WARNING - SCAM VIA UK GUN BROKERAGE WEBSITES - GARY NASH

[enfieldspares]

I currently have a gun listed on a well known UK gun selling or gun trading website. I have replaced the name of the website with a * for each letter of the website name.

On Monday 11 July 2022 I received via their online communication "click and send an enquiry" facility this email from garynash4533@gmail.com in response to a advert I have for a gun on one of those websites:

11 JULY 2022
Hello,
I saw your gun on ********* and am interested in buying your gun and what is the asking price of the gun ?

To which I responded that same 11 July day:
The gun is presently with an RFD at his shooting ground in the Midlands on commission sale. I'll call him tomorrow (he's closed on Monday) and enquire. and earlier today

And then today on 13 July:
Update. I have now checked with my RFD "friend" and he says he has taken a deposit on the gun. Therefore with regret it is for all intents and purposes now sold.

13 JULY 2022
Hello,
Thanks for the response, am so happy to know you still have the gun available for sale, i will be very happy to be the next owner of the gun .The price of the gun £180 is okay Do not bother yourself with the delivery of the gun ,i will make good and proper for the collection of the gun. i have a gun dealer firearms liecence to use gun and i will take of the gun shipment on my side, Once again, the price of the gun is fine with me am ready to made the
payment immediately. i will need the gun in united kingdom My method of payment will be through a certified CHEQUE i will be paying you through a cheque you will have the cheque cleared in your account in 2-3 working days i will be paying you through cheque do you agree ? the gun will be pick up as soon as you confirm the money in your account if you agree, kindly forward to me your payment details as below so i can send the cheque to your address fast I need your details as below to write the cheque

FULL NAME:

ADDRESS

PHONE NUMBER:

As soon as i receive this details from you, i will make sure you receive the cheque in your address in 2 days i will await your reply soon

The website owners have advised me that they have informed the police and that, yes, it is indeed a scam.

 

[Foxyboy43]

Hmm - good heads up thanks - probably a clue in their use of the word “liecence”!

 

[Sampo]

Thanks for reporting. Its always good to be vigilant and such instances does highlight the need to spread the awareness. Probably better to sell via RFDs or the local gun clubs unless you know the person or is introduced by someone you know well.

 

[Pete1774]

Certified Cheque? Who uses them anymore? Also the poor English indicates an non-native speaker.

 

[The Singing Stalker]

Everything in that mail screams scam.

 

[User00048]

Perhaps this is the same prince of Nigera that offers cash to his long lost relatives and only needs a small payment before he transfers the "lump sum"

 

[Fosbery Holster]

Thank you enfieldspares for your vigilance, this is one of the reasons why l sell mine (the same as you) through an RFD.

 

[timbrayford]

Having made a trouble free and quick sale of a rifle here on SD why look any further?

 

[PMA]

Ah does that mean Mr Yan is not going to send me the $18 million !!

 

[Koenig]

What a load of old Sh1t!!

Enfield Spares did the right thing..report and ignore.

Chancers.

 

[Dalua]

Hmm - good heads up thanks - probably a clue in their use of the word “liecence”!

Quite - everyone knows it's actually a Certifakeate.

 

[enfieldspares]

Quite - everyone knows it's actually a Certifakeate.

Yes. I had a Certifakeate when I had my Smith & Western .357 Magnunum revolver.

 

[Lateral]

If the gun will only be collected AFTER the cheque has cleared, how can anyone be "scammed" ?

 

[Sandyb]

It's easy, ask for him to send a photograph of his SGC / RFD certificate.... I wouldn't provide any personal details to anyone without this. When I sold some firearms on behalf of my late shooting partner, I attended his widows house whilst the transaction took place. Pleased to say the buyers were members on her, having advertised them for sale on here and here alone..

 

[Len the dog]

If the gun will only be collected AFTER the cheque has cleared, how can anyone be "scammed" ?

A cheque can be cancelled for a considerable time after what we commonly refer to as ’cleared’, by which time the goods sold are long gone.

 

[enfieldspares]

I think that the scam is this. That they "accidentally" send you a cheque for a much larger amount. But then say so as not to delay the matter can you simply bank the cheque anyway and then make a bank transfer to refund the difference. And they'll be around as soon as that is done to collect the gun. But of course thet never come and that cheque? It gets reversed. So although you've still go the gun (and it could have been a kilo of lemons for all it matters as it never was about the product and they never ever were going to turn up to take possession) you are £XXX out of pocket from the "refund" you made on that miswritten cheque.

 

[saddler]

Certified Cheque? Who uses them anymore? Also the poor English indicates an non-native speaker.

....some of my best friends are from Norfolk....

 

[paultap]

I remember when I had a new Zeiss riflescope for sale many years back and advertised it on a few forums. A guy contacted me and asked for my phone number to discuss buying the scope. I gave my phone number and he phoned, he claimed to be disabled and wanted me to post the scope off to Birmingham where he would then examine it, if he liked it he would send me the money, if not, he would post the scope back to me.

Needless to say, I declined his kind offer!

 

[Len the dog]

Some years ago I was advertising a car on Autotrader, I hadn’t had much interest until a very nice man from Nigeria decided that of all the thousands of 3 series BMW available, mine would make the perfect wedding gift for his sister. He offered the asking price and even a little more, all he needed were my bank details to transfer the money, but as a special thank you he even invited me to the wedding.
Unfortunately I was busy that weekend but I’m sure they had a lovely day.

 

[Pedro]

If the gun will only be collected AFTER the cheque has cleared, how can anyone be "scammed" ?

Cheques can un-clear, i.e. be cancelled even when cleared. Anyway, I doubt this person would be collecting that gun from anyone in reality, even if waving his "gun dealer firearms liecence to use gun" around. At it's basic, it could just be a scam to get the seller's personal details for nefarious reasons.

In any case, it's patently dodgy. Thanks for the heads up, enfieldspares.