Possible scam warning

[AndrewG]

I suggest R. travels there to see what's what.

[Wario]

Originally Posted by AndrewG

I suggest R. travels there to see what's what.

lol. I think AJ's going to that Dallas show. Unlikely he is gonna waste the ticket he got to that show. Im also awhere many forum members are going to that show. Thats gonna be interesting.

[AndrewG]

Maybe someone should bring a paint ball gun and shoot one in his balls or alternatively ask him how his cancer is doing. Do take photos though when he takes to the stage with the NLE.

[Vickip]

Originally Posted by WarioLoaf

lol. I think AJ's going to that Dallas show. Unlikely he is gonna waste the ticket he got to that show. Im also awhere many forum members are going to that show. Thats gonna be interesting.

Who else from the forum, besides myself, are planning on going to the show
I would just like to be able to match names to faces

[Wario]

Originally Posted by Vickip

Who else from the forum, besides myself, are planning on going to the show
I would just like to be able to match names to faces

Could have sworn I saw here that a handful of people were going to the dallas show.

BTW Vicki, i feel so bad. You seemed to be really getting along with AJ.

[Vickip]

Originally Posted by WarioLoaf

Could have sworn I saw here that a handful of people were going to the dallas show.

Oh ok .. I know a lot of us were talking about it

BTW Vicki, i feel so bad. You seemed to be really getting along with AJ.

Thanks.

[AndrewG]

Originally Posted by WarioLoaf

BTW Vicki, i feel so bad. You seemed to be really getting along with AJ.

Probably one of the best things you have ever posted Wario. I completely agree. Especially Vicki embraced AJ with open arms. It makes me furious.

[JennaG]

Originally Posted by Monstro

On the other hand reading a certain thread on another mentioned forum reveals his home address

I've had dealings with AJ a few months ago and it didn't exactly go to plan. It was my own stupid fault for being so trustworthy but because of it I have his address.

I didn't reply to the message about his cancer diagnosis because of this earlier experience with him but had it have been proven to be genuine I'd have been as supportive as I would be to anyone who had just recieved such a diagnosis. I had a feeling that something wasn't right about what was going on but I didn't say anything in case my earlier experiences were clouding my judgement. When he started talking about playing with the NLE and things like that I knew he wasn't telling the truth.

It's just a shame that there are people who take advantage of others peoples generosity.

[Vickip]

Originally Posted by AndrewG

Probably one of the best things you have ever posted Wario. I completely agree. Especially Vicki embraced AJ with open arms. It makes me furious.

Thank you.

[unbekannt]

I don't know you, Vicki, but I followed the story here on the forum and I feel very bad for you, too.

[Vickip]

Originally Posted by unbekannt

I don't know you, Vicki, but I followed the story here on the forum and I feel very bad for you, too.

Thanks

[The Flying Mouse]

Originally Posted by A Slice Of English

R did the right thing from the off. I can't deny that it concerned me enough to raise the issue weeks ago anyway in private to the mod team and I'm glad they have reacted so responsibly.

This is how long this investigation has took.
We thought there was something wrong with his story from the get go.
For one, he seemed more concerned with the concert than his health, and with being put in touch with Meat directly.
I have a feeling that he had hopes Meat giving him a free VIP ticket complete with backstage pass, M&G, and maybe even a nice memento of the occasion.
Talking about how his tribute act was going from strength to strength, singing with the NLE (did anyone on this site believe a single word of that one? ), thinking of going to another concert (hinting for a ticket IMHO) just made our suspicions that much stronger.

The problem was the possibility that we were wrong, and having enough proof or reasonable doubt to take direct action.
I'm sure you can all appreciate that if we publicly accused a cancer patient of being a fraudulent fake and banning him without any proof, and it turned out we were wrong, we would be less popular than an unwanted gas evacuation inside an astronaughts traveling togs.

Originally Posted by Lucy!

