Has This Happened to Anyone Else?

[pruss]

I just received a PM from a forums member, who has only been active on the site for an hour, and who has never posted that reads like this:
"Hi, I know you are the richest pipe collectors i ever had seen I am a very ordinary person and can not afford big name pipes but i know You are selling your collection , what will be the price if i pick and Choose 5 or 6 pipes from you I am not too far from you just 50km in west and can come to you On Fridays Thanks NAMEREDACTED"
Struck me as random and as a fishing scheme. The post has, however, made me rethink posting the name of my hometown in my profile, and I've subsequently changed that.
Weirdness.
-- Pat

 

[dlattim]

That sounds very strange to me. I think if it were me I would forward it to Kevin or the moderators. They are more internet savy and might have a better idea of what this person is trying to do. Just doesn't sound appropriate to me. I certainly wouldn't respond.

 

[cigrmaster]

Pat, you should definitely contact a mod or Kevin and let them see this. It sounds like a scam and it is very poor form. You did the right thing by bringing it to our attention as people should be warned about this person.
Are you in fact selling your collection and how would this person know it? Also definitely do not post your address on this site or any site on the web.

 

[mso489]

Pruss, this hasn't happened to me yet. However, anything and everything you do online is

a public performance, unfortunately. I try to keep that in mind. And there is the perpetual

and ever present population of grifters, con-people, panhandlers and troubled souls. The

idea that someone is going to make a big haul from Forums pipe "collectors" is a sad scheme

indeed. Many of us, the whole collection if re-sold might pay an electric bill, or not. Several

of us are also gun hobby people, so good luck to pipe snatchers there. If scam you must,

I'd figure out a way different angle.

 

[shaintiques]

Yeah scammers do slip through the nets, forward ti to Kevin, he will deal with it. Of course some people may not be scamming and just have terrible manners, either way a lesson is in order.

 

[numbersix]

Sounds like a scammer pruss - like Harris suggested, alert a mod or Kevin. Some of these scammers can be sophisticated and aren't always easy to spot which is one reason why I prefer not to advertise my name or even my hometown on the forum - but I have no worries sharing it in a PM with a long time member.
I don't want to get too paranoid, but everything we write on this forum can be viewed by anyone around the world, member or not - so for me, life's just a little less complicated the less I share.

 

[pruss]

My reply: "I do not know you. Your information is incorrect."
Agreed on idea that everything on the interweb is public domain.
I've flipped an email to admin.
Thanks for the feedback, commentary folks.
-- Pat

 

[foggymountain]

That is why we have screen names, so creeps like this can't find us easily. I agree you should inform Kevin.

 

[bobpnm]

The net is full of scam artists. Thanks for sounding the alarm on this. We have to watch each other's backs. The mods do a great job but occasionally, something is bound to slip through.

 

[rayje589]

I don't think the hometown information is actually publicly viewable.

 

[eaglerico]

I have had this happen to me several times, both here and on Briarbid. It was probably because I was very active in the Buy/Trade section when we had one. (My thread count would be double if those counted.) Every time, I sent it to Kevin. He researched and deleted the accounts. Once, it was a legit person who did not speak english well, and thanks to Kevin we actually started talking. Can't ever be too safe.

 

[brewshooter]

What, what, you don't want to sell me some of your rich pipes?!?!? You could have just said so!!!

 

[numbersix]

What, what, you don't want to sell me some of your rich pipes?!?!? You could have just said so!!!

:rofl:

 

[pruss]

What, what, you don't want to sell me some of your rich pipes?!?!? You could have just said so!!!

Actually shooter... I have this lovely Royal Duke that I just cleaned up. You'll love it. 8)
-- Pat

 

[tennsmoker]

I'd like to know how to keep your hometown private. I tried to remove mine to see what happened and the error noticed said the hometown had to be part of the profile.

 

[pruss]

I'd like to know how to keep your hometown private. I tried to remove mine to see what happened and the error noticed said the hometown had to be part of the profile.

I changed mine to "Mytown".
-- Pat

 

[tennsmoker]

Ok. Thanks, Pat