More scams, warning to USA aro keepers

Cirrus

Cirrus

Arowana blogger
I came across an article about illegal Asian arowana sales in the USA and of a sting operation a few months ago:

http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jan/07/local/la-me-cyberwild-20120107


12 in Southern California and Nevada charged with trafficking in wildlife
Undercover U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agents scour Internet sites for leads as the banned sales increase.
January 07, 2012|By Victoria Kim, Los Angeles Times

Among listings for fraying couches and used television sets, the Craigslist ad stood out — $2,800 for a prized Asian arowana fish, believed to bring good luck and ward off evil spirits.

A grammatically challenged buyer from Las Vegas sent the seller an email expressing interest: "Is she a super red asian arowana? I all ready have all the other species and I need the endangered one to finilize my collection." The seller responded cautiously — "Are you a cop?" she allegedly wrote in one text message — but ultimately agreed to meet the buyer at Laguna Hills Mall for the handoff.

But instead of an earnest buyer, Dan Tram Huynh was greeted by undercover U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agents wearing hidden cameras and wires to record the transaction. They were part of Operation Cyberwild, a task force created to tackle rampant sales of endangered or protected animals and animal parts over the Internet.

Federal authorities announced charges Friday against Huynh and 11 others based in Southern California and Nevada, hoping to scare would-be sellers and buyers away from a trade authorities estimate may exceed $20 billion a year.

Authorities said the ease of Internet sales has caused a surge in trafficking of wildlife, a practice once limited to hushed in-person sales or retail locations that could easily be monitored. The conservation group International Fund for Animal Welfare, in a 2008 investigation, documented 7,122 online ads and auctions related to sale of wildlife over a period of six weeks. The U.S. accounted for more than 70% of those transactions, the organization reported at the time.

On sites including Craigslist and EBay, the sellers advertised everything from $1,000 cowboy boots made from loggerhead sea turtles to live protected migratory birds and a live piranha, authorities allege. Those charged included a radiologist, a tennis pro and a law student. Some admitted they were repeat offenders who had obtained the animals from international dealers, while others were first-timers looking to make a quick buck off a family heirloom.

"The Internet is now just this enormous tool for increasing the sale of wild animals and animal parts," said federal prosecutor Rupa Goswami, with the U.S. attorney's office in Los Angeles. "It became this international phenomenon."

The operation was launched last summer with the assistance of five volunteers from the Humane Society of the United States, who scoured the Web for listings involving endangered animals and passed them on to investigators. Undercover agents then contacted the sellers about the items, often inquiring about whether the sale was legal, according to affidavits filed in the cases.
Click to expand...

The above article serves as a reminder to any Americans who cruise this site that they can and will be busted by the USA government if they try to smuggle or buy/sell Asian arowana in the USA. Just don't do it!

After reading the article linked above, I googled Craigslist and Asian arowana to see what I would get. Surprise - I got some scams.

Check out the suspicious ads placed in Canada:

http://calgary.en.craigslist.ca/pet/2982008452.html
Best Quality Asian Red And Super Red Arowana ... - calgary craigslist
calgary.en.craigslist.ca › community › pets
27 Apr 2012 – Best Quality Asian Red And Super Red Arowana Fish For Rehoming.contact me for more information and pictures,we supply world wide., ...
Click to expand...
http://toronto.en.craigslist.ca/tor/pet/2981976613.html
Asian Red,Super Red Arowana Fish And Many Other ... - Craigslist
toronto.en.craigslist.ca › city of toronto › community › pets
27 Apr 2012 – Asian Red,Super Red Arowana Fish And Many Other Arowanas For Rehoming.I have all kinds of arowana fishes available and if you are ...
Click to expand...
And then the same ad placed in New York:

http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/pet/2963252178.html

Top Quality Super Red Asian Arowana Fish For rehoming - Craigslist
newyork.craigslist.org › brooklyn › community › pets
17 Apr 2012 – Top Quality Super Red Asian Arowana Fish For rehoming.i have arowan fishes of all kinds,if you are interested just contact me for more ...
Click to expand...
There are scammers and smugglers working on the internet. Don't fall for their tricks. Ask members on this forum if you question an advertisement. And if you are American, just forget about buying an Asian Arowana - it is just not worth it!

