Username: paul.countenay - Classifieds Seller Scam

[xanlith 0]

Oh I think I feel sick now. This looks way too familiar. Money was just picked up this morning so its not a lost cause yet but the London address has me really really worried. I was working on a royal blue and lemon Mirage G4. I'll update with details if the deal goes south but Im crossing my fingers and every other appendage. I even read the scam alert FAQ and asked a bunch of security questions and they all seemed to check out. I've been on the net for probably 15 years now and havent gotten scammed but I guess there always a first time for everything.

Dont get scammed! Avoid Western Union transactions!!

[PhreeZone 20]

If you used Western Union it is a scam almost 100% of the time.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[xanlith 0]

Heh well I think I can skydive off my anxiety level now PhreeZone!

Dont get scammed! Avoid Western Union transactions!!

[xanlith 0]

Confirmed that I got scammed. Here's my final response to him. Dont expect that I'll get a response.

------------------------------------------------------------

Good afternoon Brian,

Well I think by now we both know that you have successfully scammed me. Congratulations. I guess it’s a good lesson to learn early about trusting people in the skydiving community if you are even in the skydiving community. Im not about to rant and rave at you or threaten you with retribution and any of the things your other victims have probably done. For all I know that’s why you do this just as much as the money. If you care to send back my money then I’ll consider this matter done and walk away. If not good luck.

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=2489232

Josh

------------------------------------


No actually I cant find it anywhere. Did it include the tracking #? Can you forward it to me again?

Josh

On Thu, May 22, 2008 at 4:10 PM, Brian Tobin wrote:
Hey Josh,

Didn`t you received my last email ? I sent you the rig this morning and the guy from fedex said that the package should arrive in Raleigh on Wednesday the latest.

Brian
________________________________________
From: jlukes@gmail.com
To: brian-tobin@hotmail.com
Subject: RE: Dropzone.com Classifieds - Response to your Ad
Date: Thu, 22 May 2008 15:48:03 -0400

Good evening Brian,

Just checking in with you to see how things are going. I noticed that you were able to pick up the first payment from Western Union this morning and just wanted to see if you had a general idea of when you'd be shipping the rig out so I can stop camping my email box. 

Thanks for your response!

Josh

From: Brian Tobin [mailto:brian-tobin@hotmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, May 21, 2008 1:12 PM
To: Joshua Lukes
Subject: RE: Dropzone.com Classifieds - Response to your Ad

Ok Josh, I am glad you agree. Here is my adress for the payment:

Brian Tobin
Roupell Road 17
London, SW2 3EL
United Kingdom

As soon as you email me the 10 digit number (MTCN) from western union money transfer for the first 600 GBP I will go to fedex and send the rig to the following adress:

Removed for posting.

Please email me the name and adress that you will use to make the payment too because I will need that.
If you never used western union before you can find one in almost any bank so you won`t have any trouble in finding one. I am waiting for your email with the MTCN and the adress used for the payment. I will email you the tracking number from fedex when I get back from them and I will tell you when will the package arrive in Raleigh, NC. After the rig arrives in Raleigh you will have 2 or 3 days to verify the rig and you will have to send the remaining 600 GBP after that.

Cheers,
Brian

________________________________________
From: jlukes@gmail.com
To: brian-tobin@hotmail.com
Subject: RE: Dropzone.com Classifieds - Response to your Ad
Date: Wed, 21 May 2008 07:32:18 -0400
Thanks for getting back to me Brian. Doing half and half makes me feel a hell of a lot better. Lets exchange addresses and complete this transaction! Its easiest for me if we ship to my office. Heres the address.

Removed for public posting.

Josh

From: Brian Tobin [mailto:brian-tobin@hotmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, May 21, 2008 3:21 AM
To: Joshua Lukes
Subject: RE: Dropzone.com Classifieds - Response to your Ad

Hi Josh,
I took the ad down from dropzone.com because the emails kept comming and at this moment I have 26 clients for only one rig. I attached the pictures and here are the specs again:

Only 120 jumps - almost new - leaving sport and want someone to get a great rig. Everything bought brand new summer 2005. I am 5'11", 185 lbs. G4: rsl stainless, unisyn harness(hip&chest). SabreII 210: lem cells 2&8, the rest is all rbl. PD Reserve 9 cell never used. Cypress never fired - next maint. 10/2008.

