Indeed, be aware of scammers
 

I have encountered the first time someone has tried to scam me on Net54. I was fortunately saved by Venmo blocking my sending of money for a card. Looks like the admins have already banned the user that started the scam: jacksonstockton359 . The scam originated from a WTB post I made in this area of Net54, which is why I am posting here.

I have done dozens of deals over the years with Net54 members. Here are some tips to remember:

(1) Look at the history of anybody trying to sell you a card or item. Very thin history is more likely a scam.

(2) Buy from newbies only when long-time members can vouch for the person. If you are a newbie, you can get people to buy from you through eBay or other means until you have a reputation.

(3) Scammers are more likely to reach out to you via private message, but not always.

(4) Scammers look for listings where people say their willing to buy (WTB) certain types of cards. Thus, if you have a WTB posting, be especially wary.

(5) A common come on is to get you to go to another email address. (“Oh, my father has that card….. you can contact him at email@address)

Always pay goods and services (Venmo or Paypal) or other method that is safe unless you have purchased from that person many times over the years.

This was moved to the front page as a public service announcement. Glad it turned out ok, some haven't.

Also, please pm me for a vouch of any members.

This happened to me too. I posted a WTB for a T201 card and I sent paypal GS and it took me 3 weeks to get my money back. The seller even said what I purchased was bitcoin so paypal said I wasn't protected. Needless to say I spent a lot of time trying to convince Paypal it was a scam and I won after an appeal.

Literally happened on my WTB post, they sent me their father's email and everything. 100% check how long they have been on net54, I'm new so I fell for it but never again. Good job brining this to light!

Follow up
 

I sort of feel stupid because I have been buying/selling cards on Net54, several Facebook Groups and eBay for years, and I know better. It looked legitimate except I did not check out the original private messager, which would have given me caution (very short time on Net54 and only ever 1 recent reply posting to a message which was an emoji only!).

They must have scammed other people at the same Venmo handle because Venmo blocked it immediately as a scam (never have received that message before). Paying with Goods and & Services saved me some $$ and hassle.

Got scammed last year myself on blowout. Someone hacked a long-term user’s account and did a great job communicating. It wasn’t until the real user got on the next day and deal was in full swing that he was telling me someone hacked their account. Even then it was hard to tell that the real user wasn’t just playing games but again they were established so unlikely.
The scammers used an account they had been basically inactive for months (which isn’t that uncommon and even used an eBay account as a vouch with several thousand feedbacks. I wrote the eBay user account and was ignored so that would have been a good place to wait and confirm.
In retrospect I used PayPal f&f b/c I’m used to this community, there were multiple names involved when considering the user name, the PayPal address and the eBay name.
Overall it was well done by a long time scammer but I didn’t know how to check those sites (to be honest I forget now but at least now I know they exist).
Lesson learned but this is a good reminder to stay vigilant.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

These wtb post scammers are very bad and always want you to email someone else about a card you wanted.

I think we get caught up in possibly finding something we’ve been looking for so we turn a blind eye to the obvious red flags.

wow the bitcoin angle was a new one I hadn't heard of before. Guys trying to find a way around G&S refunds. Scary!

I had a similar encounter recently when posting in the BST, looking for a 1974 topps Dwight Evans. 1 person, looked legit even sent pics, but looked at his profile and he created his account same day with 0 posts and the other was obvious, as he stated his dad had the card and I should contact him.

Scammer long message
 

When Scammer meets AI?
As far as I can remember this is the most a troll has posted in a single post...Check post #28.

https://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=358568

Variation on a theme.

Scammer: "...but I performed this service (duct cleaning, etc.) for them and now they're trying a charge-back scam on me..."

Crap like this is why I always put info in the memo line when making PayPal payment, such as "T206 John Doe VG 3 PSA cert # 12345678" or something similar.

1176. Newbonic Plague
The pestilence of a bunch of newly joined members all coming out of the gates trying to scam people.

See also: Crocodile Dundeeviant - any of these new wave of scammers who oddly claim to hail from the ‘Land Down Under.’

See also: First-Cozener (also Bluffer-in-Law) - that fictitious, invented ‘relative’ of his that a swindler claims just happens to own the very card you’ve been searching for.

See also: Stepdadification - when one of these deceivers specifically pretends it is his adoptive father who possesses these wondrous baseball cards you seek.

A long-time respected member’s Net54 account being hacked, and AI being used to type in his “voice”: these two possibilities combined scare me the most.

Absolutely. Accounts on this forum HAVE been hacked. Be Careful and alert. Always be suspicious, especially of this type of guys!

Hacking is so annoying.

I created two WTB threads on here not long ago and was quickly contacted by a scammer. I knew what was happening and asked for scans of the card just the same, and the scammer (with broken English) tried to pass off scans from an auctioned card. The other scammer wanted me to pay first and then said he would cancel the eBay auction once he got payment. lol

What the hell?

:confused:

Haopens to me every time that I do a WTB post. Get a PM directing me to email someone. Also, anytime a seller says “my account doesn’t allow me to accept goods and services” then run away.


Geoff Bedine
Premier Card Collectors
Since 1977

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Young thieves being born everyday too
 

Was shopping at my local box store, Several police were escorting a young person handcuffed out the door, I asked what happened--the reply, another kid trying to steal Pokémon--