Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire DOJ/ATF letter avoiding ONLINE GUN PURCHASE SCAMS

There's been a bit of conversation here about scams on some online firearm purchases. This letter makes it pretty clear more folks should be using the ATF eZCheck system than depending on what can easily be a phony hard copy. FWIW

LINK here

U.S. Department of Justice
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Washington, DC 20226
Advisory Letter
Online Scams Using Fraudulent Federal Firearms Licenses
March 7, 2014

TO ALL FEDERAL FIREARMS LICENSEES AND FIREARM PURCHASERS
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is providing the following information to make you aware of fraudulent online firearms sales. Some individuals are using fraudulently altered Federal firearms licenses to sell but never deliver firearms online.

A typical online scam starts with an online firearm advertisement. Purchasers who respond to the advertisement by telephone or email receive an invalid, counterfeit copy of a license that appears to be valid. After sending payment, the purchaser never receives the advertised firearm(s) and the fraudulent seller removes the original online advertisement and contact information.

To help you avoid this scam, licensees are reminded that only transactions between licensees require the furnishing of a certified copy of the license. Licensees should consider only providing the basic license number to individuals (e.g., 1-75-12345). The individuals can use FFL eZ Check to confirm the validity of the license number before sending payment for firearms advertised online. FFL eZ Check is on the ATF website at http://www.atf.gov/content/firearms/firearms-industry/applications-FFL-eZ-check. If you have general questions regarding the FFL eZ Check system, you may contact the Federal Firearms Licensing Center at 1-877-560-2435.

You may also wish to contact other Federal, State, and local resources regarding internet fraud, to include the Federal Bureau of Investigation (www.IC3.gov), the Federal Trade Commission (www.ftc.gov), your State�s Attorney General�s office (http://www.atf.gov/files/publications/download/p/atf-p-5300-5-31st-editiion/attorneys-general.pdf) and your local law enforcement agency.

If you are a Federal firearms licensee who believes your license has been fraudulently used, stolen, or compromised, please contact your local ATF field office as soon as possible for assistance. A list of local field offices can be found at http://www.atf.gov/content/contact-us/local-atf-office.

I'm awful glad the feds can save us from ourselves.

I always use the FFL eZ Check before shipping, saves a LOT of grief.

BTW, I have only caught one bad FFL in over 15 years of online sales. Good thing I checked as I am sure the shop and I would have caught the full force of the BATFE had we shipped it.

Take a look at these two.
Same gun, same pictures, one in Wa. State, one in Pa.

Gun Broker ad placed
4/5/14

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=407362440


I have flagged the Armslist ad placed today 4/18
Add that I first flagged this ad as a scam over 12 hours ago, and as of 9:25 PM MST it is still active.

http://www.armslist.com/posts/29590...4cb-cowboy-limited--357-mag-lever-action

No prosecutions. No fear.

1 out of 1000 ain't a bad record.......

Where does Ted get this number 48,000?
Is this sales denied, or actually "fugitives and felons"?

He is not giving enough information, sounds like a very misleading question.

I've come across only 1 as well. And that wasn't an attempt to deceive, the guy had just neglected to re-up his FFL. But if I had sent the rifle I would have been in violation of an unConstitutional law.

Same Marlin 1894 has been posted on Arms List again.
This time supposedly from Ohio for $1500.


http://www.armslist.com/posts/29646...4cb-cowboy-limited--357-mag-lever-action