QTH.COM Swap Chat

Lately things have been a little slow and boring. NO FUN!

Then I get this response to my "Wanted" ad on QTH:

The response is from:

Name: Jose Salvador
Callsign: EA6BC
E-mail: jose.salvador58@gmail.com

The response is:

How you still interested,I have it still in good working condition and in perfect order. Good price is accepted, if you are interested in buying from me. Let me know your price as well as the your shipping contact address for shipping to your home. And i will get back to you with details. Thanks and hope to hear from you soon.

Best regards

Jose Salvador
Address
GARCIA DE LA VEGA.
Pujol.9-11
ALARÓ-Mallorca-Balearic
Island-SPAIN.


And here's my reply:

> Jose:
>
>

Which one do you have? The 181TR or the 181TR?

Please email me a photo of the display unit so I know what we're talking about. Your English isn't so precise and accurate.

Also please email me a picture of yourself holding the local newspaper dated 4 December 2010. I want to know who I'm dealing with. I have to be really careful; there's so many scammers out there!

73!


Let's see how long I can keep this one going!

N9LCD

That's a little over the top. No, it is actually a LOT over the top. Jose, EA6BC, is a long-time ham and is well respected throughout the amateur community. Shame on you.

K4KK, this was posted in the Safe Trading Tips for good reason -- this is clearly NOT Jose EA6BC posting the message, but some scammer pretending to be him.

Generally, these guys are trying to pull the Cashier's Check scam. They will send you a check LARGER than the amount owed you, and ask you to cash the check and send the extra money to a "friend" that they owe money to.

Then the bank calls you and says your check is bad, and you are out the money, and perhaps also your equipment.

- Scott

Ah... the light becomes brighter. The name, address, etc all are genuine and I assumed that if it was his address, it was him. Ooooooops. I suppose shame on me might be appropriate.

Well, you know... I have to say I have never seen a scam where the scammer puts the REAL address in the email. Now I have the feeling that this is NOT a scam!

I have seen the cashier's check scam so many times, and this is nearly a duplicate... but as I examine it closer... I am now thinking this is actually a legitimate request from EA6BC!

- Scott

Scott:

My ad is "WANTED" not "FOR SALE".

I was looking for a used, operational HP 181TR or a 181T display unit. He doesn't say which unit is offered.

I asked for the price of the unit including packing and insured shipping. No price!

I said "CONUS SELLERS ONLY". No comment on this one.

If the response had said which 181 was available, I would have ignored it. The response doesn't meet two of my criteria.

But this one sounded too much like the classic "I got the item" scam.

And, yes, I've has a response from a scammer who hijacked the call and address of a UK ham. The phone number in the response was the giveaway!

N9LCD

Comparing this email to some other confirmed scam emails... and I see that sometimes the scammer really does use the real mailing address of the callsign holder.

SO... after further review... I now believe this really was a scam, and for sure not by EA6BC.

Good call, Jerry.

- Scott