Just a heads up this person may be a scam of some sort. He had a “friend” that supposedly was selling a firearm that I was looking for. However, this “friend” would only accept payment through PayPal family and friends first and would ship only. I didn’t fall for it but just thought I give people on here a heads up.

I have a message currently out to moderators about this guy as well. He had a friend that was selling a rifle that I am looking for at an almost too good to be true price. He claimed he was in Atlanta and would ship if I paid him via PayPal. I didn’t fall for it either. He recently joined on 3-31-20.....

It’s a scam going around, I’ve gotten the message from two different accounts, this being one of them.

He was banned a couple of days ago. I sent the message to a mod that, “Don” had sent me, and I was informed that Don was banned. So that’s at least five members that Don PM’d.

donmighty has been banned.

If any member can copy/paste or post a screenshot of the message they received here it would be much appreciated.

The recent scammers we have seen hitting the Want to Buy posts seem like a robot, the messages are almost identical with different names and emails.

PSA AKV 9mm
donmighty Offline
Pea shooter

Registered: 03/31/20
Posts: 2
Loc: Virginia
Hey mate, give Derek a shout, he has PSA AKV 9mm he wants to sell. His email is pderek896@gmail.com
_________________________

Then the email back and forth was this:

Hello Benson, I appreciate your response and interest.
I am located in Atlanta, GA. I believe we can work something out between us and finalize the deal. I can have it shipped to your FFL in your area, I will take care of the shipping and transfer of the gun from my end, and when the gun gets to your FFL you only take care of the completion of the transfer at your end. Let me know what you think.

If you will like to proceed, kindly email me your FFL information & shipping address. I will need your full name, home address and Contact # information, I will need this information to complete the transfer and make the shipment. If you want to proceed with payment, I accept PayPal family&friend payment.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask, it would be great to hear back from you. So, please let me know when you find some time. Thank you.

Kind Regards,
Derek.

On Thu, 2 Apr 2020 at 11:50, Benson, Brian <bbenson@pagecounty.k12.va.us> wrote:
Derek,

Where are you located? I am very interested but I don’t do shipping deals on guns. Prefer to meet in person. Let me know where you are located and we can work out a meeting place. Thanks

Brian

On Wed, Apr 1, 2020 at 10:21 PM Derek Peterson <pderek896@gmail.com> wrote:
Hello Benson, thanks for reaching out to me and I hope this email finds you well.
I have here is an excellent used Palmetto State Armory AK type Pistol with a brace, chambered in 9x19mm caliber. This gun has seen less than 100 rounds count and I must confess you can't wait to shoot this gun, as it is an excellent shooter. The gun comes with forged front trunnion, forged bolt/carrier, 1mm heat treated steel receiver, 10.5” Nitrided 4150 steel barrel, 1 x 10 twist rate and Muzzle brake tanker design.

The pistol also comes with a Krink style Hinged dust cover with Picatinny top rail, enhanced extended safety selector, black Magpul AK polymer grip, black Magpul AK polymer handguard, M4 stock adapter with SB tactical SBA3 adjustable brace, U9 35 round patterned magazine (Will also work in CZ Scorpion 9mm firearms) and a lifetime Palmetto State Armory warranty. The gun is in excellent condition with little to no sign on the exterior of the gun.

I am asking $620 for it, which includes shipping. Let me know if you have any questions and if you are interested in the gun. Thank you.

Kind Regards,
Derek.

Thanks for the reply phil.

Watch out for this kind of stuff people, it's happening more and more.

If you get 1 of these weird messages, notify a mod please.

Sounds like scammer from India or Indian descent due to the grammar. Not incorrect, but most western english speakers would consider unusual.

I got the same info about Derek. Was looking for a Ruger pistol.
Didn't fall for it.

Make it 6. He tried to ship me a gun I was looking for. He even sent pics of him holding the gun with a GA driver's License. For sure a Scam!

Make it 7, hit me up on WTB for a 4506, claimed his buddy Derek had one for sale. Guy had good grammar, price was reasonable, so I thought it was above board for a bit and he showed me his driver's license.

Wanted payment via PayPal, first red flag.
I ran the DL # through the GA public check database, came back to nothing. Address also not valid in property tax records.

Just today he sent me a hilariously photoshopped picture of him holding the gun.

+1 for doing some research, most excellent.

I'd love to see the pics, be good for everybody to see what "he" looks like and the driver's license too, more things to watch out for.

One of the members sent me pics that he received from the scammer, so I'm posting them here.

One more thing to watch for if you get one of these messages.

The photoshop in the 2nd pic is most excellent.

Lol at the Photoshop. Think someone stole this dude's ID? Or maybe it's a fake?

Hard to say really, one of the reasons I put it out here.

If this person's ID was stolen and is being used for scams, I hope he sees it here, maybe this will help him in some way.

At any rate, hopefully this helps someone here avoid being scammed.

I guess it is possible he lives in one of those two cars on the lot across the street from the address from his DL? His next door neighbor is the house at 1820 and their side yard (which would be 1800) does not have a structure that appears on my view! Perhaps he is a camper? The Atlanta Boys and Girls Club is a block to his south, and the Federal mens' prison is only a half mile to the east. Well, this would explain why he disdains deliveries and certainly wh he needs to buy a gun.

https://tinyurl.com/short-link

And it appears he forgot how to sign his own name!

Who can find the real pic, boys and girls? (Home school for all ages...)

How can I search by image?
Drag and drop a picture
On your computer, open a browser, like Chrome or Firefox.
Go to Google Images.
On your computer, find the file with the picture you want to search with.
Click the picture.
Hold down the mouse, drag the picture, and then drop it into the search box.

Found this:
same guy

https://fourseasonssportsnc.com/

I shot them an email regarding the fraud.

https://fourseasonssportsnc.com/glock/

Guess we know where the Photoshop pictures are coming from now

The license was quite obviously shopped as well, but not just the three pictures of Joe. The words, "Derek Peterson" are fake too.
The only way to tell whose information that is would be to check out that DL number.

I wonder if ATF investigates stuff like this. Mail fraud involving firearms? Conspiracy to do private interstate transfer? I'm sure they could come up with something. And it would give them an ACTUAL criminal to focus their efforts on.

And they look so real...