New ZealandMantis Ooth scam

[jacksun]

I wanted to post this here as it is where people looking to buy hang out. I received an email offering me Orthodera Novaezealandiae mantis Ooths for $3.00 plus shipping. This is the hallmark of the customs/shipping scam - cheap goods, says coming from far away. Basically you say great, I'll take 10 (they are cheap after all) how much to ship to the US.

Reply, $45.00 to ship to the US so total $75.00. You pay the $75.00 and get a shipment promise of tomorrow or next day. Now you get another email: Hey, I went to ship your ooths and customs says we must pay an extra $50.00 for the permit to export the ooths from New Zealand and I need all your info for customs (identity theft component). I didn't know about this but we have to pay it to get them shipped. So you think, ok, still not too bad, 125.00 for 10 Orthodera Novaezealandiae ooths, so you pay the $50.00. Next day you get another email, went to ship again and the idiotic government customs agent forgot to tell me about the processing fee of $75.00. I feel really bad about this so I will split this fee with you. If you send another $37.50 I'll get this sent off today.

So you think, OK, $162.50 for 10 Ooths, I can hatch one, sell 9 at $25.00 each so I can still make a bit on this so you send another $37.50 to him.

That will be the last you hear from him, and if you are lucky you will receive an envelope with something in it, but not likely ooths. Your great deal buddy just made $162.50 for a few emails.

If it sounds too good to be true, it is.

I did not order any ooths from him, being an IT guy, with a strong security background I get the info on email scams as they are identified. This fit all the identifiers of the customs/shipping scam: low product cost relative to normal suppliers, generic email address - not [email protected], but [email protected], the email was short with a simple offer - I have Orthodera Novaezealandiae ooth $3 each plus shipping, steve - no details, no indication of any product knowledge, no picture. The only thing prompting the email was my web site.

Please be aware of these scams. They can come by PM as well, but Rick does a good job of filtering the for sale section, still Buyer beware.

 

[agent A]

oh my gosh! buy some from mantisplace

 

[PhilinYuma]

Yeah, it's a tough, dishonest world out there, Wayne. I 've had the same problem with Russian brides. You pay an agency who matches you with a suitable bride, then you swap a couple of business letters, then some love letters, with the girl, send a couple of hundred bucks for clothes "so that I will look like a real American," a grand for passport and "other dicuments," and finally a ticket from Aeroflot, and you are all set.

Then, on the "big day," you get an urgent Email saying "I am at the airport, but the immigration officials are asking for another $2,000 before they will accept my papers. Please hurry, my darlink, and I will soon be in your arms.!" So you send $2,000, and that's the last you hear of Natasha or your money.

One give away is if you get a letter that begins, "My Beloved [John's name]...." I'm not saying that they are all crooks over there, just the five or six that I wrote to. Guess I should have switched to a different agency.

If you buy Russian brides from Mantisplace, do you get a "Mystery Bride" as well?

 

[Rick]

Never give out your personal info. Keep that in mind and you won't fall for any of the scams.

 

[jacksun]

Yeah, it's a tough, dishonest world out there, Wayne. I 've had the same problem with Russian brides. You pay an agency who matches you with a suitable bride, then you swap a couple of business letters, then some love letters, with the girl, send a couple of hundred bucks for clothes "so that I will look like a real American," a grand for passport and "other dicuments," and finally a ticket from Aeroflot, and you are all set.Then, on the "big day," you get an urgent Email saying "I am at the airport, but the immigration officials are asking for another $2,000 before they will accept my papers. Please hurry, my darlink, and I will soon be in your arms.!" So you send $2,000, and that's the last you hear of Natasha or your money.

One give away is if you get a letter that begins, "My Beloved [John's name]...." I'm not saying that they are all crooks over there, just the five or six that I wrote to. Guess I should have switched to a different agency.

If you buy Russian brides from Mantisplace, do you get a "Mystery Bride" as well?

Aren't all brides truly a "mystery" to us fellas?

 

[revmdn]

" My darlink" You're funny!

 

[kakistos]

If a person asks repeatedly for more money, then you must know something is wrong, right? Then you just lost a lot of money to a scammer or get your money back from a honest seller.

But of course everyone can get scammed if they are clever enough.

 

[massaman]

when i get a scam letter i always try to get the scammer to call the fbi or other phone number in a generic letter with a fake email address and usually that works

 

[hibiscusmile]

If you buy Russian brides from Mantisplace, do you get a "Mystery Bride" as well?

yesum if we's have them in stock, but a russian prince just came by and took all I's had

 

[[email protected]]

Yeah, it's a tough, dishonest world out there, Wayne. I 've had the same problem with Russian brides. You pay an agency who matches you with a suitable bride, then you swap a couple of business letters, then some love letters, with the girl, send a couple of hundred bucks for clothes "so that I will look like a real American," a grand for passport and "other dicuments," and finally a ticket from Aeroflot, and you are all set.Then, on the "big day," you get an urgent Email saying "I am at the airport, but the immigration officials are asking for another $2,000 before they will accept my papers. Please hurry, my darlink, and I will soon be in your arms.!" So you send $2,000, and that's the last you hear of Natasha or your money.

One give away is if you get a letter that begins, "My Beloved [John's name]...." I'm not saying that they are all crooks over there, just the five or six that I wrote to. Guess I should have switched to a different agency.

If you buy Russian brides from Mantisplace, do you get a "Mystery Bride" as well?

[SIZE=14pt]Hey Phil I'll find you a Colorado bride, just say you know "Hellow Dolly" ha ha ha "Hellow Dolly" [/SIZE]

 

[Schloaty]

Yeah, it's a tough, dishonest world out there, Wayne. I 've had the same problem with Russian brides. You pay an agency who matches you with a suitable bride, then you swap a couple of business letters, then some love letters, with the girl, send a couple of hundred bucks for clothes "so that I will look like a real American," a grand for passport and "other dicuments," and finally a ticket from Aeroflot, and you are all set.Then, on the "big day," you get an urgent Email saying "I am at the airport, but the immigration officials are asking for another $2,000 before they will accept my papers. Please hurry, my darlink, and I will soon be in your arms.!" So you send $2,000, and that's the last you hear of Natasha or your money.

One give away is if you get a letter that begins, "My Beloved [John's name]...." I'm not saying that they are all crooks over there, just the five or six that I wrote to. Guess I should have switched to a different agency.

If you buy Russian brides from Mantisplace, do you get a "Mystery Bride" as well?

Phil, you're a scream!

That's actually not good, as I was reading this at work....

The five or six you wrote to indeed! LMAO!