Avoid getting scammed by people selling parrots on the internet, one lady’s story and how you can learn from it.
For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Jamieleigh and I have a lot of parrots. The picture below, is me. I’m blonde, about 5’4″ and work and train parrots for a living.
Now that you know what I look like, I can tell you more about how to save yourself upwards of $300 and a ton of heartbreak by not buying birds from people who are scamming you out of your money – and using my photos with my own birds to do so. If you see me and my birds in an ad saying the birds are for sale – run the other direction, it’s a scam. And scammers LOVE using my pictures.
Blue throated macaw
First of all, scammers are getting darn good and they’re making tons of fake websites to help them get your money fast. For example, the International Animal Transport Agency website (http://petmover.webs.com/contactus.htm)? It doesn’t really exist. It’s fake. You can’t contact the customer service, they have tons of typos and none of the information given is legit… scammers created it to make you feel like you can actually track your non-existent new pet they didn’t ship.
HOW SCAMMERS FIND YOU:
- You put out an ad on the internet saying you want to buy a parrot.
- Someone else (scammer) puts out a fake ad about selling/giving away a parrot which you respond to.
WEBSITES WE’VE FOUND PARROT SCAMS ON USING OUR PICTURES:
- http://www.hoobly.com/
- http://www.kijiji.com/
- http://www.oodle.com/
Now this doesn’t mean these are bad websites, but it does mean to shop carefully and be able to recognize when people are using our photos for their ads. If you see it, REPORT IT. It’s fraud and it’s illegal. Only buy from verified and trustworthy sellers, those that are will have icons saying so next to their user names.
The latest victim to a parrot selling scam involving my pictures was a nice lady from Canada named Wendy. She put an ad out looking for a cockatiel, and she got a reply from Ann Lewis saying she was out of cockatiels but had some other parrots that might interest Wendy. These parrots happened to be… mine. And Ann? Well she happened to be… me. Or at least she claimed she was me in the photos she sent out to Wendy.
Ann sent Wendy tons of pictures of me with my birds that she stole from this very blog, as well as our Flickr account. I suggest you become VERY familiar with our photos from flickr so that you can help spot new ad scams out there.
After falling in love with our parrot pictures and the hopes of getting one of our birds, Wendy quickly sent Ann the $110 she asked for simply for shipping and nothing else. Ann just wanted to make sure the birds went to a really good home… yeah, right.
Straight from scammer Ann to Wendy:
these birds came with all necessary papers needed,but as the Canadian veterinarian must conduct another test to be sure of their health status,It was done ,all was fine and Medication Papers were accurate ,The test Results shows that this birds are free from such diseases that may attack other Animals like (dogs, Monkeys and Cats E.T.C).So these birds are now ready for shipping and delivery ……………. But it should be noted that this processes cannot be carried out unless the sum of ($110) is paid for the flight ticket .for these birds will come alongside with two of our pet carriers.
FYI, all money transactions were done through Western Union.
But then when it came time to “ship the birds” Ann needed $350 for insurance on the flight. Wendy didn’t have it and let Ann know it. But Ann had an idea – she would pay $200 if Wendy paid $150 and then the birds would get there the NEXT DAY! Wendy was excited, and quickly paid the next $150 to Ann.
DEAR CLIENT,
ACCEPT GREETINGS FROM THE ENTIRE STAFF OF THE PET TIME OF PET MOVERS CARGO BRANCH BANFF / CANMORE. WE HAVE INFORMATION TO DELIVER TWO HYACINTH MACAW PARROTS AT YOUR HOME TODAY. WE ARE SORRY FOR THE WHAT WE ARE TO TELL YOU BUT YOU HAVE TO KNOW THAT VACCINES OF YOUR BIRDS HAVE EXPIATE JUST SOME FEW HOURS A GO AND WE WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THE ANIMAL DOCTORS OF THE CANADIAN KENNEL CLUB SAID THAT THIS BIRDS CAN NOT CONTINUE THE FLIGHT TO YOUR HOME . THIS VACCINES COST $150. THIS VACCINES IS OF YOUR OWN GOOD AS THESE BIRDS CAN BE AFFECTED BY DISEASES THAT CONTAMINATE PETS IN A FLIGHT. SO PLEASE GET BACK TO US AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND SEE THAT YOU PAY THIS MONEY SO THAT THESE BIRDS CAN GET THEIR VACCINES WRIGHT AWAY AND BE DELIVERED OK.
