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I got even with a scammer after 18 years

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Vegas Smith

20+ Year Contributor
5,190
3,106
Dec 2, 2002
Houston, Texas
I got even with a scammer after 18 years

In 2003 I was right out of school driving around my first car that my big brother gave me. It was a 91 laser with some Dejon Tool mods. It was pretty damn fast but the 14b went out on me after a year. I bought a 16g off of DSMTrader.com for $400. Back then dsmtrader was like a national craig's list for dsm parts and was very popular. There wasn't PayPal or cash apps back then so the only way I knew how to pay for stuff was a money order.

I sent the guy $400 for it (crazy how 16gs are still the same price after 20 years) and long story short he gave me the run-around saying he never got it. After a bunch of emails, he just stopped responding. That was all the money I had at the time and now I had nothing but a broken-down car. I contacted the police station in his area and they told me there was nothing they could do. I'd have to sue him in civil court. I lived a couple thousand miles away and that wasn't happening.

Fast forward to 2021 and my mom texted me that she had a bunch of old documents in a filing cabinet, and she mentioned all the copies we made of turbo incident. She sent them over and there was his name and address back in 2003. I wound up doing a Google search and found the guy's job which was a martial arts gym. Lo and behold it was located 5 minutes from the guy's old address in 2003. He also had a very specific Japanese name. It was one I've never come across since then so I was certain I found him. I thought about calling his work and outing him etc etc but it just wasn't worth the negative energy. I can be f***in petty, and I can hold grudges but at this point in my life I just don't care as much. I looked the guy up on Facebook and there he was with martial arts gym pics etc. It was him.

I messaged him, as shown in the pics, and tricked him into thinking I was an old friend. He admitted he was an old DSMer and that's when I hit em with the info. He tried to act like he sent the money back blah blah but he didn't. I had the money order company confirm that he cashed the money order to his account. If he did send it back, why didn't he ever tell me? On top of that, he was scamming a lot of people. Every week some new person would post on dsmtrader about getting scammed by him. He'd change a letter in his name for every new scam. I must have seen 5 or 6 people get scammed. All 16gs he claimed to be selling.

He surprisingly wanted to refund me and did eventually. He sent the money back in the 5 payments over 2 months or so. I'm pretty sure he's broke but honestly it seemed like it might be cathartic for the guy. I really think he felt ashamed for what he did based on our later conversations which I won't post. All-in-all the guy made things right and I bought some nice shiny pieces for the Talon with the money he sent back. It took 18 years but at least I got my money back.

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you got paid back, now you need a touch of revenge. Send him one of these at his work address.

or send me his name and work address and i'll do it.
 
I really think he felt ashamed for what he did
I think so, too. You gave him an occasion for fixing what he did. It doesn't change the fact what he did but much better than nothing.
Wish I could say the same. I got scammed on here once. Money says the guy didnt even use the part I sent. Bellhousing.
I almost got scammed on here before, it was about a transmission, too. The guy said it is with EVO3 1-5 gears, I opened up the trans, It was a built transmission but with a DSM gear set, plus some internal damage. I negotiated with the guy for refund, he was refusing but finally I could get back all the difference.
 
I got even with a scammer after 18 years

In 2003 I was right out of school driving around my first car that my big brother gave me. It was a 91 laser with some Dejon Tool mods. It was pretty damn fast but the 14b went out on me after a year. I bought a 16g off of DSMTrader.com for $400. Back then dsmtrader was like a national craig's list for dsm parts and was very popular. There wasn't PayPal or cash apps back then so the only way I knew how to pay for stuff was a money order.

I sent the guy $400 for it (crazy how 16gs are still the same price after 20 years) and long story short he gave me the run-around saying he never got it. After a bunch of emails, he just stopped responding. That was all the money I had at the time and now I had nothing but a broken-down car. I contacted the police station in his area and they told me there was nothing they could do. I'd have to sue him in civil court. I lived a couple thousand miles away and that wasn't happening.

Fast forward to 2021 and my mom texted me that she had a bunch of old documents in a filing cabinet, and she mentioned all the copies we made of turbo incident. She sent them over and there was his name and address back in 2003. I wound up doing a Google search and found the guy's job which was a martial arts gym. Lo and behold it was located 5 minutes from the guy's old address in 2003. He also had a very specific Japanese name. It was one I've never come across since then so I was certain I found him. I thought about calling his work and outing him etc etc but it just wasn't worth the negative energy. I can be f***in petty, and I can hold grudges but at this point in my life I just don't care as much. I looked the guy up on Facebook and there he was with martial arts gym pics etc. It was him.

I messaged him, as shown in the pics, and tricked him into thinking I was an old friend. He admitted he was an old DSMer and that's when I hit em with the info. He tried to act like he sent the money back blah blah but he didn't. I had the money order company confirm that he cashed the money order to his account. If he did send it back, why didn't he ever tell me? On top of that, he was scamming a lot of people. Every week some new person would post on dsmtrader about getting scammed by him. He'd change a letter in his name for every new scam. I must have seen 5 or 6 people get scammed. All 16gs he claimed to be selling.

