Anatomy of a Scam

Bill McCloskey · Posted 22 Mar 2024 5:11 pm

So today, I'm on the Texas Steel Guitar Facebook group and someone posts a beautiful looking MSA D12 for sale. Make me a reasonable offer Timi Johnson posts. So I send him a note:
How much?
Make me an offer.
I say, I'd rather you told me what you want so I know if we are in the ball park.
He says $1,100 seems fair. Red Flag #1
I say, yes that seems fair.
He says how much do you think it will cost to ship? I say probably 200-250 depending on weight.
He says, I can tell you it plays great. I don't know anything about it but it sounded great when my brother played it. He just died. Auto accident. Red Flag #2
What is your brother's name? I ask.
John McCain louis (louis with a lower case L) Red Flag #3
I say, how come you and your brother have different last names?
He's my step brother. We have different fathers. Red Flag #4
Well, I say, I need to know you are a legit seller.
He says, Oh, I'm legit. How about cash on delivery?
You mean you'll send me the guitar and if it gets here in one piece, I pay you $1,100?
Yes, just send me the $250 for shipping. I have to pay for parking at the UPS place. Red Flag #5
Can you give me your address and phone number so I can check you out?
He gives me an address in Atlanta. No phone number. I look up the address. It is a restaurant in Atlanta called The Hive.
I say, "that is a restaurant's address."
Yes, he says, that is my restaurant. Red Flag #6
I say, I need your home address and phone number.
He goes silent. Seconds later, his profile has been deleted and the ad gone.

Moral: if it sounds too good to be true, it is. Always ask a LOT of questions and never buy a steel that is priced at a fraction of what it is worth.

Dave Hopping · From: Aurora, Colorado

If it says "Bentley", it had better be a car! Winking

Bill McCloskey · Posted 22 Mar 2024 5:48 pm

The guy is still out there. He just tried to join my facebook group Steel Guitar Union Hall. Timi Johnson. Keep an eye out.

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

Bill, the more often you jump in the ocean, the more likely you’re going to be eaten by a shark. (One of my old man’s little gems of wisdom.)

Winking

Tom Wolverton · From: Carpinteria, CA

We just had a guy named Timmy Johnson request membership in the Fender Pedal Steel FB group. His profile looked empty. Ref Flag !
_________________
To write with a broken pencil is pointless.

Jim Pitman · From: Waterbury Ctr. VT 05677 USA

Atlanta seems to be a hotbed of scam artists. I got scammed on a car purchase from a guy there - car never showed up. I'm too embarrassed to say how much I lost.

Douglas Schuch · From: Valencia, Philippines

Bill, he didn't delete the profile - he just blocked you so you think he's gone. If you block someone they can't see your profile or anything you post. But he's still out there scamming. My conclusion - if it's on FB and you don't personally know them or it's not in your area and you can meet up - it's probably a scam. And the closest the guy has probably ever come to Atlanta is Lagos!
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Bringing steel guitar to the bukid of Negros Oriental!

James Quackenbush · From: Pomona, New York, USA

Sometimes you get lucky enough to have someone on the forum that lives in the area of the steel to try to see the steel …..Then you’ll really see some back pedalling !…😂

Travis Bubenik · From: Marfa, Texas

The scammers have definitely discovered steel guitar world on Facebook in the past few months - it's gotten insane.

One of the BEST ways to avoid a Facebook scam - or any internet sales scam - is to use the "reverse image search" on Google to see if the picture you're looking at was just lifted from another ad somewhere.

To do this - go to www.images.google.com - click on the icons to the right of the search bar. You can search via an uploaded picture, or a picture's URL.

It only works on a desktop web browser - or the Google Chrome app on a phone. Unfortunately, it doesn't currently work on Safari on iPhones.

Other general red flags to look for - before you even get into a convo with somebody selling something:

- Seller just joined the Facebook group you're in today/this week - or just updated their profile pictures
- You see the same item posted for sale in multiple Facebook groups in quick succession
- The sale post language sounds computer-generated or poorly translated from another language
- The price is too good to be true

Daniel McKee · From: Corinth Mississippi

My observation is that internet scams are rampant and oddly enough there are a bunch of scams showing up in our small steel guitar world.

If someone won’t call you or let you call them it’s a huge red flag and usually if it’s a really nice steel and super cheap, be careful. Even folks who don’t know about steels know how to research an item to get in the ballpark. Can a good deal happen, oh sure but just be careful folks

John Larson · From: Pennsyltucky, USA

Bill Ferguson · From: Milton, FL USA

I haven't really had any scammers (that I know of) try to join any of my FB sites, but it seems that every single day I have to block some girl showing her body and saying how great I play. It is a sad state of affairs when we can't even have a "clean" site without having to weed out the porn and stuff.
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AUTHORIZED George L's, Goodrich, Telonics and Peavey Dealer: I have 2 steels and several amps. My current rig of choice is 1993 Emmons LeGrande w/ 108 pups (Jack Strayhorn built for me), Goodrich OMNI Volume Pedal, George L's cables, Goodrich Baby Bloomer and Peavey Nashville 112. Can't get much sweeter.

Tim Whitlock · From: Colorado, USA

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