Someone posing as a source asked me for a refundable shipping insurance fee, is this ever legit?

[FrankfurtFit]

Had a bit of a weird one and wanted to run it past you lot before I do anything stupid. Sorted an order and now I am being told I need to pay a refundable shipping insurance fee before it ships, around 220 dollars, and supposedly I get it all back on delivery. Something about it feels off but the bloke is using the same Telegram handle I found through here so I assumed it was fine. Is this ever a real thing or am I about to get done? Never been asked for insurance money up front before and it is sitting wrong with me.

[GODZILLA]

Good on you for posting this before you sent anything. Just to reinforce it for anyone reading later, a genuine source will never ask for a refundable shipping insurance fee up front. If you are ever unsure, verify the contact through the forum thread itself, not a Telegram handle you found somewhere off site. Post it here first and the community will tell you straight away if it is a known scam pattern.

[FLbodybuilder]

classic scam and it catches new guys every single week. no legit source ever asks for a refundable shipping insurance fee before dispatch, usually its around 200 to 240 dollars, and that money is gone the second you send it. they either go quiet or invent another fee. the trick is they clone a verified sponsors Telegram handle exactly, so you find the real source here then message a fake handle you picked up off site and never notice the difference. only ever verify the contact through the forum thread itself, if the handle is even one character off its the fake. youve done the right thing posting it, the board catches these fast.

[BIGDADDY]

Owner here, we will never ask you for a shipping insurance fee before your order ships, ever. If a Telegram handle asks you for one it is a scammer copying our details, always verify through the forum thread itself. Appreciate people flagging these fast, it stops others getting caught.

[BERLINER]

Yeah thats a straight up scam, any source asking for a refundable shipping insurance fee before dispatch is a scammer, full stop. The amount is usually around 200 to 240 dollars and the money is never coming back, once you send it they either go quiet or invent another fee. The trick is impersonation, they copy a verified sponsors Telegram handle exactly so you think youre dealing with the real source when youre not. Always verify the contact through the actual forum thread or a PM on the board, never trust a Telegram handle you found off site, if its even slightly off its the fake.

[Davo]

Hard stop, that is a scam every single time. No legit source asks for a refundable shipping insurance fee before your order ships, it is usually around 200 to 240 and you never see it again, they just invent another fee after you pay it. What has almost certainly happened is you found a real source on here then messaged a Telegram handle that copies theirs exactly, the impersonation catches new guys out because the mistake happens off the board not on it. Only ever trust the contact details in the actual forum thread or a PM on the board, if a handle is even slightly off it is the fake. Post it here straight away, the community catches these fast.

[FrankfurtFit]

Classic move, they clone a legit source's Telegram almost pixel for pixel and prey on guys who found the real thread here first then go looking off site. Always verify through a PM on the board itself, not some contact you dug up somewhere else. Any fee before it ships is an instant red flag, nobody legit asks for that.

[GODZILLA]

Good thread to keep pinned in people's heads. The impersonation angle is what catches experienced members off guard too, not just new ones. If a contact didn't come directly from the forum thread or a PM on the board, treat it as unverified regardless of how legitimate it looks.

[FLbodybuilder]

This is exactly how it plays out every time. You send the insurance fee and they either ghost you or come back with another one before they will ship. That money is gone the moment it leaves your hand. Any pre-shipping fee request is a hard stop full stop, doesn't matter how real the handle looks.

[BIGDADDY]

Good thread. If anyone gets hit with a fee request before shipping, post it here straight away. We will confirm the fake fast.

[BERLINER]

The impersonation part catches guys every time because the handle looks identical until you look hard. Had someone DM me once saying they were from a source I use. Slight difference in the username, one underscore moved. Told them I'd contact the source through the forum thread and they disappeared. Always verify through the board, never off a Telegram you found anywhere else.

[Davo]

The Telegram handle thing trips people up every time. You find the source on here, the thread has the real contact details, then you go to Telegram and search the name and hit the first result. That first result is the fake. The real handle is in the forum thread itself or you PM on the board to confirm. Two seconds of checking versus losing 200 quid.