I think what this does highlight and is something that's worth remembering is that just because someone posts regularly does not mean that you know them. Don't get me wrong, this fanclub/forum has created some lifelong friendships and relationships for many of us, but it's easy to forget that we've actually not even met so many people here...it's easy to get used to seeing someone's user-name and reading their posts but that is no indication at all to the person behind them.

That's not to say we should all be suspicious of those we've not met here but perhaps we need to "keep it real" a little more

Very sad, but very true.

Originally Posted by AndrewG

Interesting he has lots of time available to set up a new Meat Loaf forum and to try to nab members away from here but no time to deal with the laptop dispute. What an ahole.

It's my feeling that he may have known we had our suspicions (if he didn't, he's an idiot as well as an asshole) and he was facing a ban, and wanted to set up his own community in case things fell apart for him here.
What good that will do him though is pretty limited as the online Meat Loaf community have got his card marked.

Originally Posted by A Slice Of English

Maybe so, but it is a damn shame nothing could be done to prevent honest posters losing money on this jerk.

This is regretable (more than regretable), but again, without proof there was only so much we were able to do due to the delicate nature of the problem.
I locked the thread and asked people to wait before making any donations so that they could go to an official source rather than a private individual in the hope that this would give us more time to look into the problem before people started handing over their hard earned.
It was our reasoning that if he supplied the details of his health care provider (ones that could be checked out and verrified) then he was for real, but if he was a fake he wouldn't be able to do this.
Numerous requests were sent asking for these details and delays were all we got back.
It was decided to give a deadline on the matter for one day this week, but this other evidence has made that redundant.

All in all, I can honestly say that I don't recall any other occurance of site moderation that has taken such time, deep thought, and discussion.
Between our deepening suspicions coupled with our desire to protect the membership from a scam, versus the slight possibility we were about to make a terrible mistake, nothing in my experience as a mod has ever been more difficult to call.
I think the team have acted in a highly resposible manner, and have done the best job anyone could have done under the same circumstances.


As for the scam itself, I am thoroughly disgusted.
Meat himself has supported cancer charities as his own mother was a cancer victim, and for someone who calls themselves a Meat Loaf fan to try to fraudulently profit from the good hearted and generous people of our community makes my blood boil.
Ironically, if he had posted an honest message saying "you know what folks, i'm a bit short of cash and I wanna go to this show, anyone fancy having a whip round to get me a ticket?" then I believe the people on this forum would have clubbed together and stumped up the money for the ticket, and there would have been no mod investigation as there was no fraud involved.

Between his scams and stories of tribute singing and getting on stage with the NLE, he's a con man and a fantisist.
He has no place here.

[Sarahdk23]

Originally Posted by The Flying Mouse

Between his scams and stries of tribute singing and getting on stage with the NLE, he's a con man and a fantisist.
He has no place here.

Very well said!

[carole]

Originally Posted by WarioLoaf

lol. I think AJ's going to that Dallas show. Unlikely he is gonna waste the ticket he got to that show. Im also awhere many forum members are going to that show. Thats gonna be interesting.

I'm going to the Dallas show, but don't know what he looks like so wouldn't know him if I tripped over him. I must admit I'm rather shocked at this and feel badly for the people who were taken in by him.

Carole

[AndrewG]

His phone number has been posted too. Lol.
Apparently his friend is going over to pick up the laptop tonight. Lol.
This story gets more crazy every hour.

[~Helen~]

I haven't posted on anything relating to this yet but have been observing from afar.

Originally Posted by The Flying Mouse

I think the team have acted in a highly resposible manner, and have done the best job anyone could have done under the same circumstances.

I just wanted to say that I'd agree with what Neil said above. I don't think it could have been approached any differently or better and was done so sensitively yet cautiously.

Originally Posted by Lucy!

