• Posted 12/19/2024.
    =====================

    I am still waiting on my developer to finish up on the Classifieds Control Panel so I can use it to encourage members into becoming paying members. Google Adsense has become a real burden on the viewing of this site, but honestly it is the ONLY source of income now that keeps it afloat. I tried offering disabling the ads being viewed by paying members, but apparently that is not enough incentive. Quite frankly, Google Adsense has dropped down to where it barely brings in enough daily to match even a single paid member per day. But it still gets the bills paid. But at what cost?

    So even without the classifieds control panel being complete, I believe I am going to have to disable those Google ads completely and likely disable some options here that have been free since going to the new platform. Like classified ad bumping, member name changes, and anything else I can use to encourage this site to be supported by the members instead of the Google Adsense ads.

    But there is risk involved. I will not pay out of pocket for very long during this last ditch experimental effort. If I find that the membership does not want to support this site with memberships, then I cannot support your being able to post your classified ads here for free. No, I am not intending to start charging for your posting ads here. I will just shut the site down and that will be it. I will be done with FaunaClassifieds. I certainly don't need this, and can live the rest of my life just fine without it. If I see that no one else really wants it to survive neither, then so be it. It goes away and you all can just go elsewhere to advertise your animals and merchandise.

    Not sure when this will take place, and I don't intend to give any further warning concerning the disabling of the Google Adsense. Just as there probably won't be any warning if I decide to close down this site. You will just come here and there will be some sort of message that the site is gone, and you have a nice day.

    I have been trying to make a go of this site for a very long time. And quite frankly, I am just tired of trying. I had hoped that enough people would be willing to help me help you all have a free outlet to offer your stuff for sale. But every year I see less and less people coming to this site, much less supporting it financially. That is fine. I tried. I retired the SerpenCo business about 14 years ago, so retiring out of this business completely is not that big if a step for me, nor will it be especially painful to do. When I was in Thailand, I did not check in here for three weeks. I didn't miss it even a little bit. So if you all want it to remain, it will be in your hands. I really don't care either way.

    =====================
    Some people have indicated that finding the method to contribute is rather difficult. And I have to admit, that it is not all that obvious. So to help, here is a thread to help as a quide. How to become a contributing member of FaunaClassifieds.

    And for the record, I will be shutting down the Google Adsense ads on January 1, 2025.
  • Responding to email notices you receive.
    **************************************************
    In short, DON'T! Email notices are to ONLY alert you of a reply to your private message or your ad on this site. Replying to the email just wastes your time as it goes NOWHERE, and probably pisses off the person you thought you replied to when they think you just ignored them. So instead of complaining to me about your messages not being replied to from this site via email, please READ that email notice that plainly states what you need to do in order to reply to who you are trying to converse with.

Info Frank Smith Scam Alert!! Whats your thoughts?

Adam Kirk

Adam Kirk

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I received an inquiry via email about my Woma pythons. I responded with the infor and new pics he wanted. The next day I got another email from him. I will post them now. The bold will be his emails.

The first email was

hello
Am frank am interested in your snake so i will like you to get back to me with your price and more pics of the snake.
My Regard.
NT here is my private [email protected]

First of all the price is posted in the ad....
I sent pics and price as he requested.
The next email I got from his was.

Hello

Thanks so much for the email, I'm happy you still have the ads for
sale , I'm currently not in town for now,I'm Okay with your asking
price ,But i will like you to know that you will receiving the sum of
$3,500 from my business associate the payment include shipment fees
once you received the payment you will take it to your bank for
clearance once it clear and you deduct your cost from it you will now
send the remaining balance to to my shipper by via western union money
transfer also i have a local pick-up agent that will come to your
resident for the pick-up but that will be after when i send you the
payment and the payment is received by you ,Now i want you to email me
back the following information such as:

Your Full Name:

Your full Contact address:

Your City:

Your State:

Your Zipcode:

Your Cell/home phone number :

YOUR LAST PRICE:

So that the payment can be mailed out to you without any further
delay, Meanwhile the payment will be mailed out by check or Bank
Certified Check, I await your payment info Today ,Thank you.



