Ronald Grey- scammer alert!

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)
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3/26/14
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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)
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3/27/14
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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
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3/27/14
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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
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3/29/14
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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
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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
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3/31/14
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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.

Forgot to add a few emails. After the pictures came through and he tried to assure me he wasn't a scammer, I asked for a phone number to call him. When I called (at the time he'd asked me to), no one answered. Also, he kept saying he was in Texas and the phone number has a New York area code.

Re: Atropoides nummifer spp‏
Ronald Grey
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4/01/14
[Flag this message]
To: Kimberly Urban
yelledkeeper@gmail.com

Hi Kim, Sorry for the late reply. you can call me this morning at 7 am
will be going to work after then. Thank You.

On 3/31/14, Kimberly Urban <will0w783@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Thank you. Is it ok if I call you tomorrow- my phone had gotten wet tonight
> and my fiance said I should leave it in a bowl of rice overnight. Today has
> been a day of things going wrong for me...*sigh*
>
> Sorry about all the emails; I don't think I've been getting yours in order
> so I got confused. I'm looking forward to talking with you and seeing
> pictures of the snakes.
>
> ~ Kim
>
> Dr. Kimberly R. Urban , Ph.D.
> Neurophysiologist
>
>
>
>
>> Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2014 14:42:09 -0800
>> Subject: Re: Atropoides nummifer spp
>> From: yelledkeeper@gmail.com
>> To: will0w783@hotmail.com
>>
>> 914-365-8975 you can reach me at 11 pm Tx time
>>
>> On 3/31/14, Kimberly Urban <will0w783@hotmail.com> wrote:
>> > Ron,
>> >
>> > OK. I am looking forward to actual pictures of the snakes then. Is there
>> > a
>> > number I can call you at to talk about the snakes? It'd make me feel
>> > more
>> > comfortable.
>> >
>> > THanks,
>> > Kim
>> >
>> > Dr. Kimberly R. Urban , Ph.D.
>> > Neurophysiologist
>> >
>> >

See if he'll send you his bank account details so that you can make a deposit....

Originally Posted by Helenthereef

See if he'll send you his bank account details so that you can make a deposit....

God bless!

I sent him an email informing him of this thread and got this in reply:

Re: Atropoides nummifer spp- FAUNA BOI Thread alert‏
Ronald Grey
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4/08/14
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To: Kimberly Urban
yelledkeeper@gmail.com

Hi sorry for the late reply. I didn't get back to you because my wife
is sick so I had to stay in Canada for some time until she gets
better. Please it is not what you are thinking I will ask my daughter
this time to send you the photos and I am sure she is going to send
you the true ones.
Thanks for understanding.
Ron

On 4/8/14, Kimberly Urban <will0w783@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Ron,
>
> Since I have not heard back from you, no one answered at the phone number
> you gave me, and you sent me fraudulent pictures, I am assuming that you do
> not have the snakes in your possession and were attempting to pull one over
> on me. I have started a Fauna Classifieds Board of Inquiry thread. You are
> welcome to go to the thread to defend yourself, but I felt you should be
> informed of its existence. I do not appreciate being lied to or scammed, so
> hopefully this thread stops you from taking advantage of others.
>
> The thread can be viewed at:
> http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/foru...d.php?t=466859
>
> ~ Kimberly Urban

I'm certainly not holding my breath. Excuses, excuses....I really do not expect to ever see pictures of nummifers, and if I do get any I'm going to be doing very thorough searches to prove their authenticity.

Just remember the old saying "fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."

I wouldn't give him a second chance. No way!

At this point I'm not buying anything from him no matter what pictures I get. I don't trust the situation at all. I'm just curious.

I got this email out of the blue this morning (LOL):

Re: Atropoides nummifer spp- FAUNA BOI Thread alert‏
Ronald Grey
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5:50 AM
[Flag this message]
To: Kimberly Urban
yelledkeeper@gmail.com

since you had to put my address on a scam alert without me taking any
penny from you,i have th snakes and didn't wanted to sale them to
you.i was afraid you were going to use the pics for galery shows, i be
seeing into the situation.


I don't think he actually has the snakes; what I don't understand is why he decided to send this weeks after the last communication, where he was begging me to believe him and saying that his daughter would send me the real pictures.....

I doubt he has the snakes either; looks like you dodged a bullet, really.