Watch out for this kind of scam

this is a while back, but someone contacted me via emailed for a tarantula that i posted for sale. for those of you that are new to the hobby, you should read this and never fall for someone like this.

Here's the deal. the guy emailed me and said that he sent out a money order for my spider and sent me his address in hoping that i would ship the animal the same day, but i wasn't that stupid so i didn't do it.

he contacted me twice and both times said that he sent out the money
*I never got the money order and i didn't bother asking him why i never got it, i just had a feeling that he never sent it*

here is his email: ken_fields7@yahoo.com

he goes under the name "ken fields"

Jason,
I'd like to buy your 5" female L. parahybana, is she still available? If so, LMK and I'll send a money order to your address. Just give me your info for the money order and address and I'll send it tomorrow. You can send to me by USPS to my door(i'm home mon.-fri.). Give me a total(money order plus shipping) and I'll send it to you tomorrow.

<edit >

Regards,
Ken.

and the second email...

Jason,
I sent the $82 money order off today for your 5" female L. parahybana.
Ken.

PEOPLE CAN CHANGE THE NAME THAT THEY WANT YOU TO SHIP THE ANIMALS TO, BUT CHANGING THE ADDRESS IS NOT LIKELY, SO JUST WATCH OUT FOR THE SAME ADDRESS. ALSO CHECK FOR THE FEEDBACK THREAD, I THEY DON'T HAVE ONE, THEN MAKE SURE TO HAVE THEM SHIP FIRST!!!

take care,
jason

Did he say he wanted you to ship before you received payment? :?

If I remember correctly, I've met Ken at his house and bought a couple Hysterocrates spp. Granted, it was a decade ago, but he seemed like a stand-up guy who was really into larger tarantulas. He's been in this hobby a long time, so I have a rough time thinking he's trying to scam an L. parahybana.

I rarely ship without payment first, and don't blame you for not doing so, but I think painting this particular individual as a rip-off artist is a stretch.
Mistakes happen, envelopes get misaddressed, sometimes lost. . . hopefully he cancelled the MO.

well, i got an email from Ken today to clarify what happened:

This is the message:

"I didn't send you an email, trying to trick you into sending the T and than not sending the money, I simply was trying to make sure you didn't sell the T to someone else because you hadn't received my money order. I simply lost interest a day or so later after my last email to you, realizing I had enough T's in my collection I didn't email you and tell you I changed my mind and didn't want it.

It was a case of simply not caring to let you know I changed my mind, I wasn't trying to rip you off. I've had dealings with all the dealers and a few individuals and have never ripped anyone off. You can definitely call me rude though. So stop ripping me in this website, because you're dead wrong about me trying to scam you.


Ken."

so, if this is the case i want to say that i am sorry.
however, when we are dealing with people online and we do not get to see them and talk to them in person, communication needs to be clear!

giving me your address and saying that you'll send it out the next day, then change your mind and keeping quiet about it, is very confusing for me.

I have had people that i ship animals out to before and never got payed for them. So you can understand why it led me to think that this was another scam.

I still don't know what user name you go by on arachnoboards, but if it's true what you said in your email, then i am sorry.

take care,
jason