The National Shooting Sports Foundation – the country’s firearms and ammunition trade group assembly – is cautioning prospective gun and ammo buyers about Internet scams.
“We’ve learned from several industry firearm, ammunition and propellant manufacturers of bogus websites and web scams aimed at consumers who are eager to purchase these high-demand products,” says the trade group in a prepared statement.
Eager is not the word. As one example, over the so-called “Black Friday” period immediately following Thanksgiving, the Foundation earlier reported that the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) processed 687,788 background checks during the week leading up to and including Black Friday.
The FBI’s NICS program likewise recorded 187,585 background checks on Black Friday alone, ranking it among the Top 10 Highest Days for NICS checks, the Foundation reported earlier.
While background checks are not an absolute device for determining firearms sales they are one measuring tool employed to help understand sales trends, high and low points in such transactions.
Thus, the concern about scammers looking to make a fast buck on hard-to-find or seemingly outrageously reasonably priced ammunition is real. Especially since the buying craze for firearms and ammunition of all types continues.
The Foundation suggests that people looking to buy on-line, “...take steps to confirm the websites they are using are legitimate..”
There are many, reliable on-line firearms and ammunition retailers who offer product, though even here the prices will often be high as the rule of supply (low) butts heads with demand (high).
Suggestions include working with a local firearms/ammunition dealer which itself is increasingly dealing with on-line resources.
Prospective firearms and ammunition buyers similarly can work with fellow gun owners or with people they know who own such products if they deal with on-line suppliers. Such experienced on-line users can help steer a prospective buyer to an honest broker.
As for prospective firearms and ammunition buyers who believe they’ve have been the victim of a fraudulent transaction, the NSSF encourages that person to contact the FBI at (202) 324-3000 or the ATF at (202) 648-7080. In either case, the agency should be able to direct a person to the appropriate office.
Or a person suspecting that he or she has been scammed, can file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission either on-line or by calling (800) 382-4357.
For additional information, please visit https://www2.nssf.org/e/127421/online-safety/4gj9m7/535021258?h=qU75DwpQ__G7davca3vxcTrVfeU3qYuLhaqnoe-l_Jo.
- By Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischk@Ameritech.net
JFrischk4@gmail.com
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