Mirage Systems Mirage G4 M5 120 jumps 6/2005
Performance Designs Sabre2 210 ft² 120 jumps 6/2005
Performance Designs PD 9-cell Reserve 190 ft² 0 jumps 4/2005
Airtec GmbH Cypres 2 Expert 0 jumps 4/2005

So let me know as soon as you can if you decide to buy the rig because if you wait too long someone else could buy it. If you feel more confortable you can send me only half of the money first and you will send the remaining 600 GBP after you receive and verify the rig. I think this way it would be fair for both of us.

I am waiting for your email

Cheers,
Brian
________________________________________
From: jlukes@gmail.com
To: brian-tobin@hotmail.com
Subject: RE: Dropzone.com Classifieds - Response to your Ad
Date: Tue, 20 May 2008 18:00:47 -0400
Brian,

My rigger and I were starting to talk about your rig just now and tried to load up the ad on dropzone.com to reference the information there and found that the ad was gone. Did you delist it while I was trying to figure out what to do or is the rig no longer available? Thanks.

Josh

From: Brian Tobin [mailto:brian-tobin@hotmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, May 20, 2008 4:27 PM
To: Joshua Lukes
Subject: RE: Dropzone.com Classifieds - Response to your Ad

Ok Josh, I will wait for your email tomorrow then and I hope we can do business together.

Cheers,
Brian
________________________________________
Date: Tue, 20 May 2008 16:21:32 -0400
From: jlukes@gmail.com
To: brian-tobin@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: Dropzone.com Classifieds - Response to your Ad

Thanks for the info Brian. I understand your reservations about paypal and ebay. If you havent used them before it would take a fair amount of time to get it all setup properly anyway. I have a mail out to the master rigger of my DZ to do a final check that this rig is right for me since Im so new to the sport. As soon as I get his response, I'll contact you and let you know my decision. I expect that will put me back in contact with you tomorrow morning my time. Thanks again for your patience with me.

Josh
On Tue, May 20, 2008 at 11:23 AM, Brian Tobin wrote:
Hi Josh,

Don`t worry about the security questions. I would do the same thing if I would buy something from the Internet. I never used paypal or ebay before so I will stick to the fedex and western union method. Now to answer you questions... My name is Brian Tobin and my home dz is Bay Area Skydiving - Byron. My USPA # is 120516 and I have about 500 jumps made. I am jumping for about 6 years. The rig is all packed so I can`t get to the serial numbers but I had the sn of the cypres written on a piece of paper so here it is 15452.

Now I will wait for your email with your final decision so we can give eachother the adresses for the payment and shipping.

Cheers,
Brian
________________________________________
Date: Tue, 20 May 2008 10:53:24 -0400
From: jlukes@gmail.com

To: brian-tobin@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: Dropzone.com Classifieds - Response to your Ad


Brian,

The rig looks great, thanks for the pictures. Now that I've seen it and done some reading on the Mirage site about the container and its features Im confident that this rig would address my needs for the forseeable future. The only thing left to do is get past the danger of sending money blindly. I dont want to complicate this to the point that its not worth your time to complete the sale with me but I hope you understand my concern with just sending a money order on trust. Is paypal/ebay an option for sending payment? If it was I'd feel much more comfortable completing the sale today since Paypal and Ebay have buyer protection. I'd even be willing to cover the transaction fees for my own peace of mind.

If this isnt an option would you mind answering the following questions?
• What's your USPA (or licensing organization) number?
• How long have you been jumping, how many jumps have you done and what is your home DZ?
• Could you provide the name of your DZO or Instructor, and his/her contact info?
• Do you have the serial numbers for at least the container, the main and the Cypres? I understand the reserve is a pain to get it for.
Again please understand Im just trying to get some basis of trust established here as its a sizeable purchase and I dont want to be the victim of a scam. Thanks for your time!

