Someone let me know that scammers are impersonating me via email, reaching out through phony addresses. This was the email they received via a protonmail address:
“Hello [username] This is arpthark I Saw your comment on my post about the Bach 50BL bass trombone I’ve still got them for sale on the tuba forums is still available, where are you located?Let me know if you want to grab it
Thanks, and I look forward to hear from you.
Best regards”
This is obviously not me (my grammar is better!). I only ever reach out to folks through PM, my music gear selling email (beanhillbrass at iCloud) or my personal email (firstinitial.lastname90 at gmail). If anyone gets anything else that purports to be me and seems sketchy, please let me know. I also have an address that I don’t use, arpthark at iCloud, which occasionally iPhone defaults to for some reason, so I may accidentally send stuff through that.
Thanks, and when in doubt, send me a PM through here.
Blake
PSA: scammers impersonating me via email
Forum rules
This is for buying or selling your personal equipment, but sponsored selling is allowed as well. We are requiring all ads to have the following information. Price, (even for trades) Brand, Model, and location (for instruments, not accessories) need to be included in the ad, or at least be very clear in link provided. It is acceptable to link to an external ad if you are promoting a sale of your personal equipment. No Ebay Auctions, but Buy it now listings are fine. Photos are HIGHLY suggested as well. If you see an ad that does not meet these criteria, please report it.
This is for buying or selling your personal equipment, but sponsored selling is allowed as well. We are requiring all ads to have the following information. Price, (even for trades) Brand, Model, and location (for instruments, not accessories) need to be included in the ad, or at least be very clear in link provided. It is acceptable to link to an external ad if you are promoting a sale of your personal equipment. No Ebay Auctions, but Buy it now listings are fine. Photos are HIGHLY suggested as well. If you see an ad that does not meet these criteria, please report it.
-
arpthark
- Posts: 6713
- Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2020 4:25 pm
- Location: near the Submarine Capital of the World
- Has thanked: 2175 times
- Been thanked: 2381 times
PSA: scammers impersonating me via email
- These users thanked the author arpthark for the post (total 4):
- Jperry1466 (Wed Oct 07, 2026 10:02 pm) • York-aholic (Thu Oct 08, 2026 12:14 am) • Mary Ann (Thu Oct 08, 2026 10:00 am) • ParLawGod (Thu Oct 08, 2026 3:45 pm)
-
humBell
- Posts: 3130
- Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 11:25 am
- Has thanked: 413 times
- Been thanked: 334 times
Re: PSA: scammers impersonating me via email
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery...
(I wonder how the shady underbelly of the internet would portray me...)
(I wonder how the shady underbelly of the internet would portray me...)
‘All art is one, man—one!’ said Hal
-
Timtamtuba
- Posts: 121
- Joined: Sat May 30, 2026 4:58 pm
- Has thanked: 6 times
- Been thanked: 25 times
Re: PSA: scammers impersonating me via email
Yeah if you put your email down just be prepared to receive some scammer emails. Ive received at least a dozen. Some disappointed me that it was a faker but thats how it rolls.
-
solar_vale46
- Lurker
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Sun Oct 11, 2026 1:17 pm
- Has thanked: 0
- Been thanked: 0
Re: PSA: scammers impersonating me via email
Good warning to post. This pattern is common on gear forums: scammers scrape usernames and items from public sale threads, then email potential buyers from a new address pretending to be the seller. The simple rule for buyers is to start every deal through a private message to the member on the forum itself, and to treat any first contact by outside email as unverified. Paying only through a method with buyer protection, never as friends and family or by gift card, removes most of the risk even when an impersonator gets through.