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblo...-charged-with-peddling-endangered-protected-/

http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/story?section=news/state&id=8494725
 
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Cirrus said:
We had another couple threads on the same topic about six months ago here:

http://www.arowanaclub.ca/forums/showthread.php?t=4535

http://www.arowanaclub.ca/forums/showthread.php?t=4655&highlight=scam
Click to expand...



Looks like they are back at it again...Just found a scam ad on usedvictoria.com.


http://www.usedvictoria.com/classified-ad/Quality-super-red-Arowana-fish-for-sale-and-many-others-available-very-cheap-_17264400



Here is the email response they replied to me.


Dear Customer,
Good day and thanks for the interest concerning my Arowana fishes.We can ship Arowana fish to any part of the World at large without any problems being encountered because all our fishes have all Documents and CITES so can be transported to any part in the world without any problems.

We do have many arowana fish farms where we get the fish from before shipment.We do have arowana's like the Golden X Back, Red Dragon,saratoga ,Jardini arowana,Chili Red, the Red Tail Golden and Super Red not forgetting the Silvers and the Blacks which are also available now. About the exportation size,types and prices,they are as below and we have a promotion going on now so the fish are far cheaper than before and this will last just for a week.

EXPORTATION SIZES: 3-30inches

Super Red----------------$200 including shipping
Asian​ Red ---------------$200 including shipping
Red Dragon--------------$200 including shipping
Chili Red---------------$195 including shipping
Golden ------------------$190 including shipping
Red tail golden(RTG)-----$195 including shipping
Malaysian Red------------$195 including shipping.
Jardini arowana------------$200 including shipping
Golden x back-----------$170​ ​ ​ including shipping
Green and blue-----------$200​ ​ including shipping
Silver--------------------$ 150​ ​ ​ including shipping
Black---------------------$ 170​ ​ ​ including shipping
saratoga-----------------149$
We shall be shipping the fish to you from one of our fish farms below.......

Expo Fish Farm (Alaska USA)
Expo Fish Pond​ ​ ​ (Yaounde, Cameroon)
Expo planet (Canada)
Expofishery(Spain)
Delivery Agency: Prompt by FEDEX
Guarantee:we will provide safe delivery of your fish and if anything happens to the fishes as they get to you,send them back immediately and have a replacement or refund.Packing: plastic Bags(air 50% : 50% water)with maintenance for keeping manual.Well i have a few questions for you before we can proceed
Do you or have you ever had any Arowana before?
Which type will you like?
Which exact breed/type do you want?
Sorry for all the questions but i need to know these facts first. Mail back with your address,Phone number and present location so we can proceed.
Waiting on your reply.
Expo Fish Pond.
Ceo/LTD.
Expo fish Farm .
Phone number.... 002-377-043-7398


and all their Asian Arowana pictures were other farm's Arowanas ie Pang Long, CV maju.
 
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I recently got this message from a certain Ricky Gonzalez, with the same content on the mail, except the fish prices are a bit more, $100 more. If I didn't have any idea how much these aros are, I could easily be lured.

The only thing I am worrying is how did they get my email address. I recently registered to this site but hase been lurking in here, erading and looking. But after registering, I got this email from tis people. coincidence?

anyways, I hope people wouldn't be fooled by these people.
 
The scammers just keep trying to scam. I have noticed some new websites and craigslist/kijiji postings that are scams over the past months. Direct emailing (spam) would be even more aggressive. I would guess if you email any sites you could find your email address gets added to spam lists and that you will receive more spam/scam ads in future. I can't see how the scammers could use this site to get your email address.

Just remember:

1) Asian arowana are 100% illegal in the USA; don't deal with anyone who says they can "get" you one there.

2) Anything involving an African country like Nigeria or Cameroon is a scam.

3) Any legitimate farm will have a CITES number. You should be able to do a reference check with the CITES reps of the country (Singapore/Indonesia/Malaysia) to confirm whether it is legitimate or not.

