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Old 7 April 2020, 09:09 AM   #1
RoscoPico
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Almost robbed today - contact details

May have posted this in the wrong section earlier (general discussion)
But the user who contacted me on chrono24 has username Melanie. Phone number (probably a burner phone) is 916/637/5354.
Heads up peeps

Not sure what to say, but I guess I'm lucky. A potential buyer contacted me via chrono24 for my Omega 44mm red gold Aqua Terra I listed. It turned out we were just a few hours away and the buyer wanted to meet at a bank, with a third party who can inspect the watch.

As I arrive at bank, the branch manager is not aware of any arranged meeting (the buyer told me she arranged a table for us at the bank with the manager).

So I go back to my truck to wait, place a box with the Omega, and a few rollies which she said she might also be interested in, into the passenger seat of my truck. But I happen to notice a suspicious guy standing at the corner looking at me, so I kept my eye on him too. Minutes later he walks by pretty close (strange) so I turn and eye him the whole time.

Next I lock the passenger truck door and sit down in the driver seat to wait. Then I notice the same guy walking toward the truck again from a different angle and I keep my eye on him. He tries to open the passenger door a few times, then starts to come around the truck. By this time I am getting out ready to rip his head off and he turns slightly and runs off. I decided not to chase, given my repeat injury hammy and not wanting to leave that box in the truck unattended.

Cops naturally said there's not much they can do and without weapons involved it would still just be some sort of theft crime (not a heavy charge I'm guessing)

Point is, be safe out there people.
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Old 7 April 2020, 09:46 AM   #2
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Scary story. Glad you are OK.
All should be very vigilant during these times. There will be people out of a job desperate for cash and willing to break the law to obtain it!
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Old 7 April 2020, 10:17 AM   #3
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Um, why are you going outside the Chrono24 rules? Isn’t there a Covid Shelter in place order? Once your contact with the bank manager reveals that The arrangements were never made as buyer claimed, why are you hanging around in your truck Watching suspicious guy repeatedly approaching? I’m super glad something bad didn’t happen, but .. well.. uh ... geez ... seems like there were some pretty risky steps taken here.


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Old 7 April 2020, 10:47 AM   #4
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um, why are you going outside the chrono24 rules? Isn’t there a covid shelter in place order? Once your contact with the bank manager reveals that the arrangements were never made as buyer claimed, why are you hanging around in your truck watching suspicious guy repeatedly approaching? I’m super glad something bad didn’t happen, but .. Well.. Uh ... Geez ... Seems like there were some pretty risky steps taken here.


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+1
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Old 7 April 2020, 10:54 AM   #5
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Good job Boss!! Sounds like some ole boy dodged a good country ass whoopin!!
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Old 7 April 2020, 11:40 AM   #6
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Next time don't try to get out of the truck. That was a silly move if the guy was armed. Glad you are okay
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Old 7 April 2020, 01:01 PM   #7
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May have posted this in the wrong section earlier (general discussion)
But the user who contacted me on chrono24 has username Melanie. Phone number (probably a burner phone) is 916/637/5354.
That is a VOIP number for XO Communications, which can probably be traced (with enough knowledge and/or LEO involvement).
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Old 7 April 2020, 02:52 PM   #8
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I was watching one of those crime shows on ID Discovery where a woman had the watch collector meet her in a hotel room some expensive watches to show a potential buyer. He was robbed and killed.
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Old 7 April 2020, 04:17 PM   #9
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Um, why are you going outside the Chrono24 rules? Isn’t there a Covid Shelter in place order? Once your contact with the bank manager reveals that The arrangements were never made as buyer claimed, why are you hanging around in your truck Watching suspicious guy repeatedly approaching? I’m super glad something bad didn’t happen, but .. well.. uh ... geez ... seems like there were some pretty risky steps taken here.


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Couldn't agree more. Glad it worked out for the best but I'd say that's down to luck, not judgement.
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Old 8 April 2020, 04:55 AM   #10
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Yep, I was also contacted by “Melanie” on Chrono24 about a watch listed for sale. Unfortunately for her she was beaten by another thief who managed to steal the watch at an in-person meeting before she could get the chance.
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Old 8 April 2020, 04:58 AM   #11
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Glad you are ok. You just can’t be too careful these days.
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Old 8 April 2020, 04:59 AM   #12
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Yep, I was also contacted by “Melanie” on Chrono24 about a watch listed for sale. Unfortunately for her she was beaten by another thief who managed to steal the watch at an in-person meeting before she could get the chance.
Bloody hell god knows how many of these we are going to hear about in the future. Please be safe everybody if your gut tells you to get the f&£@ outta dodge do it.
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Old 8 April 2020, 08:12 AM   #13
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Good job Boss!! Sounds like some ole boy dodged a good country ass whoopin!!
Or the OP dodged getting a Glock 17 pointed at him...

Not a great idea to confront someone like that. You just don't know who you are dealing with now a days and there are some desperate folks out here.
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Old 8 April 2020, 08:24 AM   #14
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Almost robbed today - contact details

Don't take unnecessary chances. There are some evil people out there who will do anything to take your money/things.

