Beware! Scammers posing as known business

[Ridge Runner]

Beware of scammers representing real businesses using real people's names.

This started late last year (in 2024). After my renewed interest in wanting to purchase a particular night vision scope. After an AH member and I corresponded I did my due diligence on locating and contacting the Sytong scope company. Or so I thought.

The first individual, identified as being Chad. Chad and I eventually established communications then Chad recommended i contact a second person a Jesse Rice in Michigan, US. After that i couldn't get Chad to respond to my further emails and Whatsapp messages and calls when I couldn't get Jesse Rice to respond by to my emails and phone calls.

Eventually a person identifying himself as Jesse Rice contacted me. That was our only conversation as he has failed to respond back to my phone messages and calls.

After several failed attempts to contact Chad prior to my departing on a week long hunt I sent Chad one final email stating I was no longer interested in his company's, Sytong, night vision products. The next day while on my hunt Chad responded back to my email with an apology and some very misleading excuses why he failed to respond back to me.

Granting some leeway, with scepticism, for the US holiday season taken into account.

Last night, Friday 10 January 2025, Chad contacted me to reestablish communications. During our messaging on Whatsapp Chad posted information on who to contact for services after purchasing a Sytong scope.

Today (Saturday 11 January 2025) I checked out the information. The address is a residential house in a residential neighborhood in Katy, Texas, and the phone number is located in California.

This is an obvious case of scammers attempting to scam people using a known company name and possibly someone's name employed with the compnay.

The "red flags":
Difficulties in contacting a company and a company representative,
Lack of communications,
Receiving not unreasonable, but questionable, offers,
False/ Misleading physical locations, phone numbers, people to contact

I didn't loose any money to these scammers due to my initial "gut feeling" suspicions.

Supposedly Sytong is attending the 2025 Shot Show in Vegas. Any member attending the Shot Show I would appreciate it if you would get me their contact information.

 

[375Fox]

How did you go about finding their contact information? Their two websites have Chinese address and Chinese phone number under contact us and no US distributors listed. That would immediately be a red flag to me, but I’d think I’d use the contact us and ask for US distributors then go from there if I didn’t want to buy from their Amazon store. In a case like this with a Chinese company their Amazon store would be safest if you really wanted this brand.

 

[Ridge Runner]

How did you go about finding their contact information? Their two websites have Chinese address and Chinese phone number under contact us and no US distributors listed. That would immediately be a red flag to me, but I’d think I’d use the contact us and ask for US distributors then go from there if I didn’t want to buy from their Amazon store. In a case like this with a Chinese company their Amazon store would be safest if you really wanted this brand.

I was forwarded an email or DM/PM from an AH member that provided contact information. This was my starting point.

Eventually I received a response after several emails and Whatsapp calls. "Red Flag" number 2.
Chad then provided me contact information to a Jesse Rice, "Red Flag" number 3, because he failed to respond to phone calls via direct calling and by the Whatsapp phone number provided by Chad who had supposedly informed Jesse I would be contacting him.

"Red Flag" numbers 1 and 4, Sytong was suppose to be a New Zealand company, then Sytong was listed as being in China. "Red Flag" number 5 once I was in contact with Chad and then with Jesse the messages on Whatsapp and via email were not logical to me. A lot of confusion going on here that didn't make since to me. Something just wasn't right.

This fellow calling himself Chad said (a fellow calling himself) Jesse Rice was to be my point of contact in the US.

According to the guy calling himself Jesse Rice, the guy calling himself Chad was a new hire and in charge of the entire Sales Department for Sytong.

It was at this point I did a deeper dive investigation: went to YouTube, and Google to increase my research on Sytong: products, actual location, phone numbers, etc., etc.. I would have done this same deeper investigation only a bit later, prior to any money transfer.

"Red flag" number 6, the sudden lack of communications. They, Chad and Jesse failed to respond back to my interest in purchasing a Sytong scope. This is most likely what sent my brain into overdrive as a scam.

As for purchases on : Amazon, Ebay, etc., etc., etc., NO! NO WAY!! I don't purchase direct from any online only operation. I don't do any online banking with exception to periodic checking my banks accounts balances. For personal financial security all of my banking is done in person or via phone person to person.