Be careful with MIKEGREEN008

[Pilgrim]

I moderate the zcar.com forum.  When a new seller pops up with a list of stuff within hours after they join, I watch them like a hawk and warn members about paying before they receive any merchandise. 

When someone responds to a "parts wanted" post within minutes or hours of joining and offers the needed part, and especially if they say "contact my friend Bob, he has the part" I immediately delete the post and ban them. 

The Z-car forums seem to pull a LOT of scammers.  I have no patience and no mercy. 

Edited February 15, 2022 by Pilgrim

[Terrapin Z]

@MorunoGarage I sent some pics and info. 

[87mj]

20 hours ago, Pilgrim said:

I moderate the zcar.com forum.  When a new seller pops up with a list of stuff within hours after they join, I watch them like a hawk and warn members about paying before they receive any merchandise. 

When someone responds to a "parts wanted" post within minutes or hours of joining and offers the needed part, and especially if they say "contact my friend Bob, he has the part" I immediately delete the post and ban them. 

The Z-car forums seem to pull a LOT of scammers.  I have no patience and no mercy. 

I know I must be naive but what can a person gain by simply getting someone's email address or having someone get contacted?

[jonbill]

They're exploiting the community trust that comes with a forum. 

A lot of requests for parts are from new and occasional users, and when a "mikegreen008" pops up with a PM saying, 'hey, I've got what you need', they just trust, assuming they're the newbie and mikegreen008 is an established member of the community. 

[Terrapin Z]

5 hours ago, 87mj said:

I know I must be naive but what can a person gain by simply getting someone's email address or having someone get contacted?

That is just the start, as with the case of this OP took the next step and sent money for the parts only to have the person not answer back and no parts shipped. 

I know we all started at one point with no post and no feedback, you have to build a reputation of be an honest seller, If you just start scamming people, you'll be called out (like this thread).

Then you change you name and start over. 

 

[Zed Head]

On 2/16/2022 at 9:33 AM, 87mj said:

I know I must be naive but what can a person gain by simply getting someone's email address or having someone get contacted?

It allows the schemers/scammers to tell you things without the larger audience able to call them out if what they say is untrue.  They can persuade and con in private.  Just like a salesperson trying to corner you in a showroom.  Get you talking and just start working the sale.

[Pilgrim]

On 2/16/2022 at 9:33 AM, 87mj said:

I know I must be naive but what can a person gain by simply getting someone's email address or having someone get contacted?

I've been the mod on that forum for a few years, and I will guaran-DAMN-tee you that if someone joins a forum and immediately responds to a parts wanted post with "My friend Bob has just the part you need.  Contact him at eatme.gmail.com" it is ALWAYS a scammer.  No exceptions.  I have it posted in the forum that anyone who does that will be banned.  The posts are always similar and always scams, and I've seen it for years.  

People who have Z-car parts respond themselves, they don't have random friends who have an inventory in their head posting for them.  

I can't speak to the case which started this thread, but my advice when buying used parts that are $$ is to go to an online escrow company (like Escrow.com)  work through them, have the seller ship and don't have the money released until you have received the parts and authorize the payment to be made.  Yes, it costs extra, but I've been scammed and I've learned from it. If he seller won't do that, I don't buy.

Edited February 22, 2022 by Pilgrim

[87mj]

22 hours ago, Zed Head said:

It allows the schemers/scammers to tell you things without the larger audience able to call them out if what they say is untrue.  They can persuade and con in private.  Just like a salesperson trying to corner you in a showroom.  Get you talking and just start working the sale.

THAT makes sense.   I ran into a guy on FB that was trying to put his dash harness back together.  He couldn't remember which connectors went where.  I told him my dash was tore apart at the moment.  If he wanted any specific pics, send me his email address and I will send them his way.  I heard back a few weeks later.  He asked if I ever took any pics???  Very odd since he never sent his email address.  I wasn't going to mess with clunky fb.  Either he didn't trust me, couldn't read English or maybe he was skim reader.  Either way, I was offering to help.