He surprisingly wanted to refund me and did eventually. He sent the money back in the 5 payments over 2 months or so. I'm pretty sure he's broke but honestly it seemed like it might be cathartic for the guy. I really think he felt ashamed for what he did based on our later conversations which I won't post. All-in-all the guy made things right and I bought some nice shiny pieces for the Talon with the money he sent back. It took 18 years but at least I got my money back.

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Good story.
 
That was a good story. People can be real petty but I guess it's easier in life to be on the asshole-end of things than it is to be decent. Personally so far I've sent at least 10 items to the States through the classifieds here and people were always happy. Yes, it's real easy to just block and keep the money but why? Why not actually send them the parts, gain some nice rep and keep doing business helping people out?

P.S Nick you showed how easy it is to pretty much track and find anyone with just basic info. The internet can be too powerful sometimes.
 
So he basically got an interest free loan of $400?

Glad it turned out alright in the end. Better to just be honorable at the start than spend life looking over your shoulder.
 
That was a good story. People can be real petty but I guess it's easier in life to be on the asshole-end of things than it is to be decent. Personally so far I've sent at least 10 items to the States through the classifieds here and people were always happy. Yes, it's real easy to just block and keep the money but why? Why not actually send them the parts, gain some nice rep and keep doing business helping people out?

P.S Nick you showed how easy it is to pretty much track and find anyone with just basic info. The internet can be too powerful sometimes.
True, it doesn’t help that he had a rare name and was listed on his work’s website as an instructor.
 
I got scammed around the same year on Ebay back when you can only pay with money order. I believe it was close to $300 for a 90GST trans. Dude never sent me the trans. I found him on Facebook a few years back when I was on it, but I don't know much on what to do. I doubt I would get as lucky as you LOL Chris Gaboury was his name if I remember correctly, I think he lived in New Jersey. I still have the money order stub and all. Its sad that people til this day are still being petty and scamming, especially on FB
 
That would have been impressive if it was your poo.


If sumone could only find our old freelancer my1gdsm, aka stacy Blankenship
That man scammed me out of 3 bills so I'd love to "talk" to him again. :mad: :nono::f-u:
 
Thanks Larry, I don't have or do FB so he is safe.....for now. I'd like my $$$ back is all. But we know that ain't happenin. ROFL
 
The amount of scammers in today's world is a sad sight to see. People attempt to scam me on FB, Instagram, or this site on a daily basis. It opens a whole new appreciation for people who actually stay true to their word, even though that should be an obvious moral thing to do. I'm lucky enough that I've never been scammed online before. And I've swore to myself that I will never do such a thing, regardless of what's happening in my life.
At one point around 3 years back I almost fell for a scam on this site. A probationary member was trying to sell me some 420a parts. He had multiple pictures of everything and the prices seemed to be in the correct range. Moments before I fell for it someone made a post with a tip that he might be a scammer as he received a similar PM from the same guy. Out of curiosity I did some digging and found the exact pictures he sent me on Google Images, dated like 6 years before. He didn't have any of those parts in his possession. I don't remember his username but I'll post it in a little while if I find it, just in case he's still floating around somehow.
 
I remember being scammed out of money back in the eighties... This super hot chick joined a chat line I was on. She made personal contact by email and was sending me some racy pics. After a short time, she began her scam asking for money so she could come live with me. Like a fool, I sent the money... I printed off one of her photos and showed it to a buddy. He began to laugh at me and said.." That's the barbie girl from Russia, you idiot... He bet me it was probably Egor or Hans and I was being taken for a ride. I contacted the authorities in this matter and they gave me directions to tell the person I was sending them a money order by Western Union and they could pick it up at a certain location. When the person went there to get it he was arrested. I never got my money back but I became a lot smarter that day. It cost me $1200. bucks to know you don't think with your dick.
Okay.......you can stop laughing now...
 
I remember back in 2015 when I had a 95 talon tsi awd, there was a guy that messaged me saying he was waiting for the guy that had the talon before me to sell it. Somehow I beat that guy to the car and bought it and I had no idea he wanted it. He said it used to be his talon which was a lie. Anyways he messaged me about it and I said the only way I'd let the talon go was I needed a trans in my truck, it had been blown out for a few years and I was broke. So I trailered my truck to his house for him to do the transmission on it. Literally the biggest mistake of my life I found out he was in prison for God knows how long but I was sketched out. I call him up, I told him I'm going to come grab the truck and he said it was done anyways. I get my truck back and it still doesn't move he told me I have to "work it in" I knew it was bs, he shows up at my house and demands the talon. I'm probably one of the biggest pushovers ever and I give him the keys, I just didn't want this freak bothering me anymore. He asked me for the title I told him he'd have to find it because I didn't have it and that's when he said I'd pay for this. I didn't know what that meant but I was pretty freaked out by that time, so I told him he could have the parts car with it if he left me alone. Moral of the story you can't trust anyone. I'm to honest and to nice of a person and getting screwed over many times in life I still haven't changed. Sorry for the long story guys this was the one story thats bothered me for a long time.
 
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