Beware the instructor - credit card scam

A meeting place for CHL instructors

Moderators: carlson1, Crossfire

Post Reply
User avatar

Topic author
Scott B.
Senior Member
Posts in topic: 1
Posts: 1457
Joined: Tue Aug 05, 2014 11:46 am
Location: Harris County

Beware the instructor - credit card scam

#1

Post by Scott B. »

Recently got a batch of those stupid "I have X disability, or live in X state, need firearms training, do you accept credit cards?" emails.

Most of us know it's bogus, but if you're a new instructor and hadn't run across this yet - here's your sign.

:fire
LTC / SSC Instructor. NRA - Instructor, CRSO, Life Member.
Sig pistol/rifle & Glock armorer | FFL 07/02 SOT
User avatar

Charles L. Cotton
Site Admin
Posts in topic: 1
Posts: 17787
Joined: Wed Dec 22, 2004 9:31 pm
Location: Friendswood, TX
Contact:

Re: Beware the instructor - credit card scam

#2

Post by Charles L. Cotton »

I got the same email.

Chas.
User avatar

The Annoyed Man
Senior Member
Posts in topic: 3
Posts: 26790
Joined: Wed Jan 16, 2008 12:59 pm
Location: North Richland Hills, Texas
Contact:

Re: Beware the instructor - credit card scam

#3

Post by The Annoyed Man »

Scott B. wrote:Recently got a batch of those stupid "I have X disability, or live in X state, need firearms training, do you accept credit cards?" emails.

Most of us know it's bogus, but if you're a new instructor and hadn't run across this yet - here's your sign.

:fire
I used to get those all the time for website design.
“Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men create hard times.”

― G. Michael Hopf, "Those Who Remain"

#TINVOWOOT
User avatar

jmorris
Senior Member
Posts in topic: 2
Posts: 1531
Joined: Sat Mar 08, 2008 4:41 pm
Location: La Vernia
Contact:

Re: Beware the instructor - credit card scam

#4

Post by jmorris »

I think I've gotten four distinct attempts in the last two-three months. I say distinct because twice I got the exact same email more than once at the same day.
Jay E Morris,
Guardian Firearm Training, NRA Pistol, LTC < retired from all
NRA Lifetime, TSRA Lifetime
NRA Recruiter (link)
User avatar

SQLGeek
Senior Member
Posts in topic: 1
Posts: 3269
Joined: Sun Feb 28, 2010 1:48 am
Location: Richmond, TX

Re: Beware the instructor - credit card scam

#5

Post by SQLGeek »

Curious, how does the scam work?
Psalm 91:2
User avatar

jmorris
Senior Member
Posts in topic: 2
Posts: 1531
Joined: Sat Mar 08, 2008 4:41 pm
Location: La Vernia
Contact:

Re: Beware the instructor - credit card scam

#6

Post by jmorris »

Jay E Morris,
Guardian Firearm Training, NRA Pistol, LTC < retired from all
NRA Lifetime, TSRA Lifetime
NRA Recruiter (link)
User avatar

The Annoyed Man
Senior Member
Posts in topic: 3
Posts: 26790
Joined: Wed Jan 16, 2008 12:59 pm
Location: North Richland Hills, Texas
Contact:

Re: Beware the instructor - credit card scam

#7

Post by The Annoyed Man »

SQLGeek wrote:Curious, how does the scam work?
In my case, I was contacted (several times) via email by someone claiming to be handicapped (or in the hospital), so everything would have to be handled by phone; but they wanted to know if I could build a website for them, and if I would take a credit card payment for the work.

It was some years ago, and I hadn’t been in business very long the very first time this happened and hadn’t heard of this scam before - so I was naturally willing to carry the discussion further. So I sent them a reply and said that in principle I was willing, but I needed more details about what kind of site, etc., but said that unless there were special circumstances, they would be looking at rough estimate of $2,500 for the work. The person got back to me and said that they were also employing a copywriter to write the site content. They wanted to know if I would accept a credit card payment of $3,500, and pay the copywriter the $1,000 difference by check, since that person was not set up to accept credit card payments. Ding, ding, ding!! No thank you!!!!! The thing is, I still hadn’t twigged to it being a scam. I just thought that I wan’t going to be responsible for paying a content writer unless that writer was working for me; so I sent a reply saying that the terms were not acceptable and I was turning down the job.

It wasn’t until after it was all over and I was talking about it with my wife that it began to sink in that I’d almost been a victim of a scam. After that one happened, I must have gotten 8 or 10 more contacts like that one over the next couple of years.....a couple of times they came by text message to my cellphone rather than by email. I just trashed the messages/emails and blocked the senders. After a while they stopped.

In my case, it was website design, but the scam would work equally well for anyone providing a consulting type service in which a 3rd party, like the content writer in my case, would be employed.
“Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men create hard times.”

― G. Michael Hopf, "Those Who Remain"

#TINVOWOOT
User avatar

The Annoyed Man
Senior Member
Posts in topic: 3
Posts: 26790
Joined: Wed Jan 16, 2008 12:59 pm
Location: North Richland Hills, Texas
Contact:

Re: Beware the instructor - credit card scam

#8

Post by The Annoyed Man »

I had not gotten one in quite a while, and then I had two in my inbox today:
One of the emails I got:
One of the emails I got:
“Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men create hard times.”

― G. Michael Hopf, "Those Who Remain"

#TINVOWOOT
Post Reply

Return to “Instructors' Corner”