Stay away from Amanda/Red Gribben, "Mythology" (BAD GUY!!)

Amanda/Red Gribben has been on the BOI before by another user who I have been in contact with. Unfortunately, I wasn't aware of her fraud until it was too late for me. PLEASE avoid buying any snakes that she posts on here. Here's my situation, all facts:

She contacted me after I posted about Het albino ball pythons. She offered a female, provided complete history, and complete steps for payment through paypal. She set a delivery date, received my information and processed my payment. She even remained in contact with me after the payment was received to secure the shipping date. On the day of shipment, she disappeared and I received NOTHING! She hasn't been responding to emails or phone calls and has disappeared with my payment. I am in the process of filing a claim. I have proof of all of this if anyone is interested in more details. Here is her information, please try avoiding her!!!

She will use multiple email addresses and names to scam you. BE CAREFUL!!!

Amanda/Red Gribben
emails: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

websites: www.pawsitivelypitbull.org, www.myspace.com/pawsitivelypitbull, http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=4107072.

phone numbers: work? (503) 233-2332, Pawsitively Pitbulls 503.255.2313

The last website is her personal myspace page. The work number is where she claims to work, Hawthorne Veterinary Clinic.

PLEASE try to avoid her. She has not been online since she scammed me, so it is possible she is under a new name already. I really hope she does not get another chance to take anyone's money again.

I hope this helps.

Just give her an ultimatum sending a message to all her e-mail addresses as well as leaving one in his answering machine. Either she sends your money back (believe me you don't want that snake but the money) or if not you will send an e-mail explaining the situation and a link to this thread to the following:

1. The Oregon Friends of Shelter Animals explaining your situation (their email [email protected]).

2. The Portland Pride at [email protected]

3. The Northwest Pet and Companion Fair at [email protected] (503-287-7541).

These are all local organizations that she is affiliated with (through local dog shows). Give her the chance to rectify the situation first, but if nothing happens, turn on the heat!

As soon as these organisations learn about her activities outside of the dog circuit, and how bad they reflect on the other dog breeders they will more than likely let her go.

Good luck!

Gribben's emails to me:
10/17/06, she contacted me first based on a post of mine:
I have a female 100% het albino female who is 1200 grams and could breed this
year. let me know if you are interested

10/18/06, answering the questions I asked about the snake:
Temperment is good. She could be really sweet, but I don't handle her, shes not really a pet here. No issues with taking her out for cleaning or anything, shes not aggressive. She eats live and ft, mice only (so far). Would like $400 shipping included and she would go out from Portland OR. Pictures are attached.

10/20/06, answering more questions I had:
No she has not been bred, but should be ready to go this year, as she is just barely minimum breeding weight. No microchip, but can provide a signed guarantee of genetics and parentage, as well as feeding, gender, etc. I prefer paypal. Let me know if $400 shipped is acceptable and I will send you an invoice for the purchase via Paypal. Thanks for your business

10/21/06, I asked to discuss the purchase over the telephone, but she ignored it. discussing her paypal account (new one?):
I made mine! Let me know when yours is ready to go. Mine is [email protected] you can either send the amt or I can send you an invoice.

10/22/06, I asked for the invoice she said she would send ahead of time and mentioned I would pay with Visa:
Generally it only takes 3 or 4 days for the amt to be deposited, then your account is verified. Though now that you upgraded already thats no problem, just fyi, with your upgraded account and using a credit card, paypal will automatically snag like 2 or 3 percent of what you send to me. I usually, in this insistance, ask that buyer honor the surcharge. If this will be a problem let me know. I send the invoice with the snake (in the box) on all shipments. It has all my information, snakes information, and all feeding, weight and shed records I have on the snake. No idea how *long* she is, thats really tricky to determine in an animal that doesnt hold still, but I can see about taking her into a vet and getting a more accurate (tomorrow) recent weight on her. Let me know! Shes a lovely animal, you will be very happy with her. I will let you know when I have the payment and have processed it, and I should be able to ship her the next day.

10/23/06, day of payment, $412.00
Got it! Going to have a nice chat with paypal today, as its not letting me add either a credit card or a bank account to get the funds OFF that paypal acct. I need to have them in my bank account for shipping costs, is the thing. GRRR. Will keep you updated. If need be I will refund the money and we can try a different way of payment. Sorry this is being a pain!

10/24/06, discussing shipping:
Was going to email you just now! Yes I got it figured out and can ship her out any day. Probably friday or monday, as I work all day tomorrow and thursday. I will ship her overnight, so whatever afternoon I ship her, the next day is when you would get her. I will also send you the tracking number. Are you home during the day? If not, let me know what day works best for you, or I could ship her to your work if you know individual employees can receive packages. I use UPS, and unfortunately no shipper can give you a time window of delivery. Let me know what address works best for you, or a particular day that works best for you. Let me know if you have any other questions about the process!

10/25/06, asked to be shipped monday. Last email I received. No contact since:
Sounds good. I will send her out monday. And yes its fine for her to be in a box that long. I have had the shipper miss me and I had to go to the facility the next day and the snake was fine. I will check the weather in both our areas and put heat or cold packs in with her to account for temp. The way they are packed, they do not get jostled or lose air. Will email you Monday PM with the tracking number. Have fun on your weekend out!


These are the emails she sent me. Hope it helps.

Something is REALLY not adding up, looking at the different myspace pages that are supposedly hers.

One says she's 22, and one says she's 30.......one has but a high school education, one says she has a bachelors degree in sociology. Not to mention one speaks like an adult, and the other looks like a typical teenage blog.

Sammy, you speak of her being a dog breeder, yet on the one page, she's talking about having a pit bull and a cat (and getting her Mom to drive her to a dog show so she can look for an AmStaff).........and the other is the director of a large rescue organization.......do you know something that we dont about this girl? It appears to me to be 2 totally different people.

I know of this person perhaps

Having a myspace account myself, this person may have been on my friends list. I have a few reject snakes that need Vet care, and it seems one profile (since i own a Pit Bull too) is one this person responded to me with.

On myspace..NEVER buy an animal. Too many people claim they have reptiles for sale and DO NOT. This person may have been in a Herp. group if i remember right.

Adores dogs, mainly Pit Bulls. Never once that i read a profile by this person or a Herp. group was there a posting for a sale of a reptile.

My page is all about my rescues, mainly my snakes and 'urgent' listed Pit Bulls etc. I believe this is the same person on my friends list...and now GONE. I checked.

Myspace..a place for scams if your not careful.

I hope you clear this up.

On this site she stated she worked at PetCo as well.

Click to expand...

*Oops -said she was going to work at PetCo not that she did work there.

Dennis Hultman said:

I'm wondering if Amayon (Red) who often posts as she were a child, assumed her identity online. Of course, this is purely guesswork but it has some merit to it.

Click to expand...

Dennis.....once again, you've read my mind.


(Stop doing that, it's starting to creep me out!)