Tacoma Parts IG Scam Warning!!

Silver-Taco1 · Mar 6, 2023

I would push your financial institution to file all these money transfers as fraudulent or unauthorized charges. Believe me, your bank can afford it.

Mbtstaco · Mar 6, 2023

I miss the old Nigerian Prince being held hostage by Russian cosmonaut scam.

PacoDevo · Mar 6, 2023

Hey, my "son" was in a car wreck recently near Cleveland when he called me for help - got arrested. I kept pressing for personal info as he DID sound alot like my son!!! Never had good answers to any of my questions - always vague.....why aren't you working in Youngstown instead of being in Cleveland?? answer: dad I need help. Why are you in Cleveland instead of work: at a funeral. Who's funeral: dad I got arrested. OK, where are you at? What police station, I will come get you? Answer - DEAD AIR/SILENCE, he hung up after he finally realized I wasn't going to send him any $$$$.

As I said, he DID sound like my son, but I didn't "just fall off the turnip truck" (that is for you older folks!!).

Chew · Mar 6, 2023

I am at the point, I just buy brick n motor, or pay a little more and go through known retailers. I don't buy shit off social media,,, after all,, they're bad at that part too.

Lunartic · Mar 6, 2023

I

Chew said: ↑

I am at the point, I just buy brick n motor, or pay a little more and go through know retailers. I don't buy shit off social media,,, after all,, they're bad at that part too.
Click to expand...

I will be too from here on out

ScrippsRanch67 · Mar 6, 2023

Lunartic[OP] initial post: ↑

Let me preface this by saying....I know. I know it was "too good to be true". I know I got scammed. I've accepted my monetary loss. This post is to share my experience so you don't have to experience the same.

I've followed this IG for a while called Johnson-Rey.tacos. Looks like he'd buy up salvaged Tacomas then parts them out. He posted a TRD Skid Plate and I DM'd him. We agreed on $250 shipped. I told him he wasn't going to get his full amount until I had tracking information. The next day he notified me it was being shipped and included the website and tracking number. Website was Trust Mail Express in which they claim to use DHL, UPS, FedEx etc to ship their items. Entered the tracking info and everything seemed legit so I paid him the remaining balance.
The following day I received an email from Trust Mail Express saying I owed them a refundable $150 for insurance purposes. Until then my shipment is on hold. I contacted the seller and he told me to pay it. We got into a heated exchange because I "paid" shipping already and it was on him. This should have been a red flag but I was naive. Mad as shit and still hoping it was legit and refundable I paid the $150 via cash app. (another red flag). The status immediately updated and shipment was released. Yesterday I get another email saying I owe another $255 for a "city permit fee" for delivery (refundable of course) (red flag #3). I refused to pay and they said it won't be delivered. I contacted seller and called his BS. He said he'd call them. Meanwhile I engaged Trust Mail Express in a long email exchange and asked for my $150, return part to sender. They literally said..."if we don't receive the $255 in 3 days we will dump it into the sea" So total, I'm out $400. I called my bank. Froze my debit card, and reported the shipping company to the Federal Trade Commission. I've also reported the cash app transfer as a scam hoping to recover at least $150 of my $400.
Now this person has shut down their IG and operating under a new page as toyota4runner_tacoma_parts.

Reminder...yes...I know...I'm an idiot.
Click to expand...

Take him to Judge Judy! Unfortunately, there are lots of dirt bags out there that don't seem to lose any sleep at night for ripping people off.

Chew · Mar 6, 2023

Lunartic[OP] said: ↑

I

I will be too from here on out
Click to expand...

smart, sorry you got burned though!
I have this buddy that always wants to find something cheaper, just to show me I could have paid a nickel less on a site he sent me a link to. I finally told him, I am not buying from no-name vendors,,,, he got taken a couple months later unfortunately.

2Shoes · Mar 6, 2023

I want to say something to console you, or to say, damn that's a good scam, we all need to keep an eye out for this, but no part of that seemed legit. None of the companies involved, then adding in the Cash App part. You just got took, and I don't really feel bad for you. I'm sorry, but that's just how it is out there.

DBF · Mar 6, 2023

He must have had that new page that you mentioned for a while. It's got 17,000 followers.

Phlogiston · Mar 6, 2023

Lunartic[OP] initial post: ↑

Let me preface this by saying....I know. I know it was "too good to be true". I know I got scammed. I've accepted my monetary loss. This post is to share my experience so you don't have to experience the same.

