normally can't afford expensive pinball machines LMFAO!
And even if they could where would they put it? Doubt it that you can have one in the barracks or in military housing (at least least in my experience) .
Quoted from altan:What telltales showed the scammers? Anything mentioned above or anything new?
Let’s NOT create a guide for the scammers to learn from their mistakes...
Quoted from brainmegaphone:Let’s NOT create a guide for the scammers to learn from their mistakes...
I certainly don't want to help scammers, but let's be realistic... We aren't helping consumers if we don't share their tactics and how to identify them!
I got a phone call from the IRS, the guy had a heavy indian accent and said his name was "Dennis Quaid". I kid you not.
He needed my bank information to get me out of the big trouble I was in with the IRS.
Quoted from altan:I certainly don't want to help scammers, but let's be realistic... We aren't helping consumers if we don't share their tactics and how to identify them!
There are plenty of red flags without getting into specifics.
This doesn't need to turn into a how-to guide for how to not sound like a scammer.
Here's a scam you might not know about:
Guy shows up to buy your computer, pinball machine, etc with a certified bank check.
Check turns out to be a phony, the guy is long gone.
Before accepting the check, verify the check with the issuing bank by phone. But don't use the phone number that's printed on the check, it could be a fake too.
I don't know why people don't simply do what i suggested.
before sending funds, have the seller tape a piece of paper with your name on it to the pinball machine and they make a cell phone video.
impossible to fake
problem solved
My grandson phoned me a while back saying he had been falsely arrested and needed me to wire bail money to him.
Of course, I don't have any kids and the kids I didn't have don't have any kids of theirs either.
This is a common scam targeting elderly people who may be easily confused.
London
Quoted from Bork:There’s an Addams Family listed in San Antonio, TX that is likely a scam. Trade value at $5,200. Check a few things on it and they don’t look good for being legit.
Just make sure to research before diving in.
Yup, scammer. Removed & banned.
Quoted from ForceFlow:There are plenty of red flags without getting into specifics.
This doesn't need to turn into a how-to guide for how to not sound like a scammer
Agreed. Part of the problem here guys is we believe it’s possible there is only one person or a very small group of scammers targeting our hobby (sure there are general scammers that respond to anything for sale anyway, but we feel we have a wolf out there with his full focus on u pinball enthusiasts). They are educating themselves based on what we are saying on the internet about their scams to be more effective. The scammer has already learned a lot of our hobby specific lingo...he’s getting more sophisticated quickly.
Quoted from altan:I certainly don't want to help scammers, but let's be realistic... We aren't helping consumers if we don't share their tactics and how to identify them!
I really appreciate where you are coming from but let’s be frank - many of the consumers you are trying to help ignore several red flags in pursuit of a deal and get burned. In other words, many are probably beyond help. Maybe not all but many are already putting themselves at great risk by PayPal gifting or wiring etc. Digging into the hardcore details stands to only help the scammers in my opinion.
Quoted from brainmegaphone:I really appreciate where you are coming from but let’s be frank - many of the consumers you are trying to help ignore several red flags in pursuit of a deal and get burned. In other words, many are probably beyond help. Maybe not all but many are already putting themselves at great risk by PayPal gifting or wiring etc. Digging into the hardcore details stands to only help the scammers in my opinion.
Unfortunately, the sense of urgency of potentially missing out on a deal tends to override common sense.
2 months later
Quoted from SecretlyATrap:Does buying RoGo count as a scam?
Is it more than 15 bucks?
Reply
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