Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Got this wierd reply today, not completely like the recent Nigerian scams but wierd enough to set off bells in my mind:

hi seller, i do like to purchase this reptile for keep in my private
zoo/home.i will sign out cashier's check or money order if you like it. get
back to me if you still have it available for sale and provide me with
your name and address to mail out the payment to you right away.here is
my emailleft out by me to protect privacy)@yahoo.com
janice.

I have not replied yet, what do you guys think?
-----
Thanks,

Dave "Rainbows-R-Us"

0.1 Wife
0.2 kids
4.12.136 Brazilian Rainbow Boa (OK, I'm only keeping a few of the 136, just tickled pink with my production this year)
1.1 Ball python
0.1 BCI "Elvira" normal from 1989
1.0 BCI albino / het-anery
0.1 BCI Hypo / het-albino
0.1 BCI Anery / het-albino
0.1 BCI Hypo (possible super)
1.0 BCI albino het stripe
1.0 BCI salmon hypo
0.1 BCI ghost

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

Hi Dave,

I don't see the scam. If a person sends a cashire's check, isn't that as good as cash? What is happening in Nigeria? Sorry if I'm being ignorant,

Mike

The nigerian scam was basically requesting to send sa cashiers check in excess and their "agent" would pick up merchandise and excess funds from you. Duh, the money orders were fake.

What concerned me was similar very poor language/grammer and an apparent lack of concern for details. Basically the reply to my ad about babies for sale was "hi seller, i do like to purchase this reptile for keep in my private zoo/home." There were no questions about it or the sale. I guess I could email back and get a dialog going.

Also, just like yours, these are my babies. I'm NOT just selling to anyone with some cash. I do want to see them go to a good home and have worked with my buyers to ensure they at least were told how to care for them.
-----
Thanks,

Dave "Rainbows-R-Us"

0.1 Wife
0.2 kids
4.12.136 Brazilian Rainbow Boa (OK, I'm only keeping a few of the 136, just tickled pink with my production this year)
1.1 Ball python
0.1 BCI "Elvira" normal from 1989
1.0 BCI albino / het-anery
0.1 BCI Hypo / het-albino
0.1 BCI Anery / het-albino
0.1 BCI Hypo (possible super)
1.0 BCI albino het stripe
1.0 BCI salmon hypo
0.1 BCI ghost

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

Thanks for the info and the heads up. I thought money orders were safe. I guess the only safe thing is to have cash in hand. Let us know how this ends up.

By the way, you're spending too much time online. Get back to work.

Mike

np
-----
Thanks,

Dave "Rainbows-R-Us"

0.1 Wife
0.2 kids
4.12.136 Brazilian Rainbow Boa (OK, I'm only keeping a few of the 136, just tickled pink with my production this year)
1.1 Ball python
0.1 BCI "Elvira" normal from 1989
1.0 BCI albino / het-anery
0.1 BCI Hypo / het-albino
0.1 BCI Anery / het-albino
0.1 BCI Hypo (possible super)
1.0 BCI albino het stripe
1.0 BCI salmon hypo
0.1 BCI ghost

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

>>Thanks for the info and the heads up. I thought money orders were safe. I guess the only safe thing is to have cash in hand. Let us know how this ends up.
>>
>>By the way, you're spending too much time online. Get back to work.
>>
>>Mike

>>I have not replied yet, what do you guys think?

Sounds like one of the Nigerian scams to me. Here's a way to find out. Make them send you a money order/cashier's check. Accept their deal, but tell them you complete the transaction until the cashier's check has cleared both banks (yours and theirs). This could take 2-3 weeks. If they are honest, they will send you a cashier's check.
If it is a scam, you won't hear back.

You may get a reply with some convoluted process and long complicated story about why you have to act before the check has completely cleared, and "oh, by the way" you have to pay their agent with the "extra" funds they send you.

I always figure if more sellers would string these people along and get them to send their phony checks, we could cut down on the number of scammers.
-----
Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

Yeah, like I said....alarm bells were going off. Here's the reply I'm going to send I also removed the referrences to price from the email subject line, like you said, if this is legit, she'd know the price or at leadst ask, if not....no reply:

Hi Janice, please send the payment in the form of a cashiers check or money order to:

Dave Colling
C/O xxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxx

(this is my mother-in-laws address, I use it as my mailing address)

Or you could paypal me at this email address. If using paypal, please add $4.00 to cover the paypal transaction fee

For cashiers check/money order, will have to wait till the check clears both banks, Sorry for this but there have been a number of unscrupulous buyers using phoney cashiers checks and money orders lately. This could take 2 or 3 weeks
-----
Thanks,

Dave "Rainbows-R-Us"

0.1 Wife
0.2 kids
4.12.136 Brazilian Rainbow Boa (OK, I'm only keeping a few of the 136, just tickled pink with my production this year)
1.1 Ball python
0.1 BCI "Elvira" normal from 1989
1.0 BCI albino / het-anery
0.1 BCI Hypo / het-albino
0.1 BCI Anery / het-albino
0.1 BCI Hypo (possible super)
1.0 BCI albino het stripe
1.0 BCI salmon hypo
0.1 BCI ghost

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

I would think unless someone asks at least one question about something to do with the transaction/product it is already strange. Maybe the Nigerians or whoever they are are adapting to a now you have my conterfeit money send it back or you will receive endless threats and they actually know where you live or at least receive contact mail. I'd leave it alone if it were me.