The email showed up in my inbox under the name Frank Smith.

Just wanted to warn everyone and hear your thoughts as well. This is the second of such emails I have received in the last six months. I do not remember if it was the same person or who even knows if that is his real name. Let me know what you think.

Thanks
Adam
 
standard scam wording.. sending you more than you ask and then asking you to send the 'extra' back to them. The check will clear and then after going through processing, will come back as fake or fraudulent and then you'll be on the line for the entire amount.
 
That is a scam for sure. They have been doing it for years. They send you a bogus check for more then the purchase price, and then they ask you for the difference in a money order. Then you find out the check you got from them was no good. The name is always changing, but the scam is the same.
 
Scam? SCAM you say???

Typical buisness dealing? NO
Typical scam sucbutt? YEAH
I wouldn't even email back, you might get a Edisease with his reply, or he might get that last little bit of info he needs to gain access to your account.
35 years ago I used to ask questions when someone tried to run a scam on me, mainly just to see what they came up with and how they perpetuated the scam. We would run down to San Antonio, and being a few shorthaired Army boys in a big town, the downtown hustlers were always looking for a "mark". I might even donate about 5 bucks to see the scam played out, just for fun. Nowadays, my hair is longer and grayer, but with just the little info they might get from you, they might get more than $5.00 from your account. I don't play anymore.
 
Yep, as posted. It's a typical scam. They'll respond to anything at all that is for sale on the internet. Some folks will fool them and go along just for the sport of it, without giving any actual personal information out at all(of course!!) just to waste the scammer's time.

Personally, I usually hit delete, or you can also report it(depending on your ISP's policy)as a scamming email.
 
That is so obvious that I'm surprised anybody actually takes the time to read those emails...though sometimes it IS amusing to string them along for a while. Heck, might as well collect a check or two for your collection (just don't try to cash it).
 
Could run a contest, see who can collect the most physical checks from a scammer before they give up. How many excuses can you give for not receiving the check?
It didn't arrive, the dog ate it, the snake pooped on it, my wife/husband took it when they left with their lover for Canada, I thought it looked suspicious so I set it on fire, ninja stole it, the mail lost it, the black heliocopters showed up and appropriated it....

Hmm.. I seem to have too much time on my hands today.
 
hhmoore said:
That is so obvious that I'm surprised anybody actually takes the time to read those emails...though sometimes it IS amusing to string them along for a while. Heck, might as well collect a check or two for your collection (just don't try to cash it).
Click to expand...

PRECISELY!!!

Go for it Adam, have some fun with it!
 
Wolfy-hound said:
Could run a contest, see who can collect the most physical checks from a scammer before they give up. How many excuses can you give for not receiving the check?
It didn't arrive, the dog ate it, the snake pooped on it, my wife/husband took it when they left with their lover for Canada, I thought it looked suspicious so I set it on fire, ninja stole it, the mail lost it, the black heliocopters showed up and appropriated it....

Hmm.. I seem to have too much time on my hands today.
Click to expand...



LOL...that's hilarious!:rofl:


But more seriously, getting them to send more checks might be the only way we can get any type of justice against these crooks...

....Because I don't imagine it's cheap to buy the fancy paper or color ink to print them, or cheap to mail it overseas to the US...

He he, I wonder if they would be willing to overnight the check, LOL...that would cost them a bit I imagine:D

They want to burn us for our cash, I say we get them for as much paper and postage as possible while they're at it:dgrin:
 
ilovemylizard said:
LOL...that's hilarious!:rofl:


But more seriously, getting them to send more checks might be the only way we can get any type of justice against these crooks...

....Because I don't imagine it's cheap to buy the fancy paper or color ink to print them, or cheap to mail it overseas to the US...

He he, I wonder if they would be willing to overnight the check, LOL...that would cost them a bit I imagine:D

They want to burn us for our cash, I say we get them for as much paper and postage as possible while they're at it:dgrin:
Click to expand...

