Beware folks: Contacted by Illinois fish and wildlife.

[Igyjastabay]

I am an Ebay seller. Been selling some mid range pieces lately, all found on private land. Well I get a really weird email, then the phone call follows a day later. Basically the email went as follows, "Mr. :":{":" we are concerned about your recent acquisitions. We will be contacting you later. Next day, phone rings an unfamiliar number, didn't answer. Traced the call back to Illinois fish and game . I don't live in Illinois nor do I know what this organization is responsible for. It's really freeked me out. I am not easily un-tempered. I know where my direction is in this hobby, OUT. Not worth a 200 grand bill, and time in jail.

 

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[keith2004]

i'm old,forgetful,and was born with a smart aleck attitude.every few months i have to reread the TreasureNet - Rules .wouldn't hurt for all members to do the same at least yearly.with that in mind i'd like to tell the OP that when someone says 'BOO' you are NOT required to jump!!keep on digging and selling.


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[fongu]

I got one of those bogus calls from the IRS and deleted it. It's nothing but a scam. Thank God for answering machines. If I couldn't screen my phone calls, I would take my phone out.

I have been receiving multiple bogas calls on both my work and personal cell supposedly from IRS that I owe back taxes and to call such and such number to settle before they take me to court...

Try doing a Google search using scam and your info on the call and see if anything comes up.

 

[unclemac]

My phone is for MY convenience...no one else's!

 

[lookindown]

Fish & Game DOES need a warrant to search your vehicle or property, unless they can BS you into giving permission, or copping to a criminal act. This I know from experience. DO NOT in any way say anything except "I don't give consent to any searches. Sure they get POed but no matter what they try to get you to believe they can't search without consent. If you're stopped in your vehicle and asked to exit, take your keys & lock the door behind you. If they show up at your house, step out the door lock it and pull the door closed behind you even if you don't have your keys to get back in.

All in all this sounds like a fishing expedition to get you to incriminate yourself either by replying to the email or the phone call. The best response is "I have nothing to say and won't answer ANY questions without my lawyer present." And don't say ANYTHING period, do not even respond to the email or phone calls. If you open your mouth you give them something to twist & tweak as evidence against you.

Again, this I know from first hand experience. Don't let it get you worried out of your mind. It's just a fishing expedition. If they really had something on you, they wouldn't be fishing, they'd be at your door with a warrant in hand.

Fish and Game does not need a warrant to search you or your vehicle...the only need one to search your house...they have more power than police...many people don't know that

 

[bede2691]

I live in Illinois and the fish and game department here calls itself Illinois Dept of Natural Resources. If someone identified themselves as Illinois Fish and game department that would be a red flag that it's bs.

 

[jeff of pa]

Fish and Game does not need a warrant to search you or your vehicle...the only need one to search your house...they have more power than police...many people don't know that

Yes I'm not not even sure in your house.
several years ago some F&G officers walked into a mans house and directly to his freezer.
there was a big Write up about their power even over the FBI.
it is also said some police will take F&G with them if they can't get a warrant in hopes once inside they see something

 

[jeff of pa]

I live in Illinois and the fish and game department here calls itself Illinois Dept of Natural Resources. If someone identified themselves as Illinois Fish and game department that would be a red flag that it's bs.

Yea I don't know their actual title here in PA either

 

[lookindown]

They have changed their name a couple of times here in Florida.

 

[lookindown]

I just looked it up...Forida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission...we still just call them the Game Warden.

 

[rock]

Sounds to me like a scam someone is trying to pull. They call you say you have broken the law and then say for a small fee we can make it go away. If it was the real deal you would not have gotten an e-mail, you would have got a knock on the door from the local law. If you live out of the state and did not dig it up on state land, and if you bought it from someone, then they could kiss off.

That is what I was going to say. They tried it this year on me but the guy was from another country by accent and was saying he was from the IRS. Google the # you saw on your caller I.D. If its a scam 99% of the time you can find a blog on it telling you all about it.

 

[rock]

F&G doesn't need a warrant here at all. If they say jump you better. I have been stopped once this year while walking a field. They took all of my info and made me wait till they got their answer. Thank goodness the owner was home when they called or I might of been hauled off. I was with a friend when they came. The owner might of not known I brought someone with me and thought I was walking their land without permission. I have not taken anyone with me since. Scared me to death. The Wardens were laughing cause they could see me shaking as I handed them my license. They didn't even say I was cleared they just drove off.

