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Sal Wise, Philly eBay Scammer Strikes Back!

Warlock7 followed up last week's bizarre story of eBay Fraud by noting "The news in Phlly ran with the story and put Sal's picture online with video. Now Sal has decided to direct all blame on his old business partner. He's put up his own site now trying to divert responsibilty away from himself and uses his kids pictures to try and garner support." It's hysterical to read the original log about how everything was his father's fault, but now get to learn about a more powerful evil named 'Vince'. It's like a soap opera that won't let me blink until the commercial.

13 of 367 comments (clear)

  1. Same guy... by smkndrkn · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Just by reading all the emails from the previous story and then reading this...you can tell it is the same person typing.

    Honestly why have the police not taken care of this guy already?

    --
    ======== In the future, everything will be artificial. ========
  2. Has anyone considered... by Trogre · · Score: 3, Interesting

    ... that this might not be a scam at all, and poor Sal is being harrassed to the point of suicide?

    To say nothing of his family, including newborn.

    Okay, so it's unlikely given the text so far, but not impossible. Vince might have the wrong guy.

    --
    "Nine times out of ten, starting a fire is not the best way to solve the problem." - my wife
  3. I visited Sal's house.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I live in Philadelphia, and work downtown. I am posting AC to avoid being a karma whore and to avoid getting killed by this Sal guy. Last week or so after work I walked down to his address because its not too far from center city. Let me tell you that this guy lives in a crumby crumby neighborhood. And even worse, in a very crumby house. I didn't even think it was livable at first. Its a very small row home damn near falling apart. It has a basement window flush to the ground that is completely kicked in and just has a little fence in plastic fence in front of it. The whole house looks horrible, but in particular the front door is all screwed up. When I checked this place out there was a shitty car in front of the house (not a lexus, so I don't know who's lexus he got pictues of) and he lives across from a deli and about 2 blocks from a local hospital. The neighborhood is one of the worst in Philly. I didn't stay long and didnt dare take out my digital camera for obvious reasons. Anyway, the money that he's scammed people out of could probably pay his rent for over a year in the piece of junk that he lives in. Judging from his neighbors (I didn't actually see Sal, just his house) he is a low life and probably on welfare too. Everyone in that neighborhood seemed sleazy and the crime rate is either the highest in the city or in the top 3, or so associates have informed me. Anyway, I am certain that this guy is scum. And its getting out of control. Me and Justin have been in communication and I would like to think that I have helped him out and I intend to continue helping him out. Also everything me and Justin discussed, he fowarded on to the other victims so I'm trying my best to help out everyone involved. This Sal guy needs to get taken down.
    -Me

    1. Re:I visited Sal's house.... by lightknight · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I know I'm responding to a troll, but what the hell.

      Do you know why the cops don't arrest everyone on the block? Because they are scared. After the sun sets, Center City and University City are the only places worth hanging around (ratio of cops:people can be 1:5 at times). I've lived in Philly for a number of years, and some Ambulances will simply not drive into West Philly after dark. It's not worth it to them.

      Now, I am not condemning the majority of people living there. But there are sections that are infested. I believe there was an incident a few years back where the mayor simply let the city burn (anti-terrorist squad dropped a bomb (literally), started a big fire).

      For that matter, West Philly is the only place I've been chased out of (young, stupid, new to Philly, drunk). Got on the El (going the wrong way), got off at 69th street (out of money, spent it all on beer). Nothing opens your eyes like being chased by crazies (as the people who live their call them) out of the West. And you think white people are racist? Damn, nothing like white kid running from a bunch of middle-aged black guys carrying bats and ranting about "Cracker...white man going to have his day...holding us down."

      I hated Track in high school (middle distance/sprinter), but sprinting full out, I gained a newfound respect for my old coach. I got back to Center City very, very sober.