:iagree:

Spend enough time to make him salavate over how many free animals and cash he's gonna get and then drop him like a hot frying pan! lol.. dumb scammers
 
Actually... I received a check once Overnight before and it was using someone's fed ex account to do so... I contacted the police, the woman whose account they were using and the bank that was printed on the check and they all verified that the FBI was onto these people and trying to figure out where this scam is originating from. I would go ahead and get the check then do all these things... especially get the info on who's account they use to send it to you so they can go and change their info.
 
Dear Frank Smith,

I will like you to send me only the exact amount of moneys I have stated in the for sale ad which you have interest.
I'm currently not in town, either, but once I recieve that exact sum I will take it to my bank for clearance. Once it clear I will deliver to your local pick-up agent the snakes. Now I want you to email me back the following information such as:

Your Full Name:
Your local pick-up agent name:
Your full Contact address:
You full local pick-up agent Contact address:
Your City:
Your local pick-up agent City:
Your State:
You local pick-up agent State:
Your Zipcode:
your local pick-up agent State:
Your Cell/home phone number : Your local pick-up agent Cell/home phone number:

PS ... I am so happy you have made correspondence with me. I visited the commercial department of your country embassy for Enquires and they furnished me with a list of reliable businessmen and women among which your name strikes to me as my best partner, in respect to the my issue below.

I am currently on self excile due to persistent war in my homeland. One thing I can promise you is that if we cooperate together and work with one mind, we would definitely achieve success at the end of the day.
I am very honest with you as regards this transaction I about about to offer and I appeal to you to do the same on your part and take everything seriously because it involves my entire family.
Due to security reasons and for the fact that my last project emanated from Bonglia, I cannot transfer all my moneys directly from my Bonglian bank account to my new US bank account.
I have the sum of Sixty Million USD ($60,000,000.00) specially preserved and well packed in trunk boxes of which only I know about.
It is packed in such a way to forestall just anybody having access to it. It is this sum that I seek your assistance to get out of Bonglia as soon as possible before the present civilian government finds out about it and confiscate it just like they have done to all my assets. I have resolved to give you a negotiable 25% of the total fund.

Be rest assured that there is no risk involved since I have taken care of everything. I want you to immediately inform me of your willingness in assisting and co-operating with me, so that I can send you full details of this transaction and let us make arrangement for a meeting and discuss at length on how to transfer this funds. Also furnish me with your private e-mail address, private Tel/Fax Numbers for a personal contact with you.

Finally, I am trusting on your full understanding on this, hoping that there will be absolute confidentiality.

Best regard,
 
lol yep i got one of those emails last year lol so i sent them the name of a detective at our police station, police dept addy, detectives # and waited to see what happened lol never heard anything about it though lol
 
Haha, giving them the police dept number.

Sound like my idea of these callers asking to talk to "whoever is in charge of the telephone account?" And I give them the customer service number for AT&T.

I figure if they didn't spend the money to get a high class Spam list with names of the people at the numbers they'll call, they don't deserve to waste the boss's time. I've also chastised one telemarketer, telling him to inform his supervisor that they need to put out a lot more money to get a updated SPAM list of phone numbers to call, because they are asking for someone who hasn't been the owner of the business for over 2 years. He had the audacity to ask me "Who is the currant owner?" I told him that information wasn't free, and if he wanted to send me a check for $50, I would supply the currant busniess owner's name and the approximate time of day he could reach her. Funny enough, he hasn't called back yet.
 
The address of the FBI Financial Crimes Division in DC might be an amusing one to give them, LOL:dgrin:

I used to have that address written down somewhere, I'll have to go find it again...:D


Something also occurred to me while catching up on this thread...does anyone know if there are any internal police departments or other law enforcement similar to our FBI in these west African nations? I know it is difficult for anyone here in the US to do anything, but surely there must be some kind of courts or prosecutors in those African countries who would be interested in info on thieves running this kind of fraud out of their own country?

Forwarding emails, and other contact info to their local government/police, might be more effective...I would think there has to be some kind of punishment for international criminal fraud/theft like this??
 
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