Looking for help!

[DGADA]

Hi, I am a Michigan resident, gun enthusiast looking for help. I am from Howell, Michigan, and am a college math instructor, belong to a local gun club in Howell, long time NRA member, RSO, etc.
I recently purchased a handgun from a individual in the Arlington, TX area who claimed to be a former MI resident. He took the gun to a local FFL (Ultimate Gun Sales located at 2303 Yale Drive, Arlington) to be shipped on Thursday. I made a direct payment to this FFL upon receiving an invoice from them. The FFL sent me a shipment tracking Saturday saying it was on its way to my local FFL in Michigan. The tracking info never updated over the weekend and so I got worried and finally got a hold of them today after numerous texts, emails and phone calls. They now want another $500 from me claiming its for insurance. I have tried contacting the supreme flyers company which is the shipping company according to the FFL. They have not responded to any of my messages either. Seems like a big scam overall to me and looks like I fell victim to trusting a fellow gun owner on a forum and trying to help. At this point, I am most likely out the money but figured I at least reach out in the Arlington area via this forum and see if someone knows this FFL or the shipping company or knows the person (Elton Arrey Richard) that received the money for the FFL and can help.
ATF here in Michigan directed me to ATF in Dallas who took all the info but they are not sure if they can help at this point. They said they would reach out to me as soon as they have it figured out. If someone on this forum can be of help and would like to talk to me over the phone directly, I'll gladly provide my phone number. I have all the email and text correspondence saved between the FFL and myself. Thanks in advance.

 

[ZX9RCAM]

Sorry to hear of your problem, I can't offer any assistance, but hope someone can.

 

[Cvhjr]

Does your FFL show ‘Ultimate Gun Sales ‘as a legit FFL? ATF say they are legit ?


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[Cvhjr]

I️ just looked at Goggle maps photo at 2303 Yale Dr in Arlington and it appears to me to be residence. Shows a welding establishment may be listed there. Supreme Flyers seem to be from Laurel MD. I️ would contact the County Attorney in Tarrant County TX - Ft Worth and discuss it with them.


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[txinvestigator]

Are you calling this number, 1 (817) 405-7619?

Is it Ultimate Gun Sales asking for more money?

Have you contacted the seller of the gun?

 

[Dawico]

How much does the gun cost that insurance is $500?

 

[DGADA]

Does your FFL show ‘Ultimate Gun Sales ‘as a legit FFL? ATF say they are legit ?


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My FFL being the receiving FFL didn't have to verify before receiving the gun and paperwork. Its typically only the FFL that's shipping wants to verify the receiver's FFL paperwork prior to sending it out.
ATF couldn't pull up the FFL license number using that name, but they tried that address and another gun business showed up at that address.

 

[DGADA]

I️ just looked at Goggle maps photo at 2303 Yale Dr in Arlington and it appears to me to be residence. Shows a welding establishment may be listed there. Supreme Flyers seem to be from Laurel MD. I️ would contact the County Attorney in Tarrant County TX - Ft Worth and discuss it with them.


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ATF tried that address and another gun business showed up at that address. The agent said they may visit it tomorrow to check it out. I am very surprised that Supreme Flyers never called me back just like the Ultimate Gun Sales number always goes to voicemail. ATF also thinks that www.ultimategunsales.com is a scam store front stealing someone else's FFL identity.

 

[DGADA]

How much does the gun cost that insurance is $500?

Surprisingly the gun only costs $350 which is why that's a huge red flag.

 

[DGADA]

Are you calling this number, 1 (817) 405-7619?

Is it Ultimate Gun Sales asking for more money?

Have you contacted the seller of the gun?

That's exactly the number that I have had phone and text correspondence with. And it is them asking more money. The seller has pretty much disappeared since they received the gun. However my feeling is that there was no real seller, its all a scam together on ultimate gun sales front.

 

[easy rider]

First of all, I am sorry you fell into what seems to me a scam, but after checking out their site it screams to me of "there is something wrong here". Descriptions of firearms for sale there seem as if it was made by someone that knows very little about guns and I have never seen a legitimate firearms sales site mix so many airsoft guns and a scattering of actual firearms.

I'm sure it sucks and I hope your alert to authorities pans out, but I believe you may have to kiss whatever you spent goodbye and mark it down as a lesson learned.

 

[DGADA]

First of all, I am sorry you fell into what seems to me a scam, but after checking out their site it screams to me of "there is something wrong here". Descriptions of firearms for sale there seem as if it was made by someone that knows very little about guns and I have never seen a legitimate firearms sales site mix so many airsoft guns and a scattering of actual firearms.

I'm sure it sucks and I hope your alert to authorities pans out, but I believe you may have to kiss whatever you spent goodbye and mark it down as a lesson learned.

I totally agree with you about their website. I put too much blind trust in that seller. It wasn’t even that I was getting a great deal on the handgun. I fell for his story of needing help selling the gun to raise money for his surgery. He had this story on my local gun forum and I figured since I was in the market for the same gun, I might as well help someone in need.
I have definitely lost that $365 but I figured I might as well raise awareness about this scam and hopefully the authorities can shut this scam down. The more I have talked to couple ATF agents, the more it seems like the seller, FFL website and the shipper are all one entity. Lesson learnt nevertheless...

 

[Bozz10mm]

How did you pay for the firearm? Cash, check, money order, or credit card? If you used a credit card, you may have some recourse.

 

[Charlie]

Nail the crooks to the wall if at all possible! Good luck!

 

[DGADA]

How did you pay for the firearm? Cash, check, money order, or credit card? If you used a credit card, you may have some recourse.

Paid via MoneyGram so I have the identity of the person who claimed it since they would have had to show a valid ID to pickup the money.

 

[TheDan]

Paid via MoneyGram so I have the identity of the person who claimed it since they would have had to show a valid ID to pickup the money.

Well that's a silver lining I guess. You give all that info to Arlington PD?

 

[DGADA]

So far I have the info given to Dallas ATF and also to the cyber crimes division.
I haven’t contacted Arlington PD.

 

[ZX9RCAM]

Please keep us updated on this.

 

[phaux]

I may be able to shed some light on this issue, I am the owner of the listed address, I used to do welding, and I do have an FFL, but, I am in NO way associated with Ultimate Gun Sales. Several weeks ago the ATF contacted me asking if I owned the website as they received a call from an individual saying the owner of the website was trying to get credit card info from them. I looked at the web site and much to my amazement they had my address listed. From what can be gathered, someone somehow got a hold of my license, or at least found that the address matched an ffl, and then setup a website under it.

A facebook search of the name brings up a page, that looks like it's been taken over and used to spam the fake business. Do NOT send this person another penny and if you see them trying to sell, I would let an admin know to flag the post. A search under the number listed on the site, 817-405-7619, shows that a person is trying to sell a Ruger out of CA under the same Ft Worth number. If the OP needs to contact me for any reason or I can be of help, feel free to message me.

 

[ZX9RCAM]

Welcome to the Forum!