Josh
On Tue, May 20, 2008 at 8:59 AM, Brian Tobin wrote:
Hello Joshua,
I am 5'11' and 185 lbs so we have the same size. The harness size is C-17 so at 5'11' and 195 lbs this rig would be perfect for you. I attached all the pictures I have with the rig so I hope you will love it. The color of the reserve is white and it is in perfect condition. The lines also are like new without repairs or anything like that. The rig doesn`t has any rips, holes or patches and it is ready for jumping. There isn`t any differences betwen the rigs from the UK and the ones from the US so you don`t have to worry. You must also know that I will pay the shipping taxes and you will pay the taxes from the payment. If you decide to buy the rig I can send it to you through FedEx Second Day Air, UPS Next Day Air, DHL or through the postal service. Through fedex the rig should arrive in 3 working days so I would choose this one if it`s ok with you. Regarding the payment, I want to receive the 1200 pounds using Western Union Money Transfer.

I am waiting for your reply

Cheers,
Brian

> Date: Tue, 20 May 2008 12:07:09 +0000
> From: jlukes@gmail.com
> Subject: Dropzone.com Classifieds - Response to your Ad
> To: brian-tobin@hotmail.com
>
> Hi Brian,
>
> On 20-May-2008 someone submitted their contact information in response to your ad in the Dropzone.com Classifieds. Please reply to this email to contact the person directly.
>
> Username => xanlith
>
> URL => http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/classifieds/detail_page.cgi?ID=63055&d=1
>
> Name => Joshua Lukes
>
> FromEmail => jlukes@gmail.com
>
> City => Raleigh
>
> Country => USA
>
> Comments => Hello Brian,
>
> I just started jumping back in March of 08 and have been keeping an eye on the classifieds here at dropzone.com for a good beginner rig thats fairly new and in good condition. Im still a student but I'd like to be ready to jump on my own conservative gear once I have my license and your rig seems to be setup perfectly for that first step down off the 290's we jump here in Raleigh, NC Im 5' 11' as well and 195 lbs so we're probably pretty similar builds. I should be down to 185 lbs myself by the time I'd be ready to jump this anyway.
>
> A couple questions about the rig. Do you have any pictures of the container? Are there any rips, tears or other damage to the main or container? I assume since you have never ridden the reserve that its in perfect condition? What color is the reserve? Also forgive my ignorance but is there any difference in gear used in the UK that would prevent me from using the same gear here in the US under my A license? Do you know how much it would cost to get your rig through US customs?
>
> Thanks for your patience with me and if you have any additional pictures I would love to see them. You can contact me at jlukes@gmail.com. Cheers!
>
> Joshua Lukes
>
> -----------------
> If you suspect this is a scam:
>
> 1) Visit the Security Forum to see if it has already been reported:
> http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?forum=44
> 2) If not, forward the entire email to abuse@dropzone.com

Dont get scammed! Avoid Western Union transactions!!

[base_nz 0]

Quote

. I am jumping for about 6 years. The rig is all packed so I can`t get to the serial numbers

And the winner is.......... besides the western union this statement would have had the alarm bells ringing!

.....And you thought Kiwis couldn't fly!!!!

[wcbh 0]

I am very sorry to hear that the scum-bag was able to scam you. I reviewed the material that you posted regarding your conversation with the she-male (Brian) and it is the same as what I had for him/her (what do you call a person with both male and female sexual organs?). Not that it helps now, but maybe you and other people can see how I messed with the dumb-ass when he was trying to sell me my own rig (make sure you checkout the photo I sent to him after I was able to get the dumb-ass to make a trip to Western Union).

Save the emails that you received from the little-pecker boy and extract the IP address from the email header. If you need some help doing that, it would be my pleasure to assist.

This Brian freak clearly has very little gray matter, since even slugs can get lucky on rare occasions. Read his emails to me and you will see what I mean about the loser and it might be clear why his mom tried to abort his birth.

Chin up dude and get some air to clear your head. Let me know if you want some help going after the paedo poofter.