Linda

>>Got this wierd reply today, not completely like the recent Nigerian scams but wierd enough to set off bells in my mind:
>>
>>hi seller, i do like to purchase this reptile for keep in my private
>>zoo/home.i will sign out cashier's check or money order if you like it. get
>>back to me if you still have it available for sale and provide me with
>>your name and address to mail out the payment to you right away.here is
>>my emailleft out by me to protect privacy)@yahoo.com
>>janice.
>>
>>I have not replied yet, what do you guys think?
>>-----
>>Thanks,
>>
>>Dave "Rainbows-R-Us"
>>
>>
>>0.1 Wife
>>0.2 kids
>>4.12.136 Brazilian Rainbow Boa (OK, I'm only keeping a few of the 136, just tickled pink with my production this year)
>>1.1 Ball python
>>0.1 BCI "Elvira" normal from 1989
>>1.0 BCI albino / het-anery
>>0.1 BCI Hypo / het-albino
>>0.1 BCI Anery / het-albino
>>0.1 BCI Hypo (possible super)
>>1.0 BCI albino het stripe
>>1.0 BCI salmon hypo
>>0.1 BCI ghost
>>
>>lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

Linda,
...I agree with you. These people are probably not violent but I do not think it is a good idea to let them know ANY information. Especially home addresses.
...There is a saying that goes...."You cannot cheat an honest man". This scam is based upon mistaken impressions. The scammers have the impression that a snake could never be worth hundreds or thousands of dollars. Their impression is that if someone is trying to sell a snake for hundreds of dollars they must be very motivated to make the sale so they will be eager and greedy and easy to swindle. Dave's recent ads with the great prices that are lower than the competitors must give them even more of an impression that he will be eager to make a sale to them. When I was running my ads a couple months ago with what I think were very low prices I got several of these scam emails. When I was later advertising my choice animals at much higher prices I did not get the scam emails. I think that if Dave replies to them they will reply that they want to buy as many animals as he can supply and are willing to pay full asking price. They know that this would get a dishonest or greedy person more interested in dealing with them. I think the basic underlying theme of the scam is the same. They send a money order for more than the total amount and their agent comes by to pick up the animals and the extra money before the money order clears the bank. The variation in the original email was just to make someone think that they are trying to be honest and fair. The deal will change when they need it to.
...It sure is a shame that marketing our animals is MUCH less fun than keeping and breeding them.
Snakes are great, People suck!
Jeff

>>I would think unless someone asks at least one question about something to do with the transaction/product it is already strange. Maybe the Nigerians or whoever they are are adapting to a now you have my conterfeit money send it back or you will receive endless threats and they actually know where you live or at least receive contact mail. I'd leave it alone if it were me.
>>
>>Linda
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>>
>>
>>>>Got this wierd reply today, not completely like the recent Nigerian scams but wierd enough to set off bells in my mind:
>>>>
>>>>hi seller, i do like to purchase this reptile for keep in my private
>>>>zoo/home.i will sign out cashier's check or money order if you like it. get
>>>>back to me if you still have it available for sale and provide me with
>>>>your name and address to mail out the payment to you right away.here is
>>>>my emailleft out by me to protect privacy)@yahoo.com
>>>>janice.
>>>>
>>>>I have not replied yet, what do you guys think?
>>>>-----
>>>>Thanks,
>>>>
>>>>Dave "Rainbows-R-Us"
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>0.1 Wife
>>>>0.2 kids
>>>>4.12.136 Brazilian Rainbow Boa (OK, I'm only keeping a few of the 136, just tickled pink with my production this year)
>>>>1.1 Ball python
>>>>0.1 BCI "Elvira" normal from 1989
>>>>1.0 BCI albino / het-anery
>>>>0.1 BCI Hypo / het-albino
>>>>0.1 BCI Anery / het-albino
>>>>0.1 BCI Hypo (possible super)
>>>>1.0 BCI albino het stripe
>>>>1.0 BCI salmon hypo
>>>>0.1 BCI ghost
>>>>
>>>>lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats