Post by admin on Oct 15, 2014 17:35:00 GMT -8
I received this email just now from a Classifieds shopper:
I cannot access the Insect Trader Reports forum. It says I don't have permission to access that forum. Does not even prompt me for user ID or password. I'd like to warn people in GENERAL terms of my experience, and to be wary of some people posting.
I responded to a seller in the Classified section going by the name of Jack Haskel, email: hasjack77@gmail.com a few weeks ago. I inquired about his Colias interior specimens. Innocent enough, and he ("we") sells at $8.00 each. I asked him if he had central Canada specimens to which he replied 30 available. I asked if he also had some from Wisconsin and the Canadian Maritimes. He responded that he has "100 from each state of the U.S. plus the Maritimes". At that point I should have been suspicious. I asked him for a bulk discount. We agreed on 100 specimens from the 3 regions for $200. He insisted that he cannot accept checks, PayPal or even postal money order. Just Western Union cash transfer. Again, nothing really suspicious, though I was starting to wonder. As a test, I asked him if he has any Erora laeta. He responded 70! When I had the funds transferred, he wrote back to me and said he went to Western Union and realized he "lost his I.D." He asked me to call W.U. and waive identification. Right there I started becoming suspicious. Who doesn't have some sort of I.D.? I suggested he find his I.D. and then go back but he insisted on waiving the I.D. requirement. I told him I was cancelling the W.U. transfer and instead offered to meet him in Dayton to exchange cash for specimens but he didn't respond and a few days later he just agreed to cancel. Why would someone lose a $200 sale over how payment is made. I asked several Ohio and former Ohio lepidopterists if they ever heard of Jack Haskel and they never did. He has two addresses, one in Cleveland and one in Dayton. His IP address on all 4 of his ads are from locations far and wide. I'm now wondering if his name is even Jack Haskel.
I am not asking to pull his ads, as I am not sure if he is honest (but somewhat ignorant) or if he is a scheister. I'm not taking any chances sending $200 out into the world not knowing who is at the receiving end of a Western Union money transfer. I'd like to post a warning that if anyone asks for money to be wired without requirement of an I.D., to be suspicious.
- H.P.
Too many red flags in this situation. He had four ads up currently, which I deleted. In all four ads he posted from four different locations around the USA. Here are the IPs:
24.29.231.59
173.81.8.63
173.245.239.140
50.152.92.71
It always pays to search on a seller's other ads in the Classifieds (if any, search on their email) and check and see if the Posting IDs match up. If they don't use extreme caution.
I cannot access the Insect Trader Reports forum. It says I don't have permission to access that forum. Does not even prompt me for user ID or password. I'd like to warn people in GENERAL terms of my experience, and to be wary of some people posting.
I responded to a seller in the Classified section going by the name of Jack Haskel, email: hasjack77@gmail.com a few weeks ago. I inquired about his Colias interior specimens. Innocent enough, and he ("we") sells at $8.00 each. I asked him if he had central Canada specimens to which he replied 30 available. I asked if he also had some from Wisconsin and the Canadian Maritimes. He responded that he has "100 from each state of the U.S. plus the Maritimes". At that point I should have been suspicious. I asked him for a bulk discount. We agreed on 100 specimens from the 3 regions for $200. He insisted that he cannot accept checks, PayPal or even postal money order. Just Western Union cash transfer. Again, nothing really suspicious, though I was starting to wonder. As a test, I asked him if he has any Erora laeta. He responded 70! When I had the funds transferred, he wrote back to me and said he went to Western Union and realized he "lost his I.D." He asked me to call W.U. and waive identification. Right there I started becoming suspicious. Who doesn't have some sort of I.D.? I suggested he find his I.D. and then go back but he insisted on waiving the I.D. requirement. I told him I was cancelling the W.U. transfer and instead offered to meet him in Dayton to exchange cash for specimens but he didn't respond and a few days later he just agreed to cancel. Why would someone lose a $200 sale over how payment is made. I asked several Ohio and former Ohio lepidopterists if they ever heard of Jack Haskel and they never did. He has two addresses, one in Cleveland and one in Dayton. His IP address on all 4 of his ads are from locations far and wide. I'm now wondering if his name is even Jack Haskel.
I am not asking to pull his ads, as I am not sure if he is honest (but somewhat ignorant) or if he is a scheister. I'm not taking any chances sending $200 out into the world not knowing who is at the receiving end of a Western Union money transfer. I'd like to post a warning that if anyone asks for money to be wired without requirement of an I.D., to be suspicious.
- H.P.
Too many red flags in this situation. He had four ads up currently, which I deleted. In all four ads he posted from four different locations around the USA. Here are the IPs:
24.29.231.59
173.81.8.63
173.245.239.140
50.152.92.71
It always pays to search on a seller's other ads in the Classifieds (if any, search on their email) and check and see if the Posting IDs match up. If they don't use extreme caution.