Blue skies

[simonw 0]

haha thats an awesome photo..

[Scoop 0]

If the IP address is of UK origin let me know.

Any one that has been scammed put a report in with your local police. I may be able to do something this end if we have luck with a UK IP address.

[xanlith 0]

All of mine came out of an AOL proxy address. Got 3 jumps in today and Im feelin alot better. Not happy about it but a heck of alot better. Amazing how free fall can change your outlook on life.

Dont get scammed! Avoid Western Union transactions!!

[BillyVance 34]

That was fucking awesome! Great job busting his ass. Only wish I could have seen his dumb ass face when he read that.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[wcbh 0]

Thanks dude... Yeah it was actually a blast to fuck with him and I had to get creative regarding all the fake info, so that I could draw him out. The other thing that I was trying to get was his phone number, but most importantly and after a few emails, I was able to determine from his IP addresses where he was. It looks like he is still in the same location, so I'd really like to get his ass kicked (especially after what he just did to rip off the other skydiver).

Let me know if you have some ideas on what we can do to get this guy and I will gladly participate.

C'ya

[mminolli 0]

I just noticed a guy going under the name willy who fits this exact profile. Watch out everyone!

[J.Huff 0]

Ok folks, looks like he's under a few more IDs.
Frederick Anderson (billy21237@yahoo.com) from NY, is what he called himself with his attempt to purchase my rig. He actually sent a "company" check that looked legit. It sayed it was a cert. check form Wells Fargo for 4500. This was 1000 over the amount for the rig. He then pushes to have the remaining 1000 sent to an associate for western union in the UK.
I thankfully was unable to get to western union online until last night, after depositing the check last friday. I found that the funds had been retracked from my account and I'm in the hole for a large sum of money. The A$$hole actually called me (with a blocked id of course) asking where the money was and of course I inquired the same. He immediately started say to check my email, that he couldn't understand me. Of course, I have not heard from him since. I'm on the way to the bank attmpt to get some answers. The had shown that the check had cleared, but then pulled the money. Now I'm out a large sum of money.....but I guess on the bright side, I still have my rig to sell.

This is one of the last emails he sent:

Justin,i tried to call you some couple of hours ago and i just got of the phone trying to reach all to no avail,but i dropped you a voice message,hope you get it. wel l,i just want to know if you got the messages i have been sending you?i was just curious and worried when i didn't hear from you after you sent me a mail that you received the payment that was made out to you by my supervisor,i want you to send the balance through WESTERN UNION,i hope you are conversant with Western Union and you will be charged for sending the money and you can deduct that from the funds that you are sending to the shipping company and once that is done,i need you to mail me the 10 digits control number M..T.C.N(Money Transfer Control Number) on the receipt you got from the Western Union and every other necessary information on the receipt.i hope this is clear?i look forward to hear from you a prompt and positive response and if there is anything you feel you would like me to know,pls don't hesitate to drop me a message.. .once again, here is the shipping comapny payment information below where you will be required to remit the balance:

NAME:Name.... Peter Clayton
ADDRESS:23 Ridge Way Golder's Green London,Uk.

i await your swift response.thank you

God Bless,

Fredrick..


I'm wondering if the police will be able to track this "peter clayton" (if he exists). My reasoning behind this is because in order to receive money through western union, you must fill out a form with all off your info, but you must also provide a valid picture ID.

[Stanley76 0]

paul.countenay has new name Roberto Dancy. I'm sure it is same person. Here is part of our communication:

Stan,
So I understand that I was waiting your email for nothing. Couldn`t you tell me this from the begining ? I waited for your email all day. This is the main reason for not sending the rig first. Because many people change their mind after they say something. I will email you tomorrow night and if I still have the rig we will arrange a meeting in Bologna. But I am pretty sure that one of the other 2 clients I have left will make the payment by then.

