Safety & Anti-Scam Guide

Most online firearms classifieds get scammed in the same handful of ways. Here’s the playbook for avoiding every common pattern. Read this once; it will save you from 99% of bad actors.

The five hard rules

1. In-state, in person, cash. Do not ship firearms to private buyers. Do not accept cashier’s checks, money orders, Zelle, Venmo, PayPal F&F, or wires from people you haven’t met. Cash at the handoff. If the buyer is out of state, the transfer must route through an FFL in the buyer’s state — by federal law.
2. Meet at a public, neutral, well-lit location. Many police departments have official "internet exchange" parking lots with cameras — use them. A range parking lot is also fine.
3. Photo of state ID before the meet. Both parties exchange a photo of state ID showing same-state residency before showing up. If the other party balks, walk away. You aren’t obligated to do business with someone who won’t prove they’re a legal in-state resident.
4. Bring someone with you. Always. Tell them where you’re going and when you’ll be back. Share your live location.
5. Trust the badges, not the words. "Phone verified," "in-state IP," and "account age 90+ days" are algorithmic checks no scammer can fake easily. Words in a listing or message are cheap.

Scam patterns we see weekly

• "I’m deployed / overseas / out of state." An out-of-state seller is almost certainly a scam — federal law requires FFL routing, which scammers won’t do because they don’t have the gun. Walk.
• "My broker / escrow / shipper handles the deal." No legitimate private firearms sale uses a broker. Walk.
• "I can only do Zelle / gift card / Western Union." Cash in person. No exceptions. Walk.
• Stolen photos. If a listing photo looks too professional, reverse-image-search it. Our system auto-flags duplicates across the network — but a brand-new one will slip through. Trust your gut.
• Pressure to move off-platform fast. Telegram, WhatsApp, Signal, email-only — the scammer wants to leave our messaging system because it auto-flags scam keywords. Stay on the platform until the meet is set.
• "Will you accept this overpayment cashier’s check?" Classic. The check bounces a week after you’ve handed off the firearm. Cash only.

Federal & state law cheat sheet

• Federal floor (every state): Long guns 18+, handguns 21+. No sales to known prohibited persons (felons, fugitives, dishonorable discharge, restraining orders, certain drug users — see 18 U.S.C. § 922).
• Interstate sales (every state): Must route through a licensed FFL in the buyer’s state. No exceptions for "private" sales across state lines.
• Tier-2 states (CA, CO, CT, DE, HI, IL, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OR, RI, VA, VT, WA, DC): All transfers — even in-state, even private — must route through an FFL. We display a banner on every listing in these states. This is non-negotiable.
• Tier-3 (PA only): Handgun transfers must route through an FFL; long-gun transfers do not.
• State assault-weapon and magazine bans apply to listings posted in those states. Our system blocks listings that match restricted configurations — but you’re responsible for verifying any item you buy or sell is legal in your state.

If you suspect a scam

1. Don’t engage further. Don’t share more information.
2. Use the Report link on the listing page. Our system quarantines reported listings within minutes.
3. If you sent money, report to your bank, the FBI’s IC3 (ic3.gov), and your state attorney general within 24 hours.
4. If a firearm was stolen or sold to a prohibited person, call your local ATF field office immediately.

This guide is educational and does not constitute legal advice. Firearms law varies by state, county, and city. Before each transfer, verify the law in your state — links from each listing’s legal-notice block.