Alfonso Cuaresma Pardo

Since selling my Icom IC-703 I have missed having a QRP type 'spare' radio. It was more useful than I thought for doing 'essential' tasks like fault finding and as a small rig it was good for hiding in the car when I went away. So yesterday a new (secondhand) toy arrived in the shape of a yaesu FT817ND that I bought through Lynchline. A great service especially for those who aren't too keen on ebay for making all their purchases. Just to clarify I don't completely dislike ebay is the whole bidding faff I can't be doing with. I get a few odds and sods off them under the 'buy now' function. Anyway back to the FT817, a pleasant little rig that even when put with the wonder whip it came with pulled in a few stations whilst sitting in the lounge. So thanks for the rig Gary and I'm sure you'll find the money useful.

Now for something that wasn't too pleasant.

The real reason for this post is something that happened that I thought I ought to share. I hope this isn't the case and that I'm completely wrong about this but after putting the wanted advert on Lynchline I was 'messaged' by someone called Alfonso Cuaresma Pardo. He offered me what I was asking for for just 300 euros plus postage. All I had to do was send him some money through western union and he'd send the rig. Not paypal but something without any buyer protection (Even if Paypals isn't that great).

My scam detector hit the end stop.

I got very suspicious straight away as this is below the current 'market value' for these rigs and so I googled his name, first to try and find a call sign as I didn't want stolen goods. Unfortunately I came across a few posts in forums asking about how to get hold of this guy from some US hams. Eventually I came across this post which cemented my suspicious mind and that was that. I contacted Lynchline and told a few of the club members. Hopefully I'm completely wrong and this will land me in court on some kind of charge of talking rubbish, but it was in the category of 'If its too good to be true it probably is a scam.

The real person has had to defend himself a few times on various forums and if this is all true (don't let the date of this post put you off) then I feel very sorry for EA7HEF as this doen't do him any favours