Talk to you tomorrow
Roberto

--- On Tue, 1/6/09, Stanislav Jedlicka wrote:

From: Stanislav Jedlicka
Subject: Re: Dropzone.com Classifieds - Response to your Ad
To: robbie.dancy@yahoo.com
Date: Tuesday, January 6, 2009, 10:45 AM


hi Roberto,
I found transction via western union little bit risky, I can be at Bologna tomorow and pay you a cash.
Blue Skies Stan
----- Original Message -----
From: Roberto Dancy
To: sjedlicka@orbisnet.cz
Sent: Tuesday, January 06, 2009 10:55 AM
Subject: Re: Dropzone.com Classifieds - Response to your Ad


Buon giorno Stan,
Great ! So we have a deal. Just to confirm it all you will receive a 2004 Mirage G3/PD Spectre 230/PDR 210/Cypress2 all for 1300 euros.

Here is my name and adress for the payment:

Roberto Dancy
Via Mondo 16, 40127 Bologna, Italy

Now as soon as I receive from you the 10 digit number (MTCN) that western union money transfer gives you after you make the payment I will go to fedex and send the rig to the adress you gave me. I will email you the tracking number from fedex as soon as I get back home.

Ciao fratello and waiting for your email with the mtcn #

Roberto

[PhreeZone 20]

What was the user name of his account?

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[Stanley76 0]

robbiedancy

[j_ung 0]

One of our Classifieds eds saw, too. I actually nuked him yesterday, but I'm sure he squeaked a couple through, before then.

[Renegate 0]

My condolences to all that got scammed. Is it possible to contact WU and get information to the location from which each transfer was withdrawn? On an off chance that it could have been the same office or store. In any case if a setup is made with help of law enforcement WU should be able to mark a transfer and delay the asshole until he can be arrested. Any thoughts?

- It's okay to be happy to see me. Just because you're English doesn't mean you need to hide your emotions.
- I'm Irish. We let people know how we feel. Now fuck off.

[nomal2day 0]

I think this is the same fucker that tried to sell me a great rig at an even greater price

He claimed to be named FABIO MASCHIANI, but the user profile was that of 'skydive1104', which leads to a Mike Hammer of Florida with a D license listed.

When I agreed with the price but insisted that we use rigger escrow, the little shit suddenly went silent. I will ONLY buy with rigger escrow, and I am pleased that I did not send or lose any money to this shit-for-brains. Here is one of his e-mails:

From: Fabio Maschiani [mailto:fabiomaschiani@yahoo.com]
Sent: 08 December, 2008 10:08
To: Pete@
Subject: Mirage G3 for sale



Buon giorno Pete,



I attached all the photos I have with the rig and here are the details:



This is an awesome G3 Mirage skydiving rig sized for 17" MLW 5'10" 190 lbs - will go up or down a few . It has UNYSIN HARNESS - articulated top and bottom, nickel plated steel, Deluxe backpad, articulated chest and leg straps (UNISYN harness), hook knife snap the legstrap, mini-risers with hard inserts. The rig has 112 jumps on it and it is in excellent shape. The PD 160 Reserve and Cypres had never been fired. The PD Reserve has only had 4 repacks and is the most reliable canopy on the market. The system also includes RSL ready, leg strap retainer, loops installed (Freefly bungy). The main caopy is a PD Stiletto 190 and the lines are in perfect condition.



Mirage Systems Mirage G3 M5 112 jumps 8/2003
Performance Designs Stiletto 190 ft² 112 jumps 7/2005
Performance Designs PD Reserve 160 ft² 0 jumps 1/2004
Airtec GmbH Cypres 2 Expert 0 jumps 3/2006





I can make the shipping anywhere you like so it is your decision if it would be Europe or North America. I am using fedex for the shipping and I want to receive the money using western union money transfer. I will pay the fedex taxes and you will pay the taxes from western union. This way it is fair fot both of us. So all you have to spend is the 1400 EUR and the taxes from western union.



Email me if you are interested and I will give you more details then.



Ciao

Fabio Maschiani

'To fly is heaven, to freefall is divine'

'You only need 2 tools. WD40 for when it doesn't move but should, and duct tape for when it moves but shouldn't'

[xanlith 0]

He's back under the name Thomas Askelson userid thommysky. Picture is identical to the one I attached to my post in this thread.

