Folks Of Interest Watch Out!!! Scam Artist Joseph A Cates

Well, after many years of sucessful transactions, I have finally be taken.

Posted an ad in classifieds and a guy called me about some doors and pieces he had from a cabriolet that was parted out. His dad passed and he was cleaning out his fathers junk. His buddy called him and told him that I posted an ad on the H.A.M.B. and I was looking for the parts he had.

Told a really convincing story and he knew cars like the back of his hand. I believed that he was computer illiterate like he said and due to his age believed him.
Sent him some cash to ship me the pieces via greyhound.
He picked it up and then turned off his phone.
Called several times and left messages and now it rings and he forwards the calls to voicemail.
No return calls or anything.
He gave me his cell and local number.
Local number was a older lady who didn't know who I was talking about.

Lesson learned. No parts and out $700.

Guys name is Joseph A Cates.
He said he was from the Bay Area and was cleaning his fathers property in Reno, NV.

His number is (510) 513-3719
Reno number he used was (775) 348-0653

Googled his name and found nothing.
So now his name is out there for people to see.
Good luck.

 

It is always amazing the effort that some people will go to to scam other people. They must really enjoy it because it seems like it would be easier just to earn an honest living. By what means did you send money to this scumbag?


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The last time something similar happened to me, I fumed for four days then found out the seller had a serious emergency and had been in the hospital for 4 days

 

Been there, it sucks.

I have no idea who he is, but i am pretty good at googling. http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/rgj/obituary.aspx?pid=128532787 Possibly his father? Says has a son named Joey. If so there are a few relatives/names maybe you could track down.

mother? facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adrienne.zweifel2
aunt? facebook: https://www.facebook.com/waltherca
brother? facebook: https://www.facebook.com/josh.cates.9889

 

Googled the phone number
A Faria (age hidden years), Lives in 1644 Russ Ave, 94578 CA. Which is San Leandro

 

inliner2318, sorry about your troubles. I will call this clown and let him have a piece of my mind, I don't know you but I don't mind sticking up for a HAMB bud. This is what an a%$#$@ hole some people can be. I GOT THIS. I liked your post so don't take that as a real like. This is wrong.

 

when buying items on the internet from private parties always use a postal money order if they do not like paypal. if they scam you on a postal money order it is handle by the USPS "cops".

 

Surely someone on here call call him and arrange to pick up parts from him and show up with a hammer


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looks like a 4 hour drive for you. Bakersfield to San Leandro... assuming that's the right guy.

 

How/where did you send the money?

 

Why doesn't he get a job? Hear that all the time. But the thing is, ripping people off IS his job. He gets up like most folks and goes to work. But unlike the average citizen, his "job" is stealing. The hours are good and he can work from home. Can't beat it. If he reels in two or three people a day, he's doing great.

 

The guy had no PayPal and he was only going to be at his fathers house for a couple more days. He said that he scrapped a ton of car parts because he had no idea what they fit and he didn't want to deal with individuals piecing things out. So the piles of gold out side were bought as scrap and the stuff inside the buildings were sold individually.

Seeing this many times before, I trusted that I could send him cash Walmart to Walmart. Done it several time before, and I guess it bit me this time. I could have driven there but I been working just about everyday 13 hours in the patch.

Btw: He was an older guy (late 50s or 60s).

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WALMART

 

Yeah. Saw that too but it's from 2009.

Could be the same? The stories don't match. I may start hunting a bit more. Maybe wasted time.


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sad to hear...got your PM....about all I got might be hinges - door side...

 

Had the same thing same story different car happen the other day. Said he worked for Union Pacific and the cellphone is their company issued cell number and they pay the bill. I'm sure they might want to know someone is dragging their name into all this. I will probably go to the State Police and report it. Not that they can do anything but at least they are aware and if they ever catch him it's one more reason to charge him with fraud. Really wanted to believe the story and nothing like this was out on the internet that I could find 5 days ago so I went with it. Guess I won't be getting my parts at the Greyhound station next week.

