****REMEMBER -- PREVENTION IS YOUR ONLY DEFENSE!!!*****

Hi people

It seems if another round of scammers are replying to wanted to buy equipment adverts on ham websites.

They then offer you what equipment you have been seeking, at what seems a very reasonable price--this is the bait!!

After you have expressed interest, the scam sterts....

Now Watch for classic signs, like wanting payment by Western Union only, asking for payment sent to third parties etc...wanting (almost demanding,in some cases)the payment sent instantly....THEY REALLY PUSH A SENSE OF URGENCY. (so you can't figure out whats happening)

Their tactics can include watching US/UK /VK databases of recent licence upgrades or silent keys, and assuming the GENUINE licence / callsigns and even addresses (full HAM identity theft, EXCEPT for a dummy email address, and a non checkable landline phone number...THEY WILL CLAIM THE NUMBER IS UNLISTED, or some other story...

To add an air of legitimacy, they even ask if they can phone you...but will dodge giving you a return, phone book checkable one, especially a landline....

****** Be aware, with the advent of voip,(internet phone systems) that FALSE landline numbers are easy to create and they can be answered anywhere (literally) in the world *******

In all this, what they are seeking to do,(BESIDES STEAL YOUR MONEY) is avoid any typle of paper trail of funds...NO Paypal, credit cards or any type of verifyable, trackable method...

REMEMBER -- PREVENTION IS YOUR ONLY DEFENSE!!!

WARNING: With some new,improved techniques and tatics,and clever uses of iternet technology, it can be very difficult to escape THE scammers dirty lowlife tricks, even for knowledgeable people...but, knowledge CAN be defense, as well.