Be Careful Out There!
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Old 8 April 2020, 09:23 AM   #15
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I thought San Francisco decriminalized theft?
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Old 8 April 2020, 09:29 AM   #16
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thanks all. and yeah agreed, will stick to online.
definitely lucky (as i stated) that the perps didn't have weapons or something. i guess instinct told me to hop out of the truck, i was on kill mode.
i reported this all to chrono and law enforcement
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Old 8 April 2020, 09:30 AM   #17
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Yep, I was also contacted by “Melanie” on Chrono24 about a watch listed for sale. Unfortunately for her she was beaten by another thief who managed to steal the watch at an in-person meeting before she could get the chance.
i am truly sorry to hear that
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Old 9 April 2020, 01:55 AM   #18
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I thought San Francisco decriminalized theft?
The entire State did, but only up to $950
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Old 9 April 2020, 02:39 PM   #19
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I'm happy to hear you're okay.

You had an arrangement to sell one watch, with someone you'd never met & no references, a meeting which would unnerve anyone, and you didn't even confirm (call) the bank to assure you had a room to meet / negotiate the deal? Then, you bring thousands of dollars of ROLEX watches because she 'might be interested'?
Bud, consider yourself a very lucky man.

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Old 9 April 2020, 02:48 PM   #20
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Yep, I was also contacted by “Melanie” on Chrono24 about a watch listed for sale. Unfortunately for her she was beaten by another thief who managed to steal the watch at an in-person meeting before she could get the chance.

Seriously?


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Old 9 April 2020, 04:07 PM   #21
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Seriously?


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I think he is.

https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=734621
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Old 9 April 2020, 11:35 PM   #22
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Not same. No one harmed in this instance.
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Old 10 April 2020, 04:39 AM   #23
blabus
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Not same. No one harmed in this instance.
That's true, luckily I wasn't harmed but I likely could have been. That's primarily why I elected not to pursue the guy, as I was immediately envisioning him pulling a gun/knife/weapon of some sort or being hit by an accomplice with a lead pipe as I came around the corner after him. Not that I had any illusions about getting into a life-or-death struggle over a watch, but I could have perhaps kept up with him long enough to spot the license plate number of the getaway vehicle I'm sure he hopped into.
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Old 10 April 2020, 06:55 AM   #24
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Not same. No one harmed in this instance.
It is the same.

He didn't mean beaten in the literal sense. He was stating that another thief had already stole his Daytona before the other prospective thief had the opportunity to set a meeting.
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Old 10 April 2020, 07:13 AM   #25
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It is the same.

He didn't mean beaten in the literal sense. He was stating that another thief had already stole his Daytona before the other prospective thief had the opportunity to set a meeting.
Not the same. 'Melanie' was beaten up and watch stolen. There are 3 situations being reported here.
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Old 10 April 2020, 08:23 AM   #26
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I think Melanie is the contact person. She arranges a meeting, but then someone else scouts the situation and does the theft. "Melanie" probably never even goes to the meeting place. This organization, or whatever we call them, is actually not that incompetent either. I spoke with her on the phone and she was relatively versed in watch talk. This is definitely something they've been working on and perfecting. I definitely consider myself lucky.

All in all, there is always a risk in everything I suppose. I've had a store with ADT and cameras and have still been burglarized for tens of thousands of dollars.

People on ebay buy a watch, then return a fake and get their money back thanks to rules possibly overly protective for buyers.

Going to meet strangers in a safe location like a bank, actually sounds ok no ? I mean it could have been a police station, but if the theft happens outside in the parking lot or street, or you are later followed, a bit hard to protect from that.

Or how about you ship something to someone, and then they use the shipping address to come back and rob your home ? Also a bit hard to protect from that I'd say.

The point is, be as safe as you can because there are definitely criminals out there.
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Old 10 April 2020, 08:32 AM   #27
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Glad you're okay. Creepy situation.
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Old 10 April 2020, 09:38 AM   #28
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I think Melanie is the contact person. She arranges a meeting, but then someone else scouts the situation and does the theft. "Melanie" probably never even goes to the meeting place. This organization, or whatever we call them, is actually not that incompetent either. I spoke with her on the phone and she was relatively versed in watch talk. This is definitely something they've been working on and perfecting. I definitely consider myself lucky.
I would imagine we were both targets of the same organization, as my experience very closely resembles yours (and we're also both in the Bay Area). My contact person was "Jason", and indeed they have honed their technique extremely well. At multiple points Jason made comments that indicated he had decent knowledge of watches (I also spoke with him on the phone multiple times and he sounded perfectly legitimate). At several points he actually led the conversation in such a way as to suggest that he was willing to call off the deal due to safety issues (he insisted he needed an independent jeweler to authenticate the watch, was willing to hold off on going through until he could fine one, etc.)
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Old 11 April 2020, 06:00 AM   #29
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Not the same. 'Melanie' was beaten up and watch stolen. There are 3 situations being reported here.
Re-read the posts bud. You're adding a situation that is not there. Melanie was never selling a watch, she was trying to "buy" a watch that had already been stolen.
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Old 11 April 2020, 09:38 AM   #30
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Crazy.
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