Does this sound dodgy? long

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FeatherPower

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This is actually quite alarming. I enquired about a Fresian, 15.2 gelding called 'Astrid' that was advertised for £2500, a bargain based on its background! I had an email back from the guy saying he has been in a car accident and cannot look after the horse, and asking me questions like 'Am i married, do I have children, what is my exact location, do I like horses'

I replied and then received this email, along with professionally taken photos of said Fresian:

Hello and thank you very much for getting back to me in regards to the adoption of my horse . i am also very very happy and pleased with your responses and i now believe my horse will have a wonderful with you and the rest of the family .

The accident which caused the major damage on my spine has caused me to have to hit the wheelchair for the next 3 years . this has made me to relocate to my parents at Glasgow - Scotland since i had nobody who could take proper care of the horse . i have to give him out because i do not want him to grow naughty since he has had some good training. it is also very bad for your horse to have to spend all his days at the stable . so that is why i am looking for that lovely family and home that will give him the love and care he deserves .

I do not believe in selling animals that is why i am not asking for an adoption fee after him . he is used for eventing, shows, and trail . he has also had a complete 90 days dressage training and is good for endurance riding and loves kids since he is a spokie . You can use him in whatsoever field you want to use him since he is well trained and has almost passed through all the various stages in horse training.

So the only way you will receive the horse is by me setting up a delivery for you and the horse will be delivered to you at your home . all what you will be required to pay will be the transportation and delivery charges of the horse to your home . so please let me know your option about the delivery so that i can contact some delivery agencies and get a reasonable price quote for the transportation and delivery of the horse

thanks and waiting ...... <font color="blue"> </font>

Not being funny but does this sound dodgy?!?! I have replied to see what his response is and said that there is no way I would pay for a horse 'just' to be delivered, due to recent online scams and asked for proof that he is genuine - i.e. I want to see the horse!

So - warning people, this person is very good and the scams are getting better and more personal.
 
Yes, definitely dodgy I would say! It sounds like an improved version of one I received when I was looking for horses a while back - I would stay ell clear and obviously make sure you don't send any personal details of any sort or open any attachments!
 
I had a very simaler email earlier this year except from the "wife" whose husband had been killed in a car crash. My secretary replied to one of these emails except involving puppies. First of all she paid the delivery. Then she was told that customs had taken the cage from the courier and she had to pay more to release them, so it went on and on. She ended up about £100 out of pocket and no puppies yet! I am sure I read somewhere on here that a girl who owns a fresien had seen a simaler advert and the photos were of her horse. She was quite worried about it all, rightly so.
 
My reaction is: How fast can you run? I suggest you start sprinting away from this one ASAP!

I mean, it's creepy the line of questioning before he even gave you the details! And what a random figure for an adoption fee. THe guy knows just enough about horses to say some things that sound legit, but it's deffo bogus. Yep, get running!
 
yeah - this is what I thought, the ad looks genuine:

http://www.horseandponysales.com/classified.php?listing=779

but the reply asking about children and 'exact location' which of course I did not give, was just wierd!

I was intrigued as to how well they could carry things on though, hence my reply to him - I will post anything I get back in response.

Seriously though the first email was pretty darn good, but the second was just beyond a joke!! you should see the pictures as well -clearly not a 2k Fresian!
 
The advert itself looks really genuine, except the pricetag! He probably copied someone else's ad for a similar horse? And having no clue what a horse that looks like that and does all that should sell for in reality, just ran with it.

I'd agree, the ad does sound really American - particularly the words "on trail" rather than "hacking out", certain spelling (inquiries vs enquiries), and easy keeper vs good do-er (and that's coming from a yank!
wink.gif
) . Probably pinched the text from a US website.
 
When was looking for st bernard puppy there were so many scams like this. At first they seem genuine and then like 3 emails in they say they got to ship/transport puppy from scotland and would have to go and pick up from airport and pay the shipping cost. Must have come accross about 5 scams when was looking.
 
I have searched everywhere to find the email I got, but must have deleted it. One part made me Laugh out loud when she said the horse was barefoot as was used to being hacked on the rough terrain of Dundee! You are right though, the first email I got sounded genuine as well. My boss reckoned we should jump in the car and go and view, but alas, they never repsonded to that request!
 
My friend sent me a link a few months ago to an ad for a Friesian for sale, I thought it looked dodgy and said I didn't think the photo looked British (the background looked too dry for our wet climate!) just like the photo in this ad. Obviously scammers have a thing for Freisians!!
 
Yes, this is definitely a scam and not even a good one. The email is very scammy (if that's a word!!) and the ad is definitely american. We use novice etc, they use beginner and 'ring' we use school or show. We say hack they say trail etc... Defo don't touch it. Also when does any of us use the word champ!!! Ha very american.

Best of luck for future hunting though.x
 
Agree that even the ad sounds dodgy, no shoes, clean up in the ring, trail.................

They may have even copied and pasted that ad from something else!
 
I would have stopped responding on recieving the email which said 'Am i married, do I have children, what is my exact location, do I like horses'. But I appreciate you wanted to see what would happen further.

Probably just a scam to get money out of you. Doubtful if its of the other kind - guy wanting to get your personal details and try and hit on you on email. When I advertised a room in my flat for rent on Gumtree I had several responses asking the sort of questions above, from a suspiciously foreign sounding Mr. Mackay. My response? - "Hey, yeah its just me and my sister Svetlana MacTavish. We LOVE meeting new people and having all sorts of fun with them. btw you are replying to a work email address which has a system for tracing the origin of details. If you continue to pester me, your details will be traced and passed onto the police".
 
Oh god yeah, and to ask you if you liked horses?? Sounds like a real scam!! Why on earth would you enquire about the fresian if you hated horses! I wouldnt even of replied to those questions your asking about a horse not opening an investigation into your life over the internet!

Keep well clear!!
 
Don't worry - I knew it was dodgy when I had the first response about 'are you married' - because yeah my OH would be so helpful with a new horse!

Unforntunatley, with having a father in the police force, I have a built in need for justice so I just had to reply to his repsonses!!

Seems there have been a few new posts with the same pictures since as well (see 'in relation to 'dodgy' post above)

You would think they would come up with a new scam now?
 
How on earth do people fall for this?

Ok - you send me some money and I promise to send you something back....

I wouldn't ever send some random stranger momey over the internet. If it's a classified ad then you go see it in person.

Honestly!
 
please be careful when buying friesians , this advert i would not touch with a barge pole and is defently a hoax
friesian at what ever age or what they have done are highly priced , if you ever purchase anything under £3000-£3500.00
your asking for trouble
 
If you Google the mobile phone number you find a number of 'versions' claiming different locations and names for the advertiser.

I found:

http://www.horseandponysales.com/classified.php?listing=779 - Daniel Frysler at ( dfrysler@yahoo.co.uk ) in Birmingham

and

http://www.stallionsonline.co.uk/stallion_26071.html - horse called Jesse - Advertiser called Cynthia Grants

and

http://www.equine-finder.co.uk/Trained-Friesian-Gelding-Horse.html - rich_morgan18@yahoo.com - allegedly in Bedfordshire!!

All the ads sound similar - but VERY 'American' in terminology.
 
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