# Tortoise Scam!!!!



## Chaco1980 (Oct 9, 2013)

Ok, I have been a member of this forum for a little bit now, this is the first time I have posted anything. I had a very interesting text conversation with someone selling tortoise on Craigslist for outrageously low prices. So we text over the span of about a day and a half. Long story short, I have a pretty good idea what tortoise go for. The kicker was that he wanted to get paid "wire transfer, to western reunion" that's when the conversation stopped. I really like my tortoise and the list of tortoise he supposedly had was like a dream, witch is exactly what it turned out be. I'm sure scams have been talked about, I was wandering if anyone has seen anything like this.


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## LisaTurtle (Oct 9, 2013)

I have not personally but I've seen others on here talk about the same scenario you described. Glad you realized it was a scam!


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## wellington (Oct 9, 2013)

Yes. I had also emailed back and forth with one, I knew it was a scam, just wanted to play a little. They are not in this country USA. Usually from a place like Cameroon. They will have just about every species and always dirt cheap. That's how they get so many people to bite. There are a lot of them out there so be careful. There is another one that is in the states and we have a long thread about him. Check this out. He goes by many names. There are many of his names listed throughout the thread. http://tortoiseforum.org/thread-51382.html


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## Yvonne G (Oct 10, 2013)

Yes. Usually those folks are in Camaroon and have no hope of ever shipping a tortoise to the U.S. They use the same ad for selling birds, puppies and turtles, only changing the words to sell whatever item the ad is about. Sometimes they forget to change all the "puppies" to tortoises and its quite funny.

I hope none of us ever gets caught up in one of those scams.


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## ILoveTortoises2 (Oct 10, 2013)

Yeah there is a LOT of people that LOVE to scam. I know I would NEVER get a tortoise from someone I didn't know. I also would NEVER send money threw western union. That is just weird if they do want you to do it that way because nowadays EVERYONE sends money threw Paypal. So that is deff a red flag. Good you caught it before you sent the money.


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## Kapidolo Farms (Oct 10, 2013)

Like this . . .

http://tortoiseuv.webs.com/


This was actually recommended to me by a "friend". I passed it along, only to be alerted by another it was what they felt was a scam. I've not purchased from them, I don't buy anything on line that is not from a business with a street address I can not verify otherwise.

I would not say That I know it is, but buyer beware is always the watch word with consumable luxury items, and yeah tortoises are pets, and 'consumable' luxury items. Just a category that include dogs and cats too, don't get bent over it.

Will


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## oknursedana (Oct 10, 2013)

I am by no means an expert but on the website above my post they are advertising Leopard hatchlings with a Sulcata pic.


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## ICUSleeping (Oct 10, 2013)

::cough cough:: if I could chime in....every scenario is different...majority of places are scames I agree....BUT.....:dodgy: I wasn't a scam and I HAD to pay western Union ....I didn't have a PayPal don't know how to use it , I couldn't find her bank to deposit money, I could of done a bank to bank transfer but that's another 20$ on both ends on top of what ever your wireing..I sure as heck would NOT mail any money my only option I had was to do that, western union....NOW she was trusting enough to send me her baby and I would make payment upon safe delivery ..well baby gets here and then I run in to a mess of problems trying to make payment, several days later I get to a dead end and that was my last resort...we kept communication the hole time and I kept her up to date on what I was trying to do, I'm sure I made her worry and she DID not wanna do western union but at the end of the day she got her $ ...soo not everyone a crook:angel: or an angel but I thought I'd share my experience


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## Chaco1980 (Oct 10, 2013)

I agree that not everyone that's does payments with Western Union is a scam. I would be completely convinced of that if someone had sent me a tortoise, and had faith that I would pay for it after I received it. But when a person claims they live in the states and is running a business of selling tortoises, and will only except WU. I think that there is a 99.9% chance of it being a scam. Anyone who deals in the kind of animals this guy was into would have been smart to get a easier more secure way of dealing with payments. I spent a few years a foreign country and that was one of the ways I would get money sent to my. So I do agree that the WU thing is not always a bad thing ., but it does make me look pretty hard when it pops up.


