r/canadaguns • u/BigRedGunNut • 26d ago
Misc Scammer Alert
Just wanted to share some info to hopefully protect others.
Last week I was contacted by a number (902-751-40XX) with an offer to trade a lever rifle for an antique pistol I had on TownPost. After some discussion the deal morfed into two lever rifles for two antique status pistols. I requested proof of age (for the antiques) and he sent a pic of a health card. I sent my info for a PAL verification to which the fellow said he wouldn't bother. I figured I did my part, if he wants to risk prison that's on him.
The fellow seemed very enthusiastic that I ship right away. He was using a PO Box in Springhill NS and he wanted me to ship at the same time as him or before him which is something I don't typically do as a seller. Being a trade though, I told him to give me a pic of the box with my name/address and tracking and I would ship immediately. I was even outside the post office waiting for him to ship on his end. The whole tone of the deal at this point seemed OK but I was starting to get a voice in the back of my head telling me to look close at things.
He had excuses why it was taking time to ship and said his wife was doing it. After an hour I messaged him and said I was leaving to do errands and that I would ship after he sent tracking on his end. A picture of the tracking number finally came later in the afternoon with no picture of the box or label and when I checked it the number was months old. That sent my spidey senses off.
When confronted, he said his wife must have sent the wrong picture. He was adamant that he'd just spent $140 for shipping, which sounded about right, and was really wanted me to ship as he had already done so.
At this point I figured something was wrong but still wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt and said if he could provide the three things I asked for, I'd ship.
He assured me he would sort things out and get the correct information. I quickly realized that he was playing me. Providing me a picture of the shipping label hours after I asked. Saying he never actually shipped but wants to just not until I do. Even going so far as to eventually make a box of approximately the right size with a shipping label (that didn't match the first one he sent me) and saying again that he had shipped giving me a picture of tracking numbers that were obviously from a flat rate box (rifles don't fit in those).
By the time most of this was happening I'd already figured out te was trying to scam my pistols from me and I was just toying with him because he'd annoyed me. I wanted to share all this including his partially redacted information ((902-751-40XX) PO Box in Springhill NS B0M 1X0) in the hopes it saves someone else the annoyance of dealing with this idiot.
I think the thing that annoys me the most is that he got a lot of personal info from me for the PAL check and shipping.
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u/pyates1 26d ago
The whole idea of trusting someone when it could involve a federal offence really sketches me out.
Sold a rifle last week and they wanted to pay half up front and half on delivery?
I went with the easy payment system, most people are honest but it's dangerous when someone is reluctant to fully cooperate.
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u/mwmwmwmwmmdw 26d ago
dont put your number on gunpost. its the top way scammers work so you cant see what account they are messaging from
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u/dirkdiggler2011 26d ago
The tone of the deal was not "okay."
It was rotten from step 1.
There were more red flags than a Soviet parade.
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u/AdeptArt 26d ago
this is why you don’t ship to P.o. boxes.
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u/JinkalinkNinja 26d ago
I live in rural Canada and Canada Post will not deliver to my door. What else am I supposed to ship to?
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u/hafetysazard 26d ago
Don’t they hold parcels at the post office?
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u/SwordJabbingAction 23d ago
Yes, at a PO box. Also called a “Flex Delivery Address”.
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u/hafetysazard 23d ago
I understand what a post office box is, but wouldn’t they also hold a parcel for you marked for your home address?
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u/SwordJabbingAction 23d ago
They can but you’re supposed to get a PO box. I had a canpo guy tell me off for ordering to my rural home address that ended up just being held by them at the post office in town.
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u/hockeyfanatic777 26d ago
Same thing for me. I always give my full address anyhow with my PO Box, but they don’t deliver to my door. I think “you don’t ship to PO Boxes” isn’t a good rule. It’s unfair to the thousands of communities that don’t have door delivery.
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u/BigRedGunNut 26d ago
That's preferable but most small towns and rural folk only have a PO Box and no other options.
I like GunPost because of the feedback mechanism but I also find that lots of people use TownPost, especially younger people. Horse trading antiques for years now has shown me that TownPost is popular but you need to be extra vigilant.
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u/NEUMANN-METALWORKS Neumann Metalworks 26d ago edited 26d ago
This is some of the most Springhill shit I've read lol
Trying to get antique pistols for nefarious reasons, sends a health card for age verification (obviously no PAL so he doesn't actually have levers to sell/trade), sends a flat rate box shipping label when confronted
Whenever I think of shit the trailer park boys would do I don't think of Halifax/Dartmouth, I think of Springhill.