How to protect against Reloading scams

Blkrflguy

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2020
Messages
100
Location
Southwest Wy
I've read several posts across the internet and social media the last couple of years from folks getting scammed and ripped off while purchasing reloading supplies. Several still are. I haven't posted in a long time so, I'd like to share with you how I've protected myself all this time and haven't given a dollar to the low life's. Here's how to keep your money safe when buying supplies/ equip. I should have written this a long time ago, but late is better than never. There are still people getting ripped off even while supplies are finally starting to come back a little.

The first couple are obvious.
#1, buy from reputable sources that you've done business with in the past and had good service with.
#2, Copy and past their name into your browser and type "reviews" behind it. See what the internet is saying about the business.
#3, This is one of my favorites to do and has yielded the best results. Look on their website and copy their address if they have one (they should). Then go to google maps. Paste their address into the search bar and then look at the place from the street view. Many times I've found that the name of the business in the street view is completely different from the reloading business. I've even had some send me to an apartment complex! There's your sign as the comedian Bill Engvall says.
#4, If they don't have an address and are using a PO box, there's another sign!
#5, Call the number on the website and ask to speak to customer service. This can tell you a lot right off the bat. If they don't have a customer service, ask them what their FFL # is and what they charge for transfers. If they don't sell guns, ask them which is better, for deer, a 22 LR of a 30-06. The point of that should be obvious.
#5, Never... and I mean NEVER use Paypal, Zelle, or any online payment source to send money. If it's a legitimate business with a storefront they'll accept a credit card like any other business.
#6, If their website looks suspicious, like prices aren't in line with what's going on today. Like if they're selling an 8lb tub of Varget for $198 or $220, there's your sign! That's a steal alright. If there aren't any reviews on any of the products or if their pics aren't actual links to that particular product, that's usually a sign of a scammer, as they can be lazy and not put in the work to make a nice website. Remember, criminals are usually lazy.

No deal is great if you're not going to get what you're paying for. People need to take the time and pull back a moment and think. Don't get so eager to buy something because you think it's the last pound of your favorite powder or box of primers. The reason so many of these scamming websites are still on line is because they're still taking payments from people who don't, or won't, do their homework.

Don't be a victim. Use the tips above. I hope these tips help you keep your money out of the hands of the lazy thieves that are too lazy to get a real job.
 
Yes, unconventional pay methods are the biggest tip off. PayPal and Venmo don't allow firearms or ammo sales so you can't recover your funds. I use ammoseek and shooting bot search engines which allow you to save your searches and enable text alerts. They find the lowest price and if you are ready to buy when you receive the alert, you can jump on it before they are all sold out again. I also have a discord account that sends me alerts and it's usually quicker than the search engines. lastly, all 3 will filter out the scammers for you and find the lowest prices to boot.
 
Thank you for posting this.
We continue to have problems as we all need components and scammers are out there.Last night I went looking for 45-70 brass and found a website that had said they had it in stock.I ran it through this site https://www.scam-detector.com/
Copy and paste that to your computer so you can check all sites you visit.
I visited motorcitygunshop.com and scam detector said it was a scam site.
All beware,They are hunting us!
 
Yes, unconventional pay methods are the biggest tip off. PayPal and Venmo don't allow firearms or ammo sales so you can't recover your funds. I use ammoseek and shooting bot search engines which allow you to save your searches and enable text alerts. They find the lowest price and if you are ready to buy when you receive the alert, you can jump on it before they are all sold out again. I also have a discord account that sends me alerts and it's usually quicker than the search engines. lastly, all 3 will filter out the scammers for you and find the lowest prices to boot.
I've known about ammo seek for a few years, however, I've also looked at a few of their links and there are still scammers in there. One place I've looked at has a name of something like... Republic or something. They have all the signs of being a rip off.
 
I've known about ammo seek for a few years, however, I've also looked at a few of their links and there are still scammers in there. One place I've looked at has a name of something like... Republic or something. They have all the signs of being a rip off.
Check ammo seek again. They have a review system in place and vendors are vetted. If they allowed scammers in their business would be ruined.

here is the review for republic ammo.
 

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I find that spotting these scam site is easy. There is no place in the US, Canada, Great Britain, etc that has everything and in any quantity, except these scam sites. Put 400 lbs of H 1000 and 25K primers in your cart and if it takes it .... run. JWID
 
I wanted to add, I've seen some *VERY* well done, slick, and legitimate looking websites with reviews of firearms, tech section, emplyoee meet n greet section, etc. Of course most, if not all of this content is stolen but the scam web designers are very very good. So good in fact, that reverse image searches and through searches for stolen literature and image content comes up empty.

I'm starting to see some sites that are so well done that they might be Americans in America. Some stuff in stock, some stuff out of stock, well written customer reviews, prices in line with norms, and storefronts on google maps that are warehouses and could be a real online business.

Then you get to the end where you pay and it's venmo!

Such time wasted weeding through all the scam websites!

Here's what really chaps my ***.