I think what this does highlight and is something that's worth remembering is that just because someone posts regularly does not mean that you know them. Don't get me wrong, this fanclub/forum has created some lifelong friendships and relationships for many of us, but it's easy to forget that we've actually not even met so many people here...it's easy to get used to seeing someone's user-name and reading their posts but that is no indication at all to the person behind them.

That's not to say we should all be suspicious of those we've not met here but perhaps we need to "keep it real" a little more

I also wanted to add, that whilst we do often start to feel we 'know' people who post on the forum regularly, I would have expected this to have been the same case for AJ getting to know the regular posters as 'people' rather than as their usernames and avatars, and so whilst it is one dispicable thing trying to 'con' a group of trusting people, it is several steps further doing so to people who would be considered 'friends'. Very sad indeed - for all involved.

But, well done to those who flagged issues and to the MLUKFC team for their actions and thorough investigation (in particular whoever managed to find that laptop thread on the other forum!).

[24K]

I think the site and mods have behaved in an exemplary way, i applaud you.

I will be honest and say did not believe him, it just didn't add up.

I am disgusted that anyone can stoop so low as to feign illness for personal financial gain !
My family has been affected by cancer and continues to be, it beggars belief an individual can be such a f^cking tw^t !
I have made great friends on here, i know that 99% of people are genuine and honest and i cherish that. One f^cking dickhead will not spoil that, lets hope that he never really does have to deal with cancer !

[AndrewG]

So funny this is all being found out and discussed on his "birthday", though he is probably lying about that too.

[~Helen~]

Originally Posted by 24K

I think the site and mods have behaved in an exemplary way, i applaud you.

I will be honest and say did not believe him, it just didn't add up.

I am disgusted that anyone can stoop so low as to feign illness for personal financial gain !
My family has been affected by cancer and continues to be, it beggars belief an individual can be such a f^cking tw^t !
I have made great friends on here, i know that 99% of people are genuine and honest and i cherish that. One f^cking dickhead will not spoil that, lets hope that he never really does have to deal with cancer !

I don't normally do this but will make an exception in this case - couldn't agree more, on all issues. Well said (despite necessity for ^signs )

[AndrewG]

Originally Posted by 24K

...lets hope that he never really does have to deal with cancer !

I'm not so sure that's very high up on my list of hopes.

[Vickip]

I just feel so stupid right now
Sometimes I'm too gullable ... but I should have known better.

Thanks for taking care of this all of the mods did a great job.
Vicki

[AndrewG]

Originally Posted by Vickip

I just feel so stupid and gullable right now

Don't Vicki!!!

You're one of the nicest people I know. Just because some rat does this you shouldn't feel and think any less of yourself. He had most of us going here. And he was certainly playing his way into becoming part of the gang it seems, posting in the off topic threads, the shout wall, etc. etc. Without that evidence from Pbnation there would be very little to back up any suspicions some may have had.

[Dave]

Originally Posted by Vickip

I just feel so stupid right now
Sometimes I'm too gullable ... but I should have known better.

Thanks for taking care of this all of the mods did a great job.
Vicki

*hugz*

[Vickip]

Originally Posted by AndrewG

Don't Vicki!!!

You're one of the nicest people I know. Just because some rat does this you shouldn't feel and think any less of yourself. He had most of us going here. And he was certainly playing his way into becoming part of the gang it seems, posting in the off topic threads, the shout wall, etc. etc. Without that evidence from Pbnation there would be very little to back up any suspicions some may have had.

Thanks Andrew. I really appreciate it You're very nice too.
I honestly felt sorry for him and sent him a little bit to help with the concert ticket for MI
I'm just glad that I saw this thread and the posts on Pbnation before it went any further.

[Monstro]

Originally Posted by Vickip

I just feel so stupid right now
Sometimes I'm too gullable ... but I should have known better.

Thanks for taking care of this all of the mods did a great job.
Vicki

Bet we all wish we could have a quid/buck for everytime we've been taken in, I know I would.

Next in line with a hug when you're done with Dave!!!