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## ALDABRAMAN (Oct 10, 2013)

Chaco1980 said:


> *scams **// I was wandering if anyone has seen anything like this.*



** I have seen many and it is truly disgusting! On many occasions the scammer actually sends me a picture of my own animals they are alleging to be for sale!*


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## kanalomele (Oct 11, 2013)

ALDABRAMAN said:


> Chaco1980 said:
> 
> 
> > *scams **// I was wandering if anyone has seen anything like this.*
> ...


 Yes your pictures get used often Greg. Every couple of months there are ads in my local craigslist for torts using your pics!


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## ben32hayt (Oct 11, 2013)

Will said:


> Like this . . .
> 
> http://tortoiseuv.webs.com/
> 
> ...



It's a good thing you posted that website on this forum I have been thinking of purchasing a tortoise from them for a while but their prices have always seemed "too good to be true." Thanks to you I now know it's a scam. 
-Ben


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## Kapidolo Farms (Oct 11, 2013)

Don't mean to get to much into a quibble over exact words, but I do not "know" it is a scam. I just won't but from any on-line source that does not have some sort of alternate way to know they are 'for real'.

Even Amazon, Overstock, eBay, etc all have a street address where I can actually go and knock on a door, even if I never do is beside the point. 

Tortoise Universe was suggested to me. I passed it on to some other people, none ever said anything in response. Then when I was ready to buy, my friend said they did not in fact buy from them, and they failed to demonstrate any actual person or place test that I apply.

My own lure to it was based on the credibility of the person who at first told me they were "going to buy" the Egyptians. Follow-up with that person before my own interest to buy, revealed they in fact did not buy any animals from Tortoise Universe. That made me apply my own scrutiny to them, as they had not sold to anyone else I knew.

Happy 'other' customer that I know will reduce the scrutiny I apply and in that case, I will 'risk' it. 

So, yeah Tortoise Universe may be a scam, their prices are good, but not 'great'. but you can't even get an ideal where they are, or who they are, so that by default makes it a scam, by likelihood, not experience based facts.

That is the measure that TFO uses for "dealer reviews". Base it on your own actual experience with with your own narrative stated as objectively as possible.

Maybe Tortoise Universe is real, but I have only my subjective assessment, and that is not fact based.

I think it is difficult to find a trusted situation with internet sales even when you are reasonable sure the people and/or animals are real, no matter which side of the transaction you are on. Potential customers are just as likely to be 'interested' in rip-offs or be scammers.

Will




ben32hayt said:


> Will said:
> 
> 
> > Like this . . .
> ...


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## ILoveTortoises2 (Oct 11, 2013)

Well let me explain better then my last post... I personally just don't trust anyone that wants someone to use Western Union that I have NEVER talked to or have not seen others that have dealt with this person.... NOW if they had a GREAT background and others have done this then YES I would do it but ONLY if I knew these's other people and they have done this themselves. Like for instance on TortoiseForum IF someone that I have seen out here that could only except Western Union because of a certain reason and other TortoiseForum members have purchased from them then yes I would do it. I just will NOT send someone money I haven't talked to or seen. Just so I wouldn't get scammed. That is all I'm saying 

I do know that you don't need to have a paypal to send money. Also if you do OR I think don't have a bank account for the money to go to you can sign up for a free PayPal credit card that will have your money on the card right when the person send the money to you. So it is something good for breeders to look into if you wanted


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## reatrocity (Oct 11, 2013)

It's always good to verify with multiple past buyers. I was very concerned about buying a tortoise online-- I probably never would have without you guys vouching for people. All these people I was able to look up, verify them, and such in order to make sure I was comfortable with the whole thing.

People will always be out for a quick buck. Shame the world is the way it is, but it is how it is, I guess! I hate craigslist for this very reason.


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## ILoveTortoises2 (Oct 11, 2013)

reatrocity said:


> It's always good to verify with multiple past buyers. I was very concerned about buying a tortoise online-- I probably never would have without you guys vouching for people. All these people I was able to look up, verify them, and such in order to make sure I was comfortable with the whole thing.
> 
> People will always be out for a quick buck. Shame the world is the way it is, but it is how it is, I guess! I hate craigslist for this very reason.



I agree 100% It is very sad


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## AlishaT (Oct 16, 2013)

Sounds like a classic scam, not just the price but also the request that the money be wired.


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