 

Walmart will have photo and identification of this guy when he picked up the wire transfer. They will know who he is.

 

can't you go to any WalMart in the US and pick it up?

 

Walmart will not provide you any information. Additionally, the id could be fake. They just check the id and make sure the name matches.


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Wow, you sent cash to a total stranger. And now you are complaining?

 

and if he gets caught we all pay for his retirement.....

 

I'm sorry, that's a big chunk of money to be out. Thieves and scammers make it tough on everybody else, there seems to be way too much of both. I've had enough stuff stolen off of me that I could probably retire comfortably. Things just seem to walk off all the time.

I believe there's a special place in hell for those types. That's all I can seem to do since the law can't do much either. The sheriff keeps catching me and my brother at our place so he is watching the place. And the law frowns on shooting them and hanging them on the fence as a warning for the next guy.

 

It seems almost every time I post a wanted ad in the classifieds I get a e-mail from someone that is not a hamber and has the part in need at a bargain price but they don't have a paypal account and want money orders.

Sometimes we want the part so bad we don't dig deep enough,it's a shame but scammers watch the hamb like a hawk and it's easy to let your guard down.

I have always been a trusting guy but seeing the deals that have went bad I decided I won't buy anything from someone that has not been a hamber member for at least a year and participate on the main board and not just joined for the benefit of the classifieds,I'm sure it's not a fool proof system but it's worked for me so far.

Case in point,I had a wanted ad looking for a pair of '32 Ford hood sides (25 louver) I had my e-mail in the classifieds and within a couple of hours I got a response guy that seemed knowledgeable & he had a pair with original black paint and wanted half the going price.

The story was they belonged to his father who had recently passed away,I sent him a e-mail asking where he lived and he replied he lives in Washington,State,I fired back that's great I'm flying out to visit relatives and I will bring cash and and pick them up while I'm there......I never got a reply. HRP

 

That's a great way to test them. Another would be to tell them you have a friend who will come to look at them. Weeds them out in a hurry.

 

Walmart will comply with the police, you file a complaint and Walmart will provide the police with time stamped photography suitable for use in court along with the guys identification, theres lots of legal stuff that will motovate them to assist with an investigation.

 

That ass hole is probably reading this and laughing his ass off. Best to just forget about it because he sounds like a Professional and does this all day.
.

 

Yeah and to boot, he's probably like a lot of thieves/drug dealers, also collecting a "regular monthly check" from us tax payers via unemployment, SS disability, welfare, food stamps, and any other public assistance he can get his hooks into. Makes more $ than us and pays no taxes.

Scammers exist for several reasons; Mainly because there's a constant supply of 'victims'. People that fall for the scams day in and day out. If nobody ever fell for these scams, the scammers would dry up.
It's easy money with zero overhead. Only their time invested. Hard to catch them.


To the O/P; Walmart, Western Union money transfers are HUGE red flags, especially coming from a reply to a want ad and someone unknown. You could have asked if it was ok to send a local friend by to inspect/pick up the parts. Then post on the HAMB looking for someone local to fly by and verify the parts. You could then even transfer $ to the HAMBer for payment/pickup.

Probably not his real name or # in the caller I.D. or his voice on the call.
You realize there are apps (such as ispoofem) that allow a caller to change their caller I.D. and change their voice on the call? The "old guy" you spoke with could have been a 15 year old Girl calling from anywhere.

 

it would be interesting to read all the stories of people getting ripped off here in the want ads. I bet not one of them paid with paypal or a postal money order.

 

No sir. Not complaining. I just don't want anyone else to believe his lies or buy anything from this guy.

Done this many times before because many people with these special kind of parts are old school and still use landlines, checks and postage.

Nothing against these methods, but crooks are crooks and their names should be known to all.

Like I said before, first time I've been bitten in over 20 years and I consider my self very fortunate. So, no complaints here.


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