4) If the deal sounds too good to be true, it is
 
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Bored, had a few minutes to kill, did a quick Google search of "Asian arowana for sale Canada".

Got this lead here lol : http://london.olx.ca/arowana-fishes-available-with-discounts-iid-531470756

Note they provide a 571 area code, which happens to be in Virginia USA, lol!

Check out their website at: www.starlightonlinefishshop.com

For someone new to this hobby who does not know much about the laws in the USA (i.e. you will either go to jail and/or face huge fines for selling/buying Asian arowana in the USA), this could be quite the scam; I wonder how many people have been taken in?
 
They just won't go away, I get about a couple of emails/calls from US citizens asking if I can ship Aros to the USA. I tell them no one in Canada will Ship Aros into the US. Some of them are so desperate they are willing to drive into Canada and smuggle one across the border.
 
I just clicked on the link and now the phone number has a 302 prefix for Delaware. I have heard that international telemarketers are able to use VOIP to redirect calls to make them look like they come from anywhere they want to. I feel sorry for the inexperienced hobbyists out there who know nothing about such scams...
 
I am not sure if we have had this scam site covered yet: http://www.onlinearowana.com/

I notice they make use of a photo of Panda Aquatics in their gallery section.

I contacted the owner of Panda Aquatics about this scam site onlinearowana and was told the following:
Yes these Nigerian scamsters have been doing this for quite a while. In a way big ‘compliment’ for them to pick our farm. They certainly know (unlike others we know) that we are the most established, popular and reputable farm in the trade.
Click to expand...

So, there you have it. At least Mr. Kan has a sense of humour about it. :)
 
Crazyfish88 said:
Looks like they are back at it again...Just found a scam ad on usedvictoria.com.


http://www.usedvictoria.com/classified-ad/Quality-super-red-Arowana-fish-for-sale-and-many-others-available-very-cheap-_17264400



Here is the email response they replied to me.


Dear Customer,
Good day and thanks for the interest concerning my Arowana fishes.We can ship Arowana fish to any part of the World at large without any problems being encountered because all our fishes have all Documents and CITES so can be transported to any part in the world without any problems.

We do have many arowana fish farms where we get the fish from before shipment.We do have arowana's like the Golden X Back, Red Dragon,saratoga ,Jardini arowana,Chili Red, the Red Tail Golden and Super Red not forgetting the Silvers and the Blacks which are also available now. About the exportation size,types and prices,they are as below and we have a promotion going on now so the fish are far cheaper than before and this will last just for a week.

EXPORTATION SIZES: 3-30inches

Super Red----------------$200 including shipping
Asian​ Red ---------------$200 including shipping
Red Dragon--------------$200 including shipping
Chili Red---------------$195 including shipping
Golden ------------------$190 including shipping
Red tail golden(RTG)-----$195 including shipping
Malaysian Red------------$195 including shipping.
Jardini arowana------------$200 including shipping
Golden x back-----------$170​ ​ ​ including shipping
Green and blue-----------$200​ ​ including shipping
Silver--------------------$ 150​ ​ ​ including shipping
Black---------------------$ 170​ ​ ​ including shipping
saratoga-----------------149$
We shall be shipping the fish to you from one of our fish farms below.......

Expo Fish Farm (Alaska USA)
Expo Fish Pond​ ​ ​ (Yaounde, Cameroon)
Expo planet (Canada)
Expofishery(Spain)
Delivery Agency: Prompt by FEDEX
Guarantee:we will provide safe delivery of your fish and if anything happens to the fishes as they get to you,send them back immediately and have a replacement or refund.Packing: plastic Bags(air 50% : 50% water)with maintenance for keeping manual.Well i have a few questions for you before we can proceed
Do you or have you ever had any Arowana before?
Which type will you like?
Which exact breed/type do you want?
Sorry for all the questions but i need to know these facts first. Mail back with your address,Phone number and present location so we can proceed.
Waiting on your reply.
Expo Fish Pond.
Ceo/LTD.
Expo fish Farm .
Phone number.... 002-377-043-7398


and all their Asian Arowana pictures were other farm's Arowanas ie Pang Long, CV maju.
Click to expand...


