I'm quite new to this forum, and it is sad to see two reports of scamming appear on the same day, one actual and one near miss. My impression of visiting the WAM almost daily for several weeks is that the regular posters here have formed a thriving community based not only on a shared interest in music and high fidelity audio reproduction, but also on trust, mutual respect (although some threads can get a little heated, which is only natural), and in many cases, actual friendship, both online and in person. But the individuals who make up what I would call "the heart of the WAM" are not the only ones here. Some, like me, are new, with no real reputation to back us up, and others may just be lurking. And then we have potential scammers.
I have bought a few items from the classified myselfs, but must confess that I have only bought from people, and would only buy from people, who are clearly longstanding and trustworthy members of the community, with Wammer status or above. All these transactions were very friendly and pleasant and I have been happy with all the items I bought. I'd be very concerned buying from someone with little or no history, even though I myself would fall into that category. I wouldn't be offended if people treated me in the same way if I post something for sale here. It's perfectly reasonable to me.
I hope you can get your money back
@Nagraboy ... sorry to hear that this happened to you.
Best wishes to you all. Be safe out there...