Scammers on TFO- @deercorpse and @rebmassor -Discussion

leigti

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I'll get mine recallibrated.
Mine doesn't need recalibrated, I just need to learn to listen to it. And as somebody said earlier, you don't want to be the one to accuse somebody because then other people will turn on you. And then what if you are wrong? I know I have learned a thing or two by this.
 

AZtortMom

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I think we should do it
 

Yvonne G

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I will put up Allegra's first post in her thread, sticky it, and close it, leaving the other, existing thread open with a link showing it in case anyone wants to continue posting on it. But first I have to ask our resident know-it-all how to make a duplicate thread without ruining the original.
 

newCH

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I got tired of reading the sob story. People fake cancer all the time.
You cant believe strangers & there is no taking people at "face value"
on the internet. It's a sad & messed up situation.
 

Onidara

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I will put up Allegra's first post in her thread, sticky it, and close it, leaving the other, existing thread open with a link showing it in case anyone wants to continue posting on it. But first I have to ask our resident know-it-all how to make a duplicate thread without ruining the original.
I like that idea but maybe we should add to it new members read first to it so all new members read it and get an idea what to look for.
 

stojanovski92113

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I do recall that this individual pulled at my heart strings a while back...stating that their tortoise was stolen, wife has cancer, no money....I responded to that persons post that I also live in Michigan and would do whatever I can to help find them a tortoise and more. I even told my husband to help me out with this and he felt bad too. But when their was no response to that post I left them...as bad as they wanted a tortoise from numerous threads I read, I thought that was weird. I was sure they would contact me somehow via responding to my statement or a PM. After that, I was reading a variety of threads with this persons posts and something just didn't seem right!? So most definitely this is a good idea. It's sad that there's so many whack jobs out there. Just like I read that a different member was saying his goodbyes on the forum recently because no one will hand over their tortoises because everyone wants to get to know him.
 

Grandpa Turtle 144

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I do recall that this individual pulled at my heart strings a while back...stating that their tortoise was stolen, wife has cancer, no money....I responded to that persons post that I also live in Michigan and would do whatever I can to help find them a tortoise and more. I even told my husband to help me out with this and he felt bad too. But when their was no response to that post I left them...as bad as they wanted a tortoise from numerous threads I read, I thought that was weird. I was sure they would contact me somehow via responding to my statement or a PM. After that, I was reading a variety of threads with this persons posts and something just didn't seem right!? So most definitely this is a good idea. It's sad that there's so many whack jobs out there. Just like I read that a different member was saying his goodbyes on the forum recently because no one will hand over their tortoises because everyone wants to get to know him.
I feel the answer I put on the : scammers on the TFO . Says it all !
There are many great people on the TFO . We are giving this scammer way too much time on the forum .
 

sissyofone

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Wow,The flipping audacity of some people literally make me sick. Its a damn shame folks gotta lie about such. Its all good though Karma is a biotch. And I truly believe what goes around comes around. I'm so glad no one gave their babies up to this jerk.
 

FLINTUS

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We have a lot of great people and members ( yes pat your self on the back) don't let 1or 2 spoil it for any body . We will get a couple of bad apples ,but most will be great cause we all love torts !
That's British humour in the quote you posted I'm guessing...
Rather than a serious question.
 

jeffjeff

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How can any one be so sick and twisted is beyond me. It did cross my mind at the time why some one would be spending time looking for animals instead of looking after his wife. I know that's what i would be doing. Is there a way to stop them just setting up a new account?
 

tglazie

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I've gotta hand it to him, this scammer was good. He didn't make the mistake of posting only in the for sale section to get people's money. But really, there's something more insidious about that, isn't there. I mean, a thief looking to rip off your wallet is one thing. A creature looking to take your tortoise through manipulation is another matter entirely. I mean, scammers make my blood boil, certainly. But in the end, money is replaceable. I've been ripped off before. That isn't fun. But the thought of someone stealing a tortoise, of playing the cancer card in a concerted effort to win sympathy points, to engineer and concoct this sob story all with the intention of manipulating someone into handing the animal over... I mean, to me, that's crazy, the product of a truly dysfunctional mind. It's like, why don't you go out and get a damned job? You could pay for a baby sulcata or red foot after working a few hours. I mean, to me, that's a better use of time, working a few days at some low paying job, rather than spending hours upon hours concocting some elaborate lie.

But yeah, I don't know what to think here. What was the end game? I mean, clearly this person was in contact with multiple forum members. Was the goal to acquire multiple free chelonians for the purpose of selling them? I guess that's it, but it still seems crazy to me, that this person would either mimic the speech patterns of those most passionate about tortoises or that this person actually enjoys the hobby of tortoise keeping but has such little regard for people that he would lie, cheat and steal to enrich himself at the expense of the rest of us. I mean, that is truly diabolical, but also incredibly idiotic, given that there isn't a constant revenue stream there. Members would eventually talk amongst each other and find him out. They could find out where he lived or to what address they sent their tortoises. It would leave a trail that any motivated person could follow. I understand scammers like patent trolls, reformed criminals selling overpriced magazine subscriptions, and bogus merchant services providers. I mean, those guys are dung downing scum, but I can understand their motivations, their internal drive. It's about the stealing of money given the incompetence and imperfections within our legal system, and they're very good at taking advantage of said imperfections. But this guy. I just don't understand. I mean, why isn't he out peddling that bull for something more substantial. I guess I will never understand how the criminal mind works.

Needless to say, I tend to be rather skeptical when it comes to these sob stories. I recently opened up my own embroidery business, and one thing you learn quick when you open up a new business, if you want to stay in business, is how to spot the myriad of liars and scammers coming your way.

On another topic, I never adopt to anyone I can't meet face to face. Breeding exchanges, adoptions, basically any exchange that doesn't involve money... I want to see the person with whom I'm dealing. I want to engage them in conversation.

T.G.
 

Redstrike

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Wow, what an a-hole! They PM'd me a month back asking about a good red foot setup and gave me the same line of malarkey about cancer. I think I may have even sent them your way because they were asking where I got my torts from. Sorry to have fueled the sh**-storm.
 

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