After looking at the eBay page, I'm almost certain the scam artist has hijacked a valid identity through a 'phishing' scam - you know, the real looking emails supposedly from eBay asking you to verify your user id and password. Who knows how many other people worked a deal outside of eBay on this item?
The first thing I did was a search on Google Images (images.google.com) for the terms 'psycho-phone' and 'psychophone'. I was able to find the exact same photos on a web site dealing with the paranormal and Dave G's page (note to Dave G - did the paranormal site lift your photos and most of the text too?). I've got to hand it to the scammer, he even went so far as to change the file names on the photos. Generally, it's pretty tough to protect your photos once they're published to the web. There's a local merchant who displays his custom, one-of-a-kind motorcycle in his store window. He's found it for sale on eBay several times now. See http://www.mailtribune.com/archive/2003/1224/local/stories/01local.htm And please, please, PLEASE - don't respond to emails requesting account information. See http://www.mailtribune.com/archive/2004/0403/biz/stories/01biz.htm Loran On Apr 6, 2004, at 10:52 AM, [email protected] wrote: > And speaking of ebay------ Here's one for the record books (pun > intended....) > > Some crook stole images of David Giovannoni's cylinder Psychophone > from his > Web site. (You can see this machine in our book Discovering Antique > Phonographs). He then put it up on ebay with a "Buy It Now" price of > $2800. (Dave G. is > asking $4995.). He snagged Jean-Paul Agnard from Canada, who e-mailed > the guy > and the guy agreed to sell it outright for $2000. HOWEVER, it seems the > "seller" couldn't send additional pictures because "it was already > packed." And he > HAD to have the money WIRED to him through Western Union. J-P started > to > wonder..... He called me, not remembering that George and I had > pictured a Cylinder > Psychophone in Discovering --- and LO AND BEHOLD, as my mother used to > say, > when we compared the two --- the same machine. Going to Dave G.'s site > revealed > the pics were cadged entirely from there. Ok, you say, ho hum, YAWN, > so what's > new--- ebay is full of similar crooks..... BUT I must admit this crook > was > resourceful. He told J-P that he saw the UPS man across the street, > and came back > online with a TRACKING # and other documentation showing he had sent > J-P a 56 > lb. parcel. Now, he said, I went so far as to send you the thing > without > getting the money, so wire the money immediately. This leaves you > wondering --- > DID he actually send a box to J-P? (The > bricks-instead-of-a-VCR-NY-City-streetcorner-scam?) OR can this > lowlife manipulate the system to produce phony UPS #s, > or at least UPS #s that aren't really attached to a parcel?? > > Anyway----- if it's still there, the ebay page was > > http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2236676025&; > category=1442#ebayphotohosting > > LASTLY---- does anyone have a Victor I (One) back-bracket for sale? I > don't > need the tone arm or any other parts (except possibly the horn elbow > yoke). > Best to all, > > Tim Fabrizio > phonophan > PO Box 10307 > Rochester, NY 14610 > 585 244 5546 > FAX 585 244 7601 > Visit my Web site -- http://www.phonophan.com