I've followed this IG for a while called Johnson-Rey.tacos. Looks like he'd buy up salvaged Tacomas then parts them out. He posted a TRD Skid Plate and I DM'd him. We agreed on $250 shipped. I told him he wasn't going to get his full amount until I had tracking information. The next day he notified me it was being shipped and included the website and tracking number. Website was Trust Mail Express in which they claim to use DHL, UPS, FedEx etc to ship their items. Entered the tracking info and everything seemed legit so I paid him the remaining balance.
The following day I received an email from Trust Mail Express saying I owed them a refundable $150 for insurance purposes. Until then my shipment is on hold. I contacted the seller and he told me to pay it. We got into a heated exchange because I "paid" shipping already and it was on him. This should have been a red flag but I was naive. Mad as shit and still hoping it was legit and refundable I paid the $150 via cash app. (another red flag). The status immediately updated and shipment was released. Yesterday I get another email saying I owe another $255 for a "city permit fee" for delivery (refundable of course) (red flag #3). I refused to pay and they said it won't be delivered. I contacted seller and called his BS. He said he'd call them. Meanwhile I engaged Trust Mail Express in a long email exchange and asked for my $150, return part to sender. They literally said..."if we don't receive the $255 in 3 days we will dump it into the sea" So total, I'm out $400. I called my bank. Froze my debit card, and reported the shipping company to the Federal Trade Commission. I've also reported the cash app transfer as a scam hoping to recover at least $150 of my $400.
Now this person has shut down their IG and operating under a new page as toyota4runner_tacoma_parts.

Reminder...yes...I know...I'm an idiot.
Click to expand...

God that fucking sucks!
I'm so reluctant to buy anything online because some of these scams can harder to spot and you have to spend time doing some digging to verify them.
Best of luck getting your $$ back.

J Williams · Mar 6, 2023

Chew said: ↑

I am at the point, I just buy brick n motor, or pay a little more and go through known retailers. I don't buy shit off social media,,, after all,, they're bad at that part too.
Click to expand...

Amen, Brother!

Captqc · Mar 6, 2023

Sucks getting ripped off, I got screwed on a deal where the seller would only accept pay pal friends and family payments (Red flag and I should have backed off). Karma is a bitch and I hope guys like this get an extra portion of it!

Dkurtz42 · Mar 6, 2023

Use a credit card for purchases. You’re not out any actual money and the CC company almost ALWAYS refunds fraud.

Tacos4Runnin · Mar 6, 2023

Lunartic[OP] initial post: ↑

Let me preface this by saying....I know. I know it was "too good to be true". I know I got scammed. I've accepted my monetary loss. This post is to share my experience so you don't have to experience the same.

I've followed this IG for a while called Johnson-Rey.tacos. Looks like he'd buy up salvaged Tacomas then parts them out. He posted a TRD Skid Plate and I DM'd him. We agreed on $250 shipped. I told him he wasn't going to get his full amount until I had tracking information. The next day he notified me it was being shipped and included the website and tracking number. Website was Trust Mail Express in which they claim to use DHL, UPS, FedEx etc to ship their items. Entered the tracking info and everything seemed legit so I paid him the remaining balance.
The following day I received an email from Trust Mail Express saying I owed them a refundable $150 for insurance purposes. Until then my shipment is on hold. I contacted the seller and he told me to pay it. We got into a heated exchange because I "paid" shipping already and it was on him. This should have been a red flag but I was naive. Mad as shit and still hoping it was legit and refundable I paid the $150 via cash app. (another red flag). The status immediately updated and shipment was released. Yesterday I get another email saying I owe another $255 for a "city permit fee" for delivery (refundable of course) (red flag #3). I refused to pay and they said it won't be delivered. I contacted seller and called his BS. He said he'd call them. Meanwhile I engaged Trust Mail Express in a long email exchange and asked for my $150, return part to sender. They literally said..."if we don't receive the $255 in 3 days we will dump it into the sea" So total, I'm out $400. I called my bank. Froze my debit card, and reported the shipping company to the Federal Trade Commission. I've also reported the cash app transfer as a scam hoping to recover at least $150 of my $400.
Now this person has shut down their IG and operating under a new page as toyota4runner_tacoma_parts.

Reminder...yes...I know...I'm an idiot.
Click to expand...

Wow fuck these people. Sorry this happened to you pal. Greedy dishonest ‘people’ need to try and ruin the majority of awesome online buying experiences for the rest of us

McPickle · Mar 6, 2023

Get followed on my truck IG page almost daily by Tacoma parts "dealers". Legit or not, I block every single one. I think its safer to assume they aren't legit.

