I was contacted by this guy offering me a pair of Atropoides nummifer (jumping vipers) in response to an ad I posted. After the first few emails I was suspicious because of typical bad grammar and repeated questions about who would be picking up the snakes at my location. I decided to ride it out and see....he sent me pictures (which turned out to be stolen from Google image search) and I called him out on it.
I didn't expect to hear back, but he wrote back saying his son had sent those pictures and he wasn't home and he'd get me pictures in a few days but he would not steal my money because he "wasn't that kind of guy." Well, pictures never came.
I decided to post here because I want to warn others. He was more convincing and determined that the scammers I'm used to running into, and I could see how he could easily fool someone less paranoid/skeptical than I am.
Below are the emails:
Atropoides nummifer spp
Ronald Grey (yelledkeeper@gmail.com)
Add to contacts
3/26/14
[Flag this message]
To:
Will0W783@hotmail.com
yelledkeeper@gmail.com
Hi, I have a pair of Atropoides nummifer avaible, Are you still
interested where are you located?
Ron
On 3/26/14,
Will0w783@hotmail.com <Will0w783@hotmail.com> wrote:
> I'm in PA. Where are you located and what are you asking for them? Are they
> unrelated?
Ronald Grey (yelledkeeper@gmail.com)
Add to contacts
3/27/14
[Flag this message]
To:
Will0w783@hotmail.com
yelledkeeper@gmail.com
I will be shipping the pair from Houston,Tx. There are related pair. I
will take $300 including shipping for them.
Ron
Ronald Grey
Add to contacts
3/27/14
[Flag this message]
On 3/27/14, Kimberly Urban <will0w783@hotmail.com> wrote:
> How closely related are they? Are they from the same clutch?
>
> Dr. Kimberly R. Urban , Ph.D.
> Neurophysiologist
>
To: Kimberly Urban
yelledkeeper@gmail.com
No, there are not from the same clutch. I also have 2 unrelated. A
friend is willing to take but he moved to Canada for a family reunion,
can let you have those ones.
On 3/29/14, Kimberly Urban <will0w783@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Ron,
>
> I definitely want to buy a pair of Atropoides nummifer from you; please
> email me back.
> ~ Kim
>
> Dr. Kimberly R. Urban , Ph.D.
> Neurophysiologist
Ronald Grey
Add to contacts
3/29/14
[Flag this message]
To: Kimberly Urban
yelledkeeper@gmail.com
To get the snaks ship to you, I will need to know the nearest airport
to your location, the full names of the person who will pickup the
snakes when they arrived your location,city,state,zip code and a cell
phone number.
Ronald.
Date: Sun, 30 Mar 2014 00:55:54 -0800
>> Subject: Re: Atropoides nummifer spp
>> From:
yelledkeeper@gmail.com
>> To:
Will0w783@hotmail.com
>>
>> hi when i get home,i will send recentbpics of the snakes to you
>> ok,will be this evening or monday.I will ship through Delta Dash.
>> Thank You.
>> Ron
On 3/31/14, Kimberly Urban <will0w783@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Hi Ron,
>
> Just touching base, to see if you'll get pictures to me tonight of the
> nummifers. I'm anxious to get the order completed as soon as possible so I
> can get the snakes.
>
> Thanks,
> Kim
>
> Dr. Kimberly R. Urban , Ph.D.
> Neurophysiologist
>
To: Kimberly Urban
yelledkeeper@gmail.com
Outlook.com Active View
2 attachments (total 75.6 KB)
View JPV.jpg in slide show
Download
View JPV..jpg in slide show
Download
View slide show (2)
Download all as zip
Hi Kim was thinking of going home some that I can get some good pic of
the snakes and send to you, I asked my son to get the pics and send to
me. At the attachment are pics of the snakes. What is the name of the
person that will pickup the snakes from the airport?
On 3/31/14, Kimberly Urban <will0w783@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Are you serious? I did a Google Image search since the two snakes were in
> very different enclosures, and what do you know "your" pictures popped up on
> the first page of results. The one on aspen is from a zoo and the other is
> from a forum.
> Unless you can get me pictures of the snakes with a card with today's date
> and my name "Kim" written on it next to the snakes, I will have to determine
> that you don't actually have the jumping vipers and are trying to steal my
> money. If your son sent you these in error, please take more pictures and
> get back to me.
> ~ Kim
>
> Dr. Kimberly R. Urban , Ph.D.
> Neurophysiologist
Re: Atropoides nummifer spp
Ronald Grey
Add to contacts
3/31/14
[Flag this message]
To: Kimberly Urban
yelledkeeper@gmail.com
Hi Sorry for that I just attached the pics he sent to me and forwarded
them to you without even noticing it is the the pics of the snakes. I
will get home mid week and send you many pics of the snakes and I
don't want to steal your money ok I am NOT that kind of a man ok.
Will send you pics Wednesday.
Ron
....Wednesday came and went, and no pictures. I dont' appreciate being lied to, and I am sure that he does not have nummifer in his possession and only wanted to steal money and run.
Here is the screenshot of his pictures that he sent me. The very different-looking enclosures made me immediately run an image search. I generally go to Google images whenever I am offered a snake to see if I can find the pictures elsewhere.
Also attached are screenshots of the Google search that yielded the images.