QTH.COM Swap Chat

Well here's another South African crook prowling the HAM classifieds. He responded to my ad in poor English that started my CRAP DETECTOR warnings.http://chat.qth.com/posting.php?mode=post&f=11#

Here are copies of the exchange:

Initial contact via QTH reply:

I am interested in the purchase of your item posted for sale on the site, pls let me know the availability and the firm asking price.
Tom
tcarson231@gmail.com

My Reply to that:

Hello Tom

Are you a licensed ham, if so please provide your call sign. I will not sell this to someone who want's to put it on 11m.

The price is $xxx plus shipping via Fed Ex. I would be willing to meet you some where within an hour of 08527.

Ray

His reply: NOW THE RED FLAG IS REALLY WAVING!!

Hello Ray,
I'm glad that the amp is still available for sale and in good condition as it was describe on the advert, I'm ok with the final asking price and i do have a courier company that will come for the pick up of the amp after you have receive and confirm payment,So you don't have to bother yourself regarding the shipment of the amp. My mode of payment is a Certified cashier check, If that's ok with you, then you can email or text me back with your full name and address including a phone number so i can get the payment prepared. you can only text me at (646) 481-3389 and the pick up will be schedule right after you receive and confirm payment.



Now my CRAP DETECTOR is wailing at 110+db!! http://chat.qth.com/posting.php?mode=post&f=11#

My reply:

Tom,

A couple items before I accept your offer.

1. Please send me a photo copy of your FCC license, this is to prove your are licensed to purchase and use this amp and that you are not some cb'er trying to buy an amplifier that would be illegal for use on 11m.

2. I ship only via FED EX anything as valuable as this amp, unless the buyer is outside the CONUS, then and only then do I ship via USPS. I do not use anyone else.

3. I do not accept any thing but Paypal, United States Postal Money orders (which I cash at the Post Office and do not deposit them in my bank account), personal checks will be held until they clear the banking system or cash for a local pick up.

4. I do not have text abilities or am I able to make long distance phone calls, only local calls.

Ray


Well he hasn't gotten back I guess he's not interested in buying the amp he must be a cb'er. http://chat.qth.com/posting.php?mode=post&f=11# I knew full well he wasn't a ham right from the initial contact, but a crook phishing for a sucker.

Before I got involved replying to this alleged crook, with my CRAP detector screaming, I searched his email address on my least favorite search engine GOOGLE, it popped up on a known South African scammer list, he's been around since 2013.

The IP address that QTH provided, is a static IP adress that came back to an ISP in Florida, I've already contacted and am waiting to see if they reply.

The phone number was for a CLEC in Westchester County, NY that provides VPN and VOIP services they don't appear to have any sort of contact for their security people or they don't care if their system is used for illegal purposes.http://chat.qth.com/posting.php?mode=post&f=11#

After reviewing the header info in the 2nd email it does appear to be coming from Google Gmail system. From what I've been able to find Google will do nothing to stop the abuse of their email systems when they are notified of it. I am already leery of replying to anyone using Gmail and this just reinforces that concern. Yes there are legitimate users of Gmail, but until GOOGLE does something about the illegal use, any GMAIL email's I get will remain high on my alert list for crooks.

I have received the same scam from the same guy (tcarson231@gmail.com) I have been toying around with him for a couple of weeks now letting him think he has a sucker and I think its funny. He is going by the name Tom Carson. I did receive the fake check for $2872.64. Here is his first email to me. ( Note: Today 9/8/2015 He just called me from a number from Naples Fl 239-384-7131. When I told him I knew it was a scam he hung up. )

How are you doing? If you could remember in my previous email i mentioned that i do have a courier acompany that could be coming for the picking up of the Heathkit SB-1000 HF amp from you, i have mailled out the payment when i had these little problem with the picking up of the Heathkit SB-1000 HF amp due to i'm a Navy officer,Navy fraternity! Hospital/ Field Medic and presently working on the sea serving our country. I am buying these Heathkit SB-1000 HF amp as a gift for my Daughter. I tried to secure booking with my courier company but they asked me to pay first before they can make the booking and they only accept Western union money transfer for payments because of the bad experience they had in the past with other form of payments. Although i tried to send the money online but it's not going through due to i am on the ship and there is no way i can get off to find a Western union agent to make the transfer to my courier company, so i would like to ask if it will be ok for me to include the courier company fee together with your payment, The Cashier check i will issue is going to consist of the courier fee and your payment and once you receive it ( which has already been delievered to you via fedex today) , you are to kindly deduct your payment and have the rest send through Western union money transfer to the courier company which all the necessary details for you to do this is below, The courier company will also contact you with the pick up schedule after payment.


Shipper's Info


Name====Karen Friday
City=====Coral Springs
State====Florida
Zip Code==33065



Can i trust you with the money?
Will you be able to wire transfer the excess the same day you receive the Cashier check ?
Will you be available when the courier company will be coming for the pickup?
can i take you for your words?
I will be looking forward to read from you,The Check is been sent to you by Fedex and here is the tracking number for the check 774422212290
and the check is in the amount of $2872.64


Regards and hope to read back from you soonest.


On Tue, Sep 1, 2015 at 5:06 PM, Tom Carson <tcarson231@gmail.com> wrote:

Hello, Sorry for not getting intouch with you about my proposed check to be delievered to you soonesest. i'm a Navy officer,Navy fraternity! Hospital/ Field Medic and presently working on the sea serving our country. pls do be on the look out for the check today. and mind you i will provide you with the tracking number later today.
pls bear with me.

Thanks to QTH for providing his IP address, which turned out to be a static one, I've been able get his service turned off, at least one port. Here's a quote from the email I got from the provider today

Our client has responded with
The user that was found using the IP at the reported time is now permanently suspended.

I had been in contact with the ISP's security dept as soon as I found it was a static IP address, and the manager who replied to me about this happened to be a ham also.

Now too bad there isn't some way to put pressure on Google to deny his email account and his CLEC an outfit called Bandwidth.com in Westchester County NY and deny him VOIP we might be rid of him for a while.