Set Your Mind Above

S2 E49 - It's A Scam

June 28, 2022 Season 2 Episode 49
Set Your Mind Above
S2 E49 - It's A Scam
Show Notes Transcript

I am so done with Facebook marketplace and these other platforms. We are trying to sell our vehicle, but nearly every message is a dead end. They never answer, never show up, or low ball you. But the worst? The scammers. The one's that intentionally are out to deceive you and steal from the unsuspecting. Educating yourself about their tactics is essential. Well...the greatest con artist is Satan. We seeks to deceive and destroy us. However, we are not ignorant of his schemes. We must be alert and equipped, and in doing so, we can save our very souls from falling prey to his lies. 

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Hey everybody, and welcome back to the Set Your Mind Above Podcast! I’m your host BJ Sipe – I’m a Christian, a preacher, a husband, and a father. In this podcast we take everyday, ordinary events and explore how they can teach us extraordinary, eternal truths. I’m so glad that you joined me for this episode. Now, let’s open up our minds, our hearts, and our Bible’s together. 

 

I am so, SO tired of dealing with Facebook Marketplace or Autotrader at this point. For about a month now, we have been attempting to sell our second vehicle – a 2013 Subaru Impreza. It’s been a great vehicle for our family, but since our family is expanding, we want to give it a new home and save for another second vehicle that can hold all 5 of us. Naturally, I have listed the car in several places, but I am almost to the point of giving up all hope. There are several reasons for this. First, there are the disinterested interested parties. Allow me to elaborate. This is when you get a message like, “Hey, is this still available?” – to which I have responded, “Yes, it is, what questions can I answer for you?” Apparently, the answer to that question is none, because they never message back. I probably have 30 messages from different people that inquired about the vehicle and then never made an effort to respond or have a conversation. Second, there are the no shows. Twice now, we have worked our schedule around after someone has confirmed that they were coming to see the car, only to have them not show and then ghost us afterwards without offering any explanation. Such a good time. Third, you have the bullies and low ballers. You know, the people that think they can intimidate you into a lower price? I had one guy message me and offer us half the value of the car who had not even seen it, but threw in at the end, “and even that offer is generous, so you’re welcome.” Oh wow, I’ve been won over, sold! Not. Today was the funniest though, as I had someone dead serious offer us $8000 under our asking price, which is S7000 under the absolute lowest value of our vehicle. A complete waste of time to have taken that phone call. But finally, the ones that bother me the most are the multiple inquiries I have received that upon just a little bit of investigation very clearly were designed to rob us as part of a scam. Just a word of advice to those that are trying to sell a vehicle: if someone is overly eager to purchase your vehicle without asking any questions, it’s a scam. These are those “too good to be true” kind of scenarios. Most of them are pretty similar, so after you’ve seen a couple, you can spot them a mile away. They message you and say they are fine with the price, that they can’t see the vehicle in person, but will mail you a cashier’s check the next day and have someone come to pick up the vehicle. Sounds good right? After all, it’s a check backed by a bank, not a personal check. Well, scammers are getting very clever. If you call the number on these checks, it’s often a part of that elaborate scam – it’s not the real number for the bank. If you inform them that you want to go to the bank with them to confirm available funds or call the number you find online, suddenly they bail out. However, many people don’t know this. They just think, “I guess they need a vehicle fast” and accept the fake cashier’s check, deposit it, and only after they have handed over the title does that check bounce a few days to a week later. Suddenly, the seller has lost their vehicle and has no money to show for it. It bothers me to think about how many unsuspecting people have been robbed by those who have carefully planned and schemed to take advantage of them. If you’re going to do business with someone online, be sure to do some extensive research first on common or recent scam tactics on those platforms. Having that knowledge might just save you from making a terrible mistake. 

 

It's bad enough that there are people out there that have intentionally set their hearts on deceiving others at the cost of their personal property, but our greatest threat comes at a much greater cost. Satan is the greatest scammer of all, fooling the hearts of men at the cost of their very soul. In John 8:44, our Lord says the following concerning him, “He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies.” What does it mean to say that he is the father of lies? Well, going back to the very beginning and the fall of man, it all originated with one little word from Satan: not. While God clearly forbade Adam & Eve from eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and that doing so would result in their death, Satan deceived them by saying they would not surely die. Today, Satan is still breathing those same vile words when the Lord speaks. That which the Lord declares is truth, and yet Satan deceives the hearts of men into believing they are not true. God is love, and yet Satan deceives us into thinking that what God represents is not love, but bigotry or archaic. As his deception lead to death beginning with Adam, so when we believe his lies, death is what follows. For we know that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), and sin is what corresponds when we foolishly bend an ear to Satan. Truly, he is the ultimate con artist. But we must not lose heart. Not only do we have the help of the Holy Spirit in our fight against Satan, but we can equip ourselves by understanding his schemes. Just as having knowledge of the tactics of a scammer can help you to see through their deceit, so having knowledge of Satan tactics can help us in our fight against him. To begin with, the first step is to be aware. We read in 1 Peter 5:8-9, “Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. Resist him, firm in the faith.” The easiest way to fall prey to a con artist or some kind of scam is to think, “It can’t happen to me.” We must not make this same mistake with Satan. He is not the cartoon, devilish figure we see projected in a kids show. He is real, a powerful, vicious spiritual being who seeks only to deceive & destroy you. He is likened to a lion by Peter; meaning he is powerful, patient, and persistent. He will attack us where and when we are at our weakest. Being aware and watchful is half the battle. The other half is knowing what to look for and equipping ourselves for battle. We are not ignorant of his schemes, as Paul says in 2 Corinthians 2:11. He seeks to entice us through our fleshly desires, though the battle is anything but fleshly. We read in Ephesians 6:10-13, “Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand.” If we do not take up this armor (that is specifically faith, truth, righteousness, salvation, the gospel of peace, & the Word of God) then we will be ill prepared to recognize when Satan is whispering in our ear. My friends, be vigilant to be alert & ready in this battle with our enemy. Arm yourself with the knowledge of his deceitful schemes. Having that knowledge might not just save you from making a terrible mistake, but it very well save your soul from eternal death. 

Thank you for tuning in for this week’s episode, and I would invite you back every Tuesday for a brand-new episode each week. If you haven’t already, be sure to find us on Facebook for occasional announcements and special video sessions. If you have benefited from this podcast, please if you’re able to be sure to share it with someone else that you think could benefit from it as well. Until next time, know that I love you, that God loves you, and may we all each & every day set our minds above.