FYI: scam followup

From: Christian Fandt <cfandt_at_netsync.net>
Date: Mon Jan 25 07:36:55 1999

Hi folks,

Recently we were discussing a Russian source of old radios and old
computers. It was prompted by a posting to ClassicCmp from a Russian site
("The Old Radios Trade <oldradios_at_radiolink.net>") with a title "Old
Radios" (Date: Thu, 24 Dec 1998 00:08:36 +0300.) Check the CC archives if
you want as it's not needed to post here. I politely wrote back saying this
was a forum for old computers upon which I got a quick reply stating
(basicly) they could get us any computer we desired. See "Fwd: Re: Old
Radios" (Date: Thu, 24 Dec 1998 17:56:54 -0500.) Most of us I hope,
figured this is a scam and stayed away.

Just recently, one of our members had written here indicating they were
interested in feedback on these characters.

Well, on the newsgroup rec.antiques.radio+phono there is some feedback.
DejaNews should have the thread "WARNING-RUSSIAN RADIO TRADING FRAUD!!!"
from 15 Jan. Apparently some folks got hitup for some bucks and got no
radios. Partial quote from one of the postings:

>This is a cautionary post to warn you all about an apparently
>unscrupulous dealer in Russian collectables, including antique radios.
>He sends letters by E-mail, soliciting business, under the trade name of
>RadioTrade, or The Old Radio Trader, trading under the name, currently,
>of either
>Oleg Tikhonov, or Walentin Mihaylin. He is offering to sell several Red
>Star radios, as well as other portables, and possibly a wooden Russian
>table set called Belarus 53. He sends E-mail originating from Kaluga, a
>city near Moscow. The scam is that he will have funds sent to him, and
>they will either be lost in transit, or sent back to you as a refund,
>and then have them lost in transit, when in reality, an empty envelope
>will be sent to you as a registered packet. I have been personally
>ripped off of a fair sum of money, and he has attempted to arrange

I guess those folks were a bit more interested in scoring a Russian radio
than in understanding what they should have previously heard in the major
news media about the latest Russian scams coming along nowadays. Or, they
simply lacked common sense to judge this as "Too good to be true".

Enough said on this. Just be aware of it if you are looking for Russian or
other ex-Soviet block machines.

Regards, Chris
-- --


Christian Fandt, Electronic/Electrical Historian
Jamestown, NY USA cfandt_at_netsync.net
Member of Antique Wireless Association
        URL: http://www.ggw.org/freenet/a/awa/
Received on Mon Jan 25 1999 - 07:36:55 GMT

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