pips
Active Member
I'm forever finding adverts online for African Grey parrots, using photos of Mojo and Shinda. The scammers clearly go through my Flickr and 'steal' whatever pics they wish to use, then advertise 'their' parrots for ridiculously cheap prices (usually about £200, the average Grey costs at least £600).
The deal is always that the buyer pays upfront and the seller sends the (non-existent) birds by courier. I've no doubt some people DO fall for it too.
We were discussing this on a PARROT FORUM last night, here's just one of the ads I found:
http://www.birdtrader.co.uk/pair_of_talking_african_grey_parrots/advert/243305
http://www.flickr.com/photos/flipflopip/4647683340/in/set-72157623843085665/
Found eight others but those have all been taken down already.
Anyway, there's nothing I can do if I wish to keep my photos public, which I do as so many people like to see them, other than report the ads as and when I (or other people) find them.
Yesterday, a friend found this though! I was initially a bit

but then I just laughed!
http://uk.efreeclassifiedads.com/for-sale/pets/african-grey-parrots-377.htm
That's the first time I've come across one using a photo with ME in it! They've got some bloody front!
The deal is always that the buyer pays upfront and the seller sends the (non-existent) birds by courier. I've no doubt some people DO fall for it too.
We were discussing this on a PARROT FORUM last night, here's just one of the ads I found:
http://www.birdtrader.co.uk/pair_of_talking_african_grey_parrots/advert/243305
http://www.flickr.com/photos/flipflopip/4647683340/in/set-72157623843085665/
Found eight others but those have all been taken down already.
Anyway, there's nothing I can do if I wish to keep my photos public, which I do as so many people like to see them, other than report the ads as and when I (or other people) find them.
Yesterday, a friend found this though! I was initially a bit
http://uk.efreeclassifiedads.com/for-sale/pets/african-grey-parrots-377.htm
That's the first time I've come across one using a photo with ME in it! They've got some bloody front!