I also block all car illustration "artists", but that's a different scam for a different thread.

Blak Shinobi · Mar 6, 2023

im always wary , theres a guy selling a certain part on here , and im still on guard ‍♀️

ScrippsRanch67 · Mar 6, 2023

PacoDevo said: ↑

Hey, my "son" was in a car wreck recently near Cleveland when he called me for help - got arrested. I kept pressing for personal info as he DID sound alot like my son!!! Never had good answers to any of my questions - always vague.....why aren't you working in Youngstown instead of being in Cleveland?? answer: dad I need help. Why are you in Cleveland instead of work: at a funeral. Who's funeral: dad I got arrested. OK, where are you at? What police station, I will come get you? Answer - DEAD AIR/SILENCE, he hung up after he finally realized I wasn't going to send him any $$$$.

As I said, he DID sound like my son, but I didn't "just fall off the turnip truck" (that is for you older folks!!).
Click to expand...

I got a phone call claiming to be my Grandson (Don't have one just yet) saying he was sick and his car broke down across the border. I told the caller to take an aspirin and get on a bus.

JdevTac · Mar 6, 2023

Didn’t someone post up a thread on this same phoney Instagram account last week? Account had like 7k+ followers but like each post only had 2-3 comments from same mix of people, but photos were taken with all sorts of different cameras and people and scenery in background.

edit: I posted in same thread and it appears to have been deleted.

Junkhead · Mar 6, 2023

Fucking scumbags.

Karma is real and is a huge bitch.

Speedfreak · Mar 6, 2023

Chew said: ↑

I am at the point, I just buy brick n motor, or pay a little more and go through known retailers. I don't buy shit off social media,,, after all,, they're bad at that part too.
Click to expand...

Brick and mortar places are impossible to find these days. I don't have any social media ( except TW ) so I search and do my utmost to vet any place I purchase from. I first try to buy direct from the manufacturer but being in Canada, that can be troublesome. So I do the next best thing and find resellers that the manufacturer lists, hopefully in Canada. Knock on wood, I have been successful so far. No horror stories.

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Tacoma Parts IG Scam Warning!!

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Silver-Taco1 Well-Known Member

#22
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#23
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Chew Not so well known user

#25
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Chew Not so well known user

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#29
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#30
Phlogiston There are no victims, only volunteers.

#31
J Williams Well-Known Member

#32
Captqc Well-Known Member

#33
Dkurtz42 Bill Hwang

#34
Tacos4Runnin Well-Known Member

#35
McPickle IG: @ThatTopoTaco

#36
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#37
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#38
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#39
Junkhead TRDude

#40
Speedfreak Member in poor standing

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Tacoma Parts IG Scam Warning!!

#21 Silver-Taco1 Well-Known Member

#22 Mbtstaco Well-Known Member

#23 PacoDevo Well-Known Member

#24 Chew Not so well known user

#25 Lunartic [OP] Well-Known Member

#26 ScrippsRanch67 Well-Known Member

#27 Chew Not so well known user

#28 2Shoes Well-Known Member

#29 DBF Well-Known Member

#30 Phlogiston There are no victims, only volunteers.

#31 J Williams Well-Known Member

#32 Captqc Well-Known Member

#33 Dkurtz42 Bill Hwang

#34 Tacos4Runnin Well-Known Member

#35 McPickle IG: @ThatTopoTaco

#36 Blak Shinobi Well-Known Member

#37 ScrippsRanch67 Well-Known Member

#38 JdevTac Well-Known Member

#39 Junkhead TRDude

#40 Speedfreak Member in poor standing

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#21
Silver-Taco1 Well-Known Member

#22
Mbtstaco Well-Known Member

#23
PacoDevo Well-Known Member

#24
Chew Not so well known user

#25
Lunartic [OP] Well-Known Member

#26
ScrippsRanch67 Well-Known Member

#27
Chew Not so well known user

#28
2Shoes Well-Known Member

#29
DBF Well-Known Member

#30
Phlogiston There are no victims, only volunteers.

#31
J Williams Well-Known Member

#32
Captqc Well-Known Member

#33
Dkurtz42 Bill Hwang

#34
Tacos4Runnin Well-Known Member

#35
McPickle IG: @ThatTopoTaco

#36
Blak Shinobi Well-Known Member

#37
ScrippsRanch67 Well-Known Member

#38
JdevTac Well-Known Member

#39
Junkhead TRDude

#40
Speedfreak Member in poor standing

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