* Been Taken! Maria Perez - Pretty Herps - Bad Guy/girl!! *

Yep, she got me.
I inquired about her a couple days ago.
We arranged a trade, I would give her 2 female 2001 Surinam redtails and a 2001 male poss DH for Striped Albino and she was to give me an 03 female albino and money order for $150.

She replied and sent msgs through Maria Perez of PrettyHerps@aol.com .

She gave me a story of how she bought a litter of albinos and now wanted to sell them because her and/or her friend discovered albino turtels, redear/sliders..
She then said how she just lost an albino on a trade and would not ship first.

Yes, I was stupid, I mean anxious, to get the deal done so I tried to find a way to meet her terms while satisfying my concerns.

I shipped the animals to my family in Miami and arranged for my sisters boyfriend to take them and hand them to her in her hands, at her home.

She started talking about not letting anyone to her home because of too many valuable animals and 2 daughters that stay home all day alone while she works two jobs.

She agreed to meet my sisters boyfriend somewhere OR if she couldn't, have her girlfriend do it.
Well, after 2 days of delay (while obviously not sending me anything) she had a MAN meet my sisters boyfriend. He gave him the box and that was that.
After that, last night, no more responses, no more email.
I get into work this morning and call her phone, which was fine yesterday when I left her a msg, and it was disconnected. So I email her asking her if the number was correct and all, and the email was returned. Account closed.
Now i'm out approximately $1,200. / 3 beautiful animals.

I will post her messages when I have a chance, i'm at work and this alone is taking a risk.
I will not say what information I have on her until I have some time to track it and find something.

I WILL BE POSTING ICS OF MY ANIMALS SO THAT YOU ALL CAN POSSIBLY RECOGNIZE THEM IF SHE ATTEMPTS TO SELL THEM.

Chances are she'll probably keep them , along with all her other 'valuable animals' she probably stole from others too.

Regardless of her info and all, she is a young sounding latin girl from Miami, Florida.

WATCH OUT! then again, i'm sure most of you aren't as stupid as I was...

Please provide comments, advice, suggestions... anything would help.

Thanks all

Only two things are infinite - The Universe and human stupidity... and i'm not sure about the former. ~ Albert Einstein ~

*** PICS OF POSSIBLE DH FOR STRIPED ALBINO ATTACHED***

ANOTHER OF POSS DH

sorry for the size..

I'm unclear on this. Did your agent exchange boxes with her agent and the box you received was empty or did you turn your animals over to her expecting her to deliver your animals later?

Hi John, sorry I left that part out...

My 'person' gave her 'person' the box, she was to ship her animals out to me the same or the next day, but as soon as she received the animals, all her information changed....

She 'sold' me by telling me that if she were to give the money and snake to my people, she would not gaurantee it's health/status. She would gaurantee it for 7 days if she sent it herself...


Now, let's just say I have her address and phone #.... how would you all suggest I go about it?

alert the authorities? (
last time something like this happened, they just laughed at me!)

send my 'people' to her house?

idea please? thanks again

Well, I would contact the authorities in your area and in hers, for a paper trail, if nothing else. I would also try to contact as many pet stores and breeders in that area as you can dig up. Not only will they be able to be on the lookout for your animals, but someone might be able to put you on her trial a bit more solidly.

All in all, though, I'm afraid that you are just out on this deal. She looks as though she knew what she was doing, and she set you up very well. I'm sure you know the red flags she raised, looking back on the deal, but that doesn't help you now.

Putting her information (at least what you have) and warning others about her here is a great step in keeping her from doing this to others. I thank you for that, and I'm sorry this happened to you.

If you file a complaint with the Internet Fraud Complaint Center (I assume you met this person online?) they will forward your complaint to multiple local agencies that should be able to help. They will also search their database to see if anyone else has filed a complaint against this person.

IFCC

Or you could call the local police department where she lives and file a complaint with them directly.

Good luck!

If you do have her home address, or one where she is supposed to have lived, I would drop by and say hello in person. It's amazing how much you can accomplish in person that you just can't do any onther way. And if it happens to be an apartment be sure to stop by and say hello to the manager and ask them to drop in and make sure your animals are all ok. Be specific as to how LARGE and HUNGRY they are.

I really dislike seeing this, some people really suck.

Wes Pollock

Thanks Guys.
Wes, unfortunately something similar happened to me about a year or two ago. $1,800 from myself, and the same from about 6-7 other people! point is, fraud complaints, police, internet crime people... noone was able to or cared to do a thing!!!
Yes it is frustrating and aggravating to experience this... and Yes the world could use less of these people...

I spoke with so many people last night and was bombarded with suggestions... from harming one or more persons, their house and car, to just trying the police.
No matter how aggressive or conservative their advice was, they all agreed on one thing - The world could use less of this scum.

***** THE ICING ON THE CAKE *****

Yesterday at about 4pm my friend calls me... This guy receives all my animals, since he works nights and is home days. Well he is a kidder too, so when he started reading info on this person and told me about a box he received, I though he was kidding... the story was a bit far fetched.
Well, when I get home I confirmed the fact - they shipped me a box, Airborne express, which was empty - no snake - and what it did contain was some styrofoam peanuts, a dirty/soiled napkin, and a not that read, 'Thanks for the Snakes!'

Believe that!!!!

This weekend I will be able to post and msg the proper authorities and file various complaints.

That type of bravado may well be the undoing of these parasites! If they shipped you an empty box, Airborne may have some information on them that could be useful. It may prove to be a dead end, but it is an avenue I would look down, were I in your shoes.

Good luck in this!

So this is the information she gave me:
Maria Perez
PrettyHerps at aol.com
700 NW 214th st apt.722
Miami, Fl. 33179
305-469-7110

That address does exsist, but not listed under her name.
That phone number was working, with a girl named Maria leaving her voice on the answering machine, until the night she received the snakes - then it was disconnected.

So here is the info she shipped with:
Maria Perez
Pretty Herps
40351 SW 192nd ave
Miami, Fl. 33034

That address does not exsist.

The male who received the snakes was a rather short, stocky/chubby fellow with glasses.
He was driving a 2001-2003 model Chevy/Ford Sport track in white (suv/pickup)...
I have his license plate # but not sure if I should post that here, just yet..


I have people looking into this is a few different ways. Still could use suggestions.

Yes, unfortunately, loking back, I see all the mistakes I made. i was extremely busy the few days of that deal and didn't realize at the time. You live and learn, you still win so long as you take the lesson..

Joe Rollo