Scam alert--Bill Scott (bscott200@yahoo.com)

[Bill58]

Ladies/ Gentlemen:

About a month ago I posted a WTB ad here for a CV15 lens. Evidently from that ad, I got an email from some guy named Bill Scott who said he would sell me one
for $150 so he could send that $$ to some poor, starving bastard in Africa. Being basically a trustiing soul (dumbass), I sent the $$ in an M.O. to a camera shop in AL (Alabama) per his instructions. He also said he needed the $$ fast and "God bless me"--the latter alone should have alerted me, but it didn't.

Soon afterward I got an e-mail from them asking who I was and that they had NO such product on hand. Now waking up, I asked for the return of the $$. they promptly did so--Thank God. From their e-mails, it is apparent that they have done some kind of business w/ him before, he told them I was a "banker" and he may live in London.

For the life of me and being no detective, I still can't figure out how the scam was to work. Stay away from this guy!!!!!!!

 

[Rich Silfver]

.../..."to some poor, starving bastard in Africa"

Maybe not the best choice of words.

 

[Andy K]

Bill Scott... hmmm... BS... 😀

 

[wrenhunter]

The other thread was v. funny. Always use a CC unless you're handing the guy a check/MO in person. And if it's too good to be true ...

 

[yossarian]

Bill, I am sorry that you got stung. It's guys like this Bill Scott that make me ashamed I was born in Alabama. As we refugees like to say, "It's a good place to be
FROM".

 

[BrianShaw]

Bill Scott... hmmm... BS... 😀

Please don't judge every person by their initials! 😉

 

[mefly2]

Thanks for the heads up!

 

[Flyfisher Tom]

thanks for the heads-up

I must need another cup of coffee because it is not clear what the point of the scam was? Am I missing something?

 

[doubs43]

thanks for the heads-up I must need another cup of coffee because it is not clear what the point of the scam was? Am I missing something?

It would appear that the camera shop owner was the honest sort and he/she is to be commended for returning the money. The story may have turned out differently had Bill Scott been there when the money was delivered: "Oh, I had them send it to your store because I don't want my wife to know."

It's a happy ending and now we are all aware to be on the lookout for Mr. Scott.

Walker

 

[reagan]

"...because it is not clear what the point of the scam was?"

Not a scam, as in, monetary gain-type scam. It's a game... played by jerks whose only goal is to get you to believe them to the point of sending money/cc#/goods, whatever... to follow their instructions. You believe, you act, they win - period.

Not likely he IS a Bill Scott or knows one. Not likely he's in AL or ever been there... or maybe not even in the U.S. for that matter. No way he had ANY intention of going to the shop to try to pick up the money - that would take guts, something not present in these Bill Scotts. The only way he knew the money was there is if you told him... "game over."

They play not for money, but for bragging rights. They gain a big laugh talking/bragging with their buds, fellow "players" about how you fell for it, the [presumed] look of confusion and embarassment on your face when you realized... how far they strung you out for how along, how sincere they make their replies to your questions sound, how many hoops they got you to jump through, etc. blah, blah. Call it e-harassment, e-terrorism, e-something... I'm sure there's a name for it in their crowd. It's a game.

You've still got your money... + wiser for your trouble ... you ARE blessed.

And by the way, Bill Scott, as you read this, surely it has occurred to you by now that your game is simply the practice of lying - period. It's no more than that, nothing new or special. If you think it more lofty than that, you're lying to yourself. It's the first thing babies learn to do with their first few words. Kids in pre-k do it. That makes it not only old school but childish as well. Just more evidence that you and your fellow diapered buddys are merely a simpleton's pathetic bore. :yawn:

 

[Krasnaya_Zvezda]

Surely, surely, there is more to the payoff for the perp than this supposed joke. One would have to have less than no life in order to spend their time luring camera nerds (no offense, I'm one) into sending money out into the blue. Surely.

And, as my lovely esposa would say, "Stop calling me "Shirley". Especially in italics.

 

[reagan]

"Surely, surely, there is more to the payoff for the perp..."

You do realize we're probably talking teenagers here. Who else would be this childish?

A close friend got caught in a similar scam. Purchased an item by sending/wiring money Western Union to be picked up at a Western Union office... in Vegas. When the truth came out, the "Bill Scott" of this game had hijacked another guy's email and was sending messages to and fro using someone else's name. The only way he could have picked up the money would be to walk into that particular Western Union outlet with a photo ID with his picutre and the name/address of person who actually owned the email address. In other words, there was just no way he could have gotten the money.

(by the way, the hijacking could continue as long as my friend just hit "reply" to send him a message. when he once actually typed in the email address instead of clicking reply, the email went to the rightful owner of the address... who quickly wrote back, "who are you and what are you talking about? what "deal"?") game over, money returned.

The moment the jerk realized we were on to him... the emails stopped.

 

[ywenz]

Don't do anything with Money Orders, Cash, Personal Checks...... Those methods of payments should have been a first sign.

How blatant does it have to be before you suspect something!??!