***Troll Alert*** tazB, jsmith, grandcherokee. Creates new accounts and uses PMs!

[Blades99]

Beware of these Guys
tazB:Known Troll
jsmith:Known Troll
grandcherokee: recently scammed a member http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/s...d.php?t=315345
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Mod Update:
This guy has been active on all the big trading forums.



I started a thread looking to purchase an Alienware Case.
5 minutes later i received a PM from tazB.
He says he's from Edmonton.
He can't provide pictures because he has no camera.
He provides a Heatware account where everyone he has sold or bought from have only sold and bought from each other.
He has 0 post on this forum
Would it be good to say that he's a troll?
He says he's willing to ship tomorrow but i think he won't, he probably buying time to try and scam others here.

You can read the big thead on AnandTech here:
http://forums.anandtech.com/messagev...readid=1861512

Beware of new users who contact you through the PM system! Check Heatware and contact the Heatware owner!

Here are a few tips to avoid getting scammed.
Thanks Happy13178 for this information

1. Get contact information. Always. Cellphone is ok, but unless you can trace it back to an address, a house number is preferable. Contact by email or PM alone can lead to problems. Drivers license isn't the norm, but is also very traceable, and legitimate traders won't get mad if you ask them for that or other contact info.

2. Get references. Heatware is a good one, Ebay is ok....for newer traders, any feedback helps. Heatware is preferable because it applies to non-Ebay users and multiple forums as well, but whatever. Feedback is meant to show other traders who is and isn't trustworthy. Keep an eye on it, though...if a guy has 6 positive feedback and all are from guys with only 1 positive, possible they've created multiple accounts with fake feedback. Guys with only a few feedbacks, but all are from recognized traders, probably all good.

3. Ask lots of questions. What condition is the item in, what does it come with, why they're selling it, is it under warranty and can you prove it (easier with hard drives than some other items). Chalk this one up to "Buyer Beware"...see threads where people buy items that aren't what they thought they would be.

4. Start off trading in person. Meeting face to face is almost always preferable, because you can see the item AND the trader before doing the deal. In person is typically in cash as well, which has it's pros....obviously some cons are to watch for counterfeit bills, and no paper or electronic record of the transaction.

5. Avoid shipping at first. Until you know the ins and outs of shipping and buying items from someone out of town/province, just do deals in person at first. This helps build feedback levels, and through reading threads by other traders you get the feel for what general protocol is. There's a lot to know, including shipping methods, package tracking, and electronic payment methods. If someone wants to buy an item from you out of town and wants you to ship first, because you haven't got a lot of feedback, see the above rules. Check references, get verifiable contact information, etc. If the guy has a lot of good feedback, then odds are he'll pay as soon as he gets the item. Which brings us to the next point...

6. Deal with recognized traders only at first. Guys with high feedback that goes back a long time are generally good traders, and they can answer any questions you have. They can help you

7. Be wary of payments via International Money Order, Bidpay, EMT, and Paypal. Not all are necessarily bad, but they have been known to be used in scams. If someone wants to pay with a money order, make sure the bank clears it before handing over the item, get contact info for Paypal/EMT, etc, etc.

8. Meet in public places. Bus stations, malls, well lit areas, etc...doesn't matter. We've all heard horror stories about guys going to buy electronics/whatever with a pocketful of cash, and getting mugged by the "seller". Doing trades in public places reduces the risk of this exponentially.

9. Be prepared to walk away from the deal. If it smells rotten, don't wait around to find out if it is or not. There's nothing you can buy from any trader that you can't get from another one, and if you get a bad vibe, save yourself a lot of trouble and move on. Again, good traders will understand this, and should be able to put to rest any problems before they're problems at all. If things turn out ok, you can always reschedule.

Any corrections/additions from anyone else would be welcomed...

[sfu_engineer]

Thanks for the headsup! But I though "troll" referred to people who never sign up and post but just read the messages/forum.

[austin]

I got a Pm from him as well, he said he had a treo for sale, since he is a newbie , I didn't take that deal very seriously...

Still dont know he is a scam or not, just BE CAREFUL though..

[Blades99]

He was just here looking at this thread and never responded.
He's now off line.
Can someone confirm that his heatware is fishy.
tazB was the name given to me.

[mapleleafs]

Here's his heat:

http://www.heatware.com/eval.php?id=50092

Definate troll.

[Blades99]

Thats too bad,
He had a very reasonable price and what i was looking for.

[Sash[DSL]]

Thanks for the headsup! But I though "troll" referred to people who never sign up and post but just read the messages/forum.

Those are called lurkers, you've got the 2 terms mixed up. Trolls are those that scam others.

[psxp]

In Internet terminology, a troll is someone who comes into an established community such as an online discussion forum, and posts inflammatory, rude or offensive messages designed intentionally to annoy and antagonize the existing members or disrupt the flow of discussion

see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_trolls

[balou911]

post a heatware link.

and yeah, if the heatware refs are all from a small group of plp giving each other refs, then its definitely a scam.

Just ask him to post it, see what he says.

[Blades99]

post a heatware link.

and yeah, if the heatware refs are all from a small group of plp giving each other refs, then its definitely a scam.

Just ask him to post it, see what he says.

I asked why everyone on his list all sold or bought from each other and he never responded.
http://www.heatware.com/eval.php?id=50092

[Kakarot]

I started a thread looking to purchase an Alienware Case.
5 minutes later i received a PM from tazB.
He says he's from Edmonton.
He can't provide pictures because he has no camera.
He provides a Heatware account where everyone he has sold or bought from have only sold and bought from each other.
He has 0 post on this forum
Would it be good to say that he's a troll?
He says he's willing to ship tomorrow but i think he won't, he probably buying time to try and scam others here.

Beware Guys

ask him to ship first, tell him you will pay him once you receive it

http://www.trollhunters.com/

[Blades99]

ask him to ship first, tell him you will pay him once you receive it

http://www.trollhunters.com/

He offered to ship 1st but i'd rather miss on the deal than to see someone get scammed because i didn't react when i should have.
Tomorrow might have been too late for someone else.

[Blades99]

The poor guy has a negative rating because of me.
Someone from here posted has Trollcatcher and pretty much ended his heatware name.
Oh well, he asked for it.

[Kakarot]

You left a negetive heatware, when you didnt even do a deal or get scammed? That doesnt seem right..... you "assume" he is a troll, you made no deal, paid no money and technically was never scammed by this user....

** i misread that post, but whoever left that heat is out of line. Not to mention they posted a rfd link on that heatware....

not to mention, it still only appears to be a scam... even though he said he would ship first....

[Blades99]

You left a negetive heatware, when you didnt even do a deal or get scammed? That doesnt seem right..... you "assume" he is a troll, you made no deal, paid no money and technically was never scammed by this user....

** i misread that post, but whoever left that heat is out of line. Not to mention they posted a rfd link on that heatware....

not to mention, it still only appears to be a scam... even though he said he would ship first....

Just for the record,
I DID NOT post on his Heatware but someone did,
The heatware post was a good one, you do not wait for someone to get scammed before you react.
He had time to reply to this post and never did.