SORRY FOR THE THIS BUT WE CAN NOT DO UNDER WISE
Still… no birds. Nothing… and this was $260 later…
Then another email from Ann. This time she needed MORE MONEY for vet checks and bills because she couldn’t send them without getting them checked out. This is when Wendy drew the line and started doing her own research online. That’s when she found MY photos with the birds (who were renamed Vinny and Minny by Ann for ultimate scamming purposes) and contacted me via my email. I told her where she could find our videos, authentic websites and a link to our Flickr… all of which she had found on her own and knew Ann was not legit and she had lost her money for good.
Her new goal? To let ALL OF YOU know about her loss so you don’t face the same.
BEWARE OF THESE SCAMMER EMAIL ADDRESSES:
- interpetdelivers@in.com
- lewisann2009@live.com
TIPS FOR AVOIDING BEING SCAMMED:
When people just want a good home for their bird and will only charge you shipping, BE CAUTIOUS. Demand photos with DATE STAMPS, demand phone calls with the people you’re in contact with, demand to talk to the vet who checks the birds before shipping them. And when it’s international, you HAVE to complete paperwork so don’t believe the sender has it “all taken care of” because they can’t! It’s literally impossible, both parties HAVE to complete paperwork such as import/export permits and go through designated ports of entry. Vets have to check the animals at take off and landing destinations… it’s very in depth so don’t let anyone fool you.
43 comments
I was just scammed by Feathered Pet Emporium. Thought I purchased pair of Mynah birds. Supposedly shipped and then got email from supposed shipper needing $1200.00 for life insurance. So Im out $1700.00. Wish I would have researched this scam before.
Been emailing Julian Greg and Rose Benedita for a black palm and blue hyacinth and needing to know if they are legit
Glamparrots.com tried to scam me. ALMOST sent the money and decided to google the website with the keyword scam. They’ve scammed a lot of people. Thank God I didn’t complete the transaction! Does anyone know where to really buy an Indian ring neck parrot?
Someone just tried to scam me. Claimed to be a breeder of cockatiels. Talked for over an hour on text before I finally smelled bull sh:t. Wanted an etransfer. Wish I could post a picture of the facebook page.
Has anyone heard of owens bird farm in New Jersey
Does anybody know of Lewis parrot farm as I want to know if it’s legit
I think I nearly got scammed on line by a company called Lewis Parrots Farm in Scotland. I did not know it was in Scotland till a applied for one of the African Grey Parrots pictured, as nothing on the site tells you where they are situated, no contact number
Parrotsalfahome.com reported as a scam on perscams.com.wonder if they are too. No money out of my pocket but very disappointed. My senior residents who I was going to introduce my supposed parrot to is excellent therapy for my alzhiemers patients. Shame on them….
Wilson Cardana/Cardanna is using Facebook posts to look for someone who can adopt her African Grey. She links shipment of the parrot with Woof Airlines who will accept Google Play, Amazon or Playsafecard forms of payment. Unfortunately I sent her a few photos of myself with my parrots. Now I wonder if “she” will use my photos!
Anyone heard of Alicia grey parrots? Wondering if they are a scam too
Interesting blog. I was looking at Black Palm Cockatoos and found several sites with prices 20% of what I expected. I booked marked 8 websites I was interested in. When I went back a month later to do more research, every single website no longer existed. I suspect they were all scams. Your words of wisdom makes great sense – especially that if a price is too good to be true, it probably isn’t.