Got this exact same response in a email about 4 months ago. I reported it to the RCMP right away.
 
:mad:Hi，everyone, this is what I got from Kijiji.


Dear Costumer.
Thanks for your inquiry and sorry for the late reply. We are Wholesale & Retail Supplier of Champion quality Arowana Fishes and We are so happy introducing ourself as one of the:mad: experienced Arowana hobbies since 1999 and has been established a good cooperative relationship within the Arowana fish breeders throughout Indonesia, United State,Cameroon and China. we do shipped Worldwide without any problems being encountered. Our Arowana Fishes are an excellent value that we backup with a 100% replacement or money back guarantee! You can place an order with us and expect delivery in
24 to 48 hours . We go the extra mile to make sure you have the Fish you need when you need it. They have a life span in excess of 20 years, and are a beautiful investment for the perfect tank. These Fishes symbolizes good health, prosperity, happiness, wealth and power. Good luck charm by this fish comes in the form of wealth and ample opportunities to excel . All our arowana come with CITES permit, Certificate, Microchips and all required documents which there will not be any problems for you getting them there in your state or country. We have a promotion going on now so the fish are far cheaper than before. We are trustworthy with everyone and all our business transactions have always been done with honor and trust and our main target is to establish a long lasting business relationship with people and also do believe that if our first business transaction work out smoothly, you can order more fishes from us and also help us to introduce our business to many other people. The most important is that your satisfaction as a customer is our pride.
About the exportation size, types and prices, they are as list below .

EXPORTATION SIZES: 3-20inches

24k Golden...............$400 including Shipping.
Super Red................$350 including shipping.
green and blue...........$150 including shipping.
Red tail golden(RTG).....$300 including shipping.
Nami Green Arowana.......$330 including shipping
Chili red................$300 including shipping.
Asian red................$350 including shipping.
Red Arowana..............$400 including shipping.
Leichardti Arowana....,..$175 including shipping.
jardini arowana..........$200 including shipping.
saltwater fish...........$100 including shipping.
silver...................$100 including shipping.
black...................$75 including shipping.
Voilet Fusion..............$250 including shipping.
Banjer Red.................$225 including shipping.
Malysian Gold Base.........$300 including shipping.
Black Juvenile.............$150 including shipping.
Malaysian Gold Blue Base...$300 including shipping.
Australian Pearl...........$210 including shipping.
Albino Fish................$200 including shipping.

* All our fishes are fully certified and licensed for sale. Our exports are quality controlled before shipping and our shippers specialize in the transport of Live Goods and fish to any international destination.

Delivery : we will provide safe delivery of your fish and if anything happens to the fishes as they get to you,send them back immediately and have a replacement or refund. Packing: plastic Bags(air 50% : 50%water)with maintenance for keeping manual.
Well i have a few questions for you before we can proceed.

Which exact breed/type do you want?
How many fish do you want for now?
how soon do you want the fish?
Do you find our wholesale prices interesting?

Sorry for all the questions but i need to know these facts first. Mail back with your address, and present location so we can proceed and also send you the pics of the fishes you are ready to order.
Waiting on your soonest reply ......

Best Regard .
Mr Tuan Lieu
ceo.
 
Wow, hardly know what to say about this scam operation. They use the phone number:

760 585 7652

Try Googling the phone number and see what you see! :)
 
Complete scam.

Check out this line here:

All our arowanas are tagged with PIT (Passive Integrated Transponder) and each has a certificate of warranty issued by Panda Aquatic Centre. We sell only arowanas which we breed ourselves and do not buy / import from other traders / farms to resell / export.
Click to expand...
http://www.arowanashop.net/service.html

Mr. Kan of Panda Aquatics hates these guys for using his company's name to cheat and steal from people.

As far as I know it is a scam run out of Cameroon Africa.

I wonder how many people they cheat each year? I agree they are getting better and better at it. Quite sad really.
 
Hey Guys,
New scam i have found. not sure who on here is a member of the Facebook Monster Fish Freaks, But if you are stay away from a guy named Ngando Messo Armand. He posts all the time pictures of Black Diamond