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/classifieds/detail_page.cgi?ID=76113;d=1

Dont get scammed! Avoid Western Union transactions!!

[leylou 0]

I think he tried with me .....

[wngarner 0]

This might sound a bit simplistic but the first rule I ever learned about buying gear (when the ink was still fresh on my A-license) was to never get into a transaction without a rigger. Call any loft - the one at your DZ, or a big loft like Chuting Star - for a small fee (at most) many will be willing to act as an intermediary....you give them the $$, the seller gives them the gear, after a full inspect to insure that everything is as described, money is released to seller and gear released to you....

The moderators here do an AWESOME job working to clear out the scumbags that prey on newer jumpers or those who might believe that they can get "the deal of a lifetime"...but we have to learn to be responsible buyers...I can promise you that I'm not handing over more than $50 to someone with no profile, no loft or dz to verify that this person is on the level, and any doubt whatsoever to whether I'm getting my gear or not...

I've never had a single problem with the large numbers of transactions I've done through DZ.com (knock on wood) and don't see why this can't be true for everyone...

- ever the spazz

Your work is to discover your world, and then with all your heart, give yourself to it...

[flyingcookie69 0]

Well CONGRATS to me!! WHY?!?! Cause I am a FU%&ING RETARD!!!! Just got screwed VERY VERY well by this guy. Just got back from Iraq a few months ago and had some money put back. Sold my rig before I left since it wouldn’t be getting used for awhile. Now that Im back I wanted to get back into the sport. Had the cash, jumped on DZ.com and there it was, the “perfect” rig for a great price. Not quite cheap enough to cause FLAGS popping up but enough to make you wanna jump on it. (Not discussing price as I am to embarrassed) I even requested different pictures which he gladly sent and pics matched description to a “T”.
Well exact same scenario as you guys have posted. I’ve never been burned so I give people the benefit of the doubt. The profile not being filled out didn’t really bother me as I haven’t done mine. The fact it was several months old actually helped ease me mind. “What person opens a profile months ahead of time to set up a scam?” I had the money and was dying to get back into the sport and patience isn’t high on my “greatest attributes list.” I’ve only used DZ.com to buy gear. I never knew this section was on here until now which only adds to the pain of seeing how easily I could have avoided this.
So please avoid the bashing as Im doing a great job of beating myself up. Guess I can do another tour to get the money back. But I feel I need to post this to let everyone know he is still out there. His user name was brianskycorey and the e-mail he used was brianskycorey@hotmail.com. Any computer freaks out there had any luck getting any info? All you peeps that’s been ripped off have any luck? I am coming to terms that I lost the money. I know this is wishful thinking but it seems that since they deal in cash a lot of the time that western union would have surveillance. And it seems you could pinpoint exact time and location from the MCTN that the money was picked up and cross that with surveillance to get a photo id. Seems simple enough. I’ll give them a call although I doubt it leads anywhere. This was all done on 5/11/09 and 5/12/09. Hope someone else reads this first before making the same stupid mistake I did. Guess my entry back into the sport will be delayed for a bit longer now. Live and learn I guess.

[dmeeker 0]

Looks like at the same time he was scaming you he made another account under btjumper. He made a posting a few days ago and it was pretty much the same story, except instead of the UK he was from Italy. Right after I emailed him he removed his post and emailed me back saying his name was Brian Tobin (email was btjumper@hotmail.com). I've attached the extra pictures he sent me too. Does anyone know who this real person is? Luckily I read this thread before talking to him again so I'm not going to fall for his stupid game.

I don't know how to get an IP address or any other information to get to this guy but just wanted to put it out there... don't do any transactions with Brian Tobin!

[Coyote41 0]

I just wanted to thank everyone. It looks like he is back at it again. The add was there Monday and disappeared by Monday night. The gear was incredible and the price was too good to be true. I just got an e-mail from him. He is using the name bheap. And signed the e-mail Brian.

Same story. Had to go to London/UK. Send money Western Union and I'll send the rig FedX.

You all just saved me $1900.00.