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Gentlemen,
Skilled hustlers know to work the same crowd only once. Cheats, frauds and con-men who break that cardinal rule run great risk of getting sloppy and eventually slipping up. As we all know, one often needs to tell five lies for every initial one, and so on. Ultimately it gets to be all but impossible in an elaborate lie to keep a story 100% consistent. This is especially true with amateurs like GG who are so supremely convinced of their flawless scam technique and will never get caught that they greedily return to the well for more and start making the tale more complex/elaborate. Problem with that is, bread crumb trails and other signs that others can follow are eventually left. Good catch on the multiple spellings of phantom Bill's wife BTW, PAHick. I missed that little clue.

GG's own words here and in particular in offline correspondences were ultimately his undoing as they related to me. I just had to take a close look at the sign and ask the right questions. The little stuff can be that which hangs people, and that was the case here. Note that after I knew what had happened I started posting very specific, yet 'innocent' questions looking for details and updates. He took the bait back then, and at some point soon after I knew I had him.

Consider things he wrote such as, "I just took a sucker punch", from the very first line of the original scam post. Would anyone with a friend who'd just had a home lost in a fire write those words? No. They'd write, "My *friend* took a real sucker punch". It wasn't until I really began looking at the details and his words that the ugly truth became so clear. I then got pretty enraged at what he'd done, but also as much furious at myself for not seeing it right off the bat. Some inconsistent details were found in nuances, but more became glaring as time went on and our hero just couldn't shut his trap, as he wanted more.

In the initial post he wrote that his buddy had his home burn down on the *weekend*. Ten months later, the fire had occurred on "*Thanksgiving Day*". If you had a friend who'd been burned out, reflecting back, you'd naturally say something like, "yes, so terrible having my friend lose everything, but even more tragic that it happened on TGD...", right? That didn't happen in the first go round of his fairy tale. It was 'last weekend'. I'm pretty sure that TGD doesn't land on a Saturday or Sunday...

I just lost a several page long post detailing how I ended up outing him, but lost the damned thing and don't have it in me to re-write it. I did want to share a couple of points before walking away from this dumpster fire. First, this was a scam, pure and simple and the man is a fraud. I proved that behind the scenes, and he knew I had him. Which is why ten months later my Winchester arrived back here to me. Not before he'd MODIFIED it though, and cut one of the barrels I sent and added sights to it, BTW. Wait, what the? Is that something ANYONE would do with a gun gifted for a friend? Start chopping inches off the barrel and 'customizing' it for the OTHER GUY?

Today, in hindsight, I should've outed him to the group those years ago when I figured it out, rather than keeping it to myself and sharing the details with only friends. At the time he'd stopped appealing for more things or adding more lies, and I'd made it clear that should he ever try to rip anyone off again here I'd make certain to revisit this scam of his and expose him, with proof. The truth is, I guess part of me stopped short of exposing him publicly back then because I wanted to forget that I'd been had by such a clumsy crook. My pride took a hit. Hell, I'm a sharp big city boy, who's seen untold scams and cons from a young age and can spot them a mile off. Used to laugh at tourists losing at 3 card monty and nutshell games in the park at ten years old. Never would *I* be one of the suckers out there! Well, egg on my face because I originally got beat by him too.

One never knows with a sociopath, but my guess and sincere hope is that after this he never shows his face here again. Those continuing to support him are maybe to be admired for sticking by a 'friend', but you're all being played, even now. But your choice, of course. I've said my piece.

Thank you to those, friends and cyber-friends alike, who took up for me and vouched for my integrity, BTW. I'm neither a liar nor a cheat and things like honesty, honor and my good name are very important to me. By the same token, I'd NEVER try to disgrace or sully a man's name if I didn't know with absolute certainty of bad conduct and guilt. GG is a bad player and should be avoided, and indeed shunned, at all costs.

GG wrote something like, "see you on the other side" in his OP above, from a few days ago. I doubt he'll even be in the same room with any of the good folks here, at least not initially, on any other side. If he and I do ever find ourselves in the same room though, in this world, he'll easily recognize me. I'll be the guy strolling up with a big smile and maybe sporting a set of knucks on my right hand.

Cheers,

KG