 

[TJE]

F&G doesn't need a warrant here at all. If they say jump you better. I have been stopped once this year while walking a field. They took all of my info and made me wait till they got their answer. Thank goodness the owner was home when they called or I might of been hauled off. I was with a friend when they came. The owner might of not known I brought someone with me and thought I was walking their land without permission. I have not taken anyone with me since. Scared me to death. The Wardens were laughing cause they could see me shaking as I handed them my license. They didn't even say I was cleared they just drove off.

That's sick! (them enjoying the fear that they had caused to an innocent person)..that's how "disrespect of authorities" start! Very unprofessional of them.

 

[unclemac]

I was walking the beach one day in the middle of nowhere with my wife and these two uniformed with badges and side arms...made us empty our pockets for them to inspect. They weren't looking for artifacts, they were looking for clams! I even got in a discussion with one of them about artifacts and he said he didn't know of any law forbidding me from picking them up on the beach (which there is)....he told me his young daughter would love to find one so I told him how and where to look. They were real nice folk but only interested in the wildlife aspect. Are we sure these are the guys harassing you field walkers? Could it be some other agency?

 

[NHBandit]

Fish & Game DOES need a warrant to search your vehicle or property, unless they can BS you into giving permission, or copping to a criminal act. This I know from experience. DO NOT in any way say anything except "I don't give consent to any searches. Sure they get POed but no matter what they try to get you to believe they can't search without consent. If you're stopped in your vehicle and asked to exit, take your keys & lock the door behind you. If they show up at your house, step out the door lock it and pull the door closed behind you even if you don't have your keys to get back in.

All in all this sounds like a fishing expedition to get you to incriminate yourself either by replying to the email or the phone call. The best response is "I have nothing to say and won't answer ANY questions without my lawyer present." And don't say ANYTHING period, do not even respond to the email or phone calls. If you open your mouth you give them something to twist & tweak as evidence against you.

Again, this I know from first hand experience. Don't let it get you worried out of your mind. It's just a fishing expedition. If they really had something on you, they wouldn't be fishing, they'd be at your door with a warrant in hand.

The OP said he dosn't live in that state. Does IL fish & game really have the right to go to another state and ask to see anything ? Warrant or not ? I doubt it

 

[unclemac]

Fish and Wildlife Service Home Page

this at least seems to be a federal agency....I am sure each state has their own too.

 

[Charl]

I live in Illinois and the fish and game department here calls itself Illinois Dept of Natural Resources. If someone identified themselves as Illinois Fish and game department that would be a red flag that it's bs.

Nothing but red flags when you come down to it. So, how did they plan on getting the eBay seller to part with his $$$? Most of the time, it's $$$ someone is after. In other words, I wonder what the punch line was going to be? The line that causes the "mark" to say, "OK, I'll do as you say....."

 

[1320]

Probably a competitor....scare off the competition to gain better market share.....happens often. Every time I list My Coke Rewards points on ebay, I get a flood of emails telling me that ebay forbids selling them and that I better pull them down....lol. A little reverse research and what do you know, the folks shouting at me have My Coke Reward points for sale!

 

[RGINN]

If I wasn't doin anything wrong to begin with, I would just call up the old 'Illinois fish and wildlife' or whatever they call themselves these days (the real one) and ask if they needed to talk with me. No need to sit around and cower in fear and dwell on it. Might turn out they would be interested to know somebody was using their name in vain.

 

[lookindown]

I am an Ebay seller. Been selling some mid range pieces lately, all found on private land. Well I get a really weird email, then the phone call follows a day later. Basically the email went as follows, "Mr. :":{":" we are concerned about your recent acquisitions. We will be contacting you later. Next day, phone rings an unfamiliar number, didn't answer. Traced the call back to Illinois fish and game . I don't live in Illinois nor do I know what this organization is responsible for. It's really freeked me out. I am not easily un-tempered. I know where my direction is in this hobby, OUT. Not worth a 200 grand bill, and time in jail.

How did they get your phone number? Im not familiar with E BAY...can you get a sellers phone number off E BAY?

 

[lookindown]

Maybe an Archie trying to scare people that are selling artifacts.