      --
      I am John Hurt.
  4. Many questions here by quantaman · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Does 'Vince" truly exist?
    Is the attrocious grammar, spelling, and sentence structure merely due to poor linguistic skills or is he trying to draw sympathy by protraying himself as a fairly unintelligent person that was taken advantage of?
    If his name is Sam Wise (yeah like that sounds real) then why is his comcast page mich617?

    But perhaps the most puzzling question of all,

    How in the heck is his page standing up to a /.ing so well?!?

    I think there's more to this fellow than meets the eye...

    --
    I stole this Sig
  5. One Good Thing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Although Sal apparently nearly successfully trick members of an on-line forum into believing he was dead and buried to raise "funds for his widow and children," he won't see a dime of it. Thanks to Justin Spence and Slashdotters, the people running the collection for the forum were notified in time before giving it to "Sal's grieving family" and are in the process of returning the money to the donaters.

  6. Re:Sal Wise's relationship with Vincent Massina by liquidsin · · Score: 3, Interesting

    It is actually possible that Vince was lying to the reporter to fuck over Sal. Just because he's a business man, doesn't mean he's not a crook

    --
    do not read this line twice.
  7. Re:Is ANY of it real? by jcomeau_ictx · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I can't say I blame you. If I weren't involved in it first-hand I'd probably feel the same way. As I posted on Justin's online forum a couple days ago, the stranger this gets, the more I feel like this whole story is in a Robert Anton Wilson novel, and I'm just one of the minor characters...

  8. Why did Sal tell him to cancel the check? by sneakers563 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    This is the part I don't understand. Actually, I can see telling Justin to cancel the check to try to divert suspicion, but why would Sal wait until Justin told him he canceled the check to try to cash it? Why no cash it right off? Wasn't Sal running the risk of having the whole scam fail? Any theories? What am I missing? Sadly, this is the single most interesting thing in my life right now.

  9. Re:What about his death? by jrockway · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I liked his replies when he was uncovered... "I never posted anything saying I died."

    That's pretty hard to do when you're dead, Sal.

    "Hi I'm dead! Give me^H^H my wife some money. I really am dead!"

    I love people. They're so amuzing :)

    --
    My other car is first.
  10. Re:I'm laughing double hard now by devilspgd · · Score: 2, Interesting

    How does talking on the phone make you any safer? In order to snare a $4,200 prize do you think someone could come up with a prepaid cell phone, VoIP line, or something similar to use to scam you?

    You missed my point completely though: Pointing out what a savvy shopper you are, then mentioning how you paid via one of the least secure methods doesn't really support your case.

    A credit card user would simply email their credit card company and have the money back within minutes.

    (Well, my bank lets me email, most require a minimum of a phone call, or in some cases signed paperwork)

    Once a money order is out of your hands, it's all but gone. Once it's cashed it IS gone. Since it's as good as cash you can cash it at money mart or cheque cashing places, not a bank.

    --
    Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day, but teach a man to phish...
  11. Has anyone ever heard of Jack Campbell? by adzoox · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Has anyone ever heard of Jack Campbell and MacMice? This guy does the same thing. He says one thing in a forum, then says something completely different in another forum concerning his actions and his companies actions.

    He's been caught on the internet several times misrepresenting an attorney, stealing patented products, and making claims about his products that are just insane.

    If any of you are interested and like this kind of story. I've done two stories on my website about this kind of scammer.

    One story is similar to this one and is about eBay. (Titled: Scamming Scammers & The Scheming Scammers Who Scam Them Back)

    The other is about Jack Campbell as mentioned above. (Titled: Catch Me If You Can Part II: The True Story Behind MacMice)

    I think it's interesting to read stories like this and I wish more people read or were interested in them. If you can understand how pathological narcissitic people work - you can learn to avoid them.

    --
    Yell & scream & rant & rave... it's no use... you need a shaaaave ~ Bugs Bunny
  12. Article about MOVE bombing by theslashdude · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I was really surprised to hear about this bombing, so I looked it up. Here is a cnn article about it.