Always check out the shipping carrier too. They create fake websites and the shipping company name may only be a letter off, such as “xchange” instead of "exchange. Also the websites age usually new. You can determine the age of a website domain by using a Domain Age Tool. If you do a search on their phone number it will not have a owner because they are spoofing the number. Their email address can be fake. Be aware there are Fake Email Generators. You can even do this with a GMAIL account. Make sure you use a pay app that is insures against fraud. NEVER EVER use an atm/bank card or a card with a high credit availability. As a matter of fact, just shop local. SHOP LOCAL. Bird Fairs are everywhere a few times a year. GOOGLE A FAIR AND GO IN PERSON. Read up on the fairs and their vendors. When you visit, ask for their health checks. I know this sounds like common sense, but it’s not or you would not be looking up bird scams on the internet.
I just about got scammed I think. The thing that made me not make the purchase is that the seller seemed to get angry when I wanted to check them out. They started texting me why they were not a scam and got angry. I explained it was just a smart business decision. I actually thought the birds were coming from houston but they are coming from cali. I they were a ligit breeder they should not be upset.
So I need help I don’t know if I’m being scammed or not but this person wants 350 for a African grey but it’s still in the egg so its going to be awhile but they want 150…I keep getting the same pictures but no update an the bird itself
We have I believe already been scammed by a place called parrotyard out of California. Hopefully we will be getting money back from Venmo because we used the protection. I have now found a place called passion-dog birds out of Oklahoma. This seller put us more at ease and asked the right questions. However they still want money up front before shipping which I understand but I am still very nervous.
Beware!!! I just got scammed for 1k. Their ig name is @tropicalexoticbirds2 @tropicalbirdsfarm I’m pretty sure they are using someone else pic as their profile pic. But anyways I didn’t realized I got scammed until I did my research after I sent $515 for “insurance” after they said they’re going to ship my bird if I sent that amount. They said we can cancel process if I wanted & they were giving me like an attitude bc “they’re working so hard to register this bird.” I should had seen this as a red flag but I didn’t until after I had an uneasy gut feeling and did my research after. After doing my research… it was on point. I confronted to them and then they blocked me right away. Waiting for my bank to dispute the total amount back to me.
Beware of Africangreyparrotbreeders.com He had a 14wk Lily African Grey parrot saying it was fully weaned , talking, doing tricks etc. For $500 he ships plus has a van from airport go right to your home. He emailed me photos and said shipping was $100. He didn’t ask where it was being shipped to . It did have a phone number that was listed in Montana, I emailed questions which he quickly emailed back and was anxious for sale, but every time I asked him to call he wouldn’t. The bird was beautiful, looked older and with all that the bird did was only $500 beware!!
Don’t ever give Nobleafricangrayparrot.com money I made payments for two months he stole my money did not shop my bird won’t answer my calls. He is making me cry today 700 dollars he stole from me. Stay away from nobleaficangrayparrot.com
Do you know anything about Pharaoh Parrots in Rhode Island?They have alexandrine parrots for sale at $1200.I live in Leesburg,FL.When asked about shipping,they said shipping charge is only $30.But did not specify method of shipping.Alexandrine parrots usually sell for about $2500-3000.Shipping by airport is usually around $200.How could it be only $30 shipping to Leesburg FL VIA Orlando airport?Please contact me with information about Pharaoh Parrots.Thank you.William Patterson.
If anyone familiar with richardpetstore.com? I’ve been looking for a parrot for a while now and can’t find any options that don’t seem like scams. This online store seems sketchy it asks you to check out by paying through cash app and when you go to the about us page it shows reviews of people saying they bought stuff at the actual location of the store but when I look up the address it’s a regular house and if you look up the store it doesn’t pop up with an address or location.
Check out the shelters for pet birds, they need a good home and usually are being rehomed for a much lower cost. I adopted a green wing macaw for $600.
Just got scammed by guy named timothy nowling if anyone sees about buying african gray now im out 800 stupid me
I had several scammers trying to sell me a bird. Easy enough to identify. If it’s too good to be true then it absolutely is. African Grey parrots are selling for $3500 to $8000. If they are asking $600, they don’t have a bird. If you really want one expect to pay what they are bringing now. If you can’t afford that, they are expensive birds to own. You need nice cage of appropriate size, vet bills, toys and food. Just to mention a few. If you still want one, keep looking.
Where can I buy African grey in IL?
Does anybody know or have heard of parrots for home in San Jose cali
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