Not only are a bunch of the top search results scams, some of them have been up for many months, if not over a year! So it makes me wonder:

1) why isnt law enfocement doing anything about this? Why are they still up? Surely *surely?* they get reported. Seems like low hanging fruit for a law dog who wants an easy check mark on his resume. It's right there out in the open!

2) if law enforcement ISN'T doing anything about it, what does that say about the motivation for not doing so? So then the next logical question is:

3) the websites are SO well done that it makes me wonder if •just maybe• it is the same group who are pushing for the censoring of certain information on twitter (wink wink) in order to sow chaos within the gun community (and slow sales by instilling fear of getting taken). And also to track who is trying to buy what. All they need is your ip address and to see what you put in the cart.

They have already proven they'll do anything for the cause.
 
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I find that spotting these scam site is easy. There is no place in the US, Canada, Great Britain, etc that has everything and in any quantity, except these scam sites. Put 400 lbs of H 1000 and 25K primers in your cart and if it takes it .... run. JWID
For a lot of us they are. But there are guys out here who may not be.
 
I wanted to add, I've seen some *VERY* well done, slick, and legitimate looking websites with reviews of firearms, tech section, emplyoee meet n greet section, etc. Of course most, if not all of this content is stolen but the scam web designers are very very good. So good in fact, that reverse image searches and through searches for stolen literature and image content comes up empty.

I'm starting to see some sites that are so well done that they might be Americans in America. Some stuff in stock, some stuff out of stock, well written customer reviews, prices in line with norms, and storefronts on google maps that are warehouses and could be a real online business.

Then you get to the end where you pay and it's venmo!

Such time wasted weeding through all the scam websites!

Here's what really chaps my ***.

Not only are a bunch of the top search results scams, some of them have been up for many months, if not over a year! So it makes me wonder:

1) why isnt law enfocement doing anything about this? Why are they still up? Surely *surely?* they get reported. Seems like low hanging fruit for a law dog who wants an easy check mark on his resume. It's right there out in the open!

2) if law enforcement ISN'T doing anything about it, what does that say about the motivation for not doing so? So then the next logical question is:

3) the websites are SO well done that it makes me wonder if •just maybe• it is the same group who are pushing for the censoring of certain information on twitter (wink wink) in order to sow chaos within the gun community (and slow sales by instilling fear of getting taken). And also to track who is trying to buy what. All they need is your ip address and to see what you put in the cart.

They have already proven they'll do anything for the cause.
Some of the sites you've seen may in fact have been created in America by Americans. It's too bad the internet can't be policed more, but they just don't have the resources and man power. The internet crimes they're fighting is child pornography and sex trafficking. Not to mention the on line threats and bullying on fb. A crime of stealing someones $300 for a tub of powder is not even on the sheet.
 
I wanted to add, I've seen some *VERY* well done, slick, and legitimate looking websites with reviews of firearms, tech section, emplyoee meet n greet section, etc. Of course most, if not all of this content is stolen but the scam web designers are very very good. So good in fact, that reverse image searches and through searches for stolen literature and image content comes up empty.

I'm starting to see some sites that are so well done that they might be Americans in America. Some stuff in stock, some stuff out of stock, well written customer reviews, prices in line with norms, and storefronts on google maps that are warehouses and could be a real online business.

Then you get to the end where you pay and it's venmo!

Such time wasted weeding through all the scam websites!

Here's what really chaps my ***.

Not only are a bunch of the top search results scams, some of them have been up for many months, if not over a year! So it makes me wonder:

1) why isnt law enfocement doing anything about this? Why are they still up? Surely *surely?* they get reported. Seems like low hanging fruit for a law dog who wants an easy check mark on his resume. It's right there out in the open!

2) if law enforcement ISN'T doing anything about it, what does that say about the motivation for not doing so? So then the next logical question is:

3) the websites are SO well done that it makes me wonder if •just maybe• it is the same group who are pushing for the censoring of certain information on twitter (wink wink) in order to sow chaos within the gun community (and slow sales by instilling fear of getting taken). And also to track who is trying to buy what. All they need is your ip address and to see what you put in the cart.

They have already proven they'll do anything for the cause.
Also, we know the country has become anti police and defunding them for the last few years. So one way the departments get money is through drug enforcement seizures. When they find money and prosecute through drug task forces, they can use that money for purchases for the dept. So their efforts are absolutely focused more on those crimes than websites which garner them $.02. And that's if they even find the people behind the fake sites, with the fake ID's.
 
it's not hard. pay by credit card or paypal ( no f&f) and you lose 99% of scammers.

people want to save 3% by paying f&f— we actually are fraud in the service ourselves
 
Check ammo seek again. They have a review system in place and vendors are vetted. If they allowed scammers in their business would be ruined.

here is the review for republic ammo.
Reviews are constantly manipulated by vendors and sites. I have been offered refunds and free replacement many times if I will change my review. Nope negative ghost rider the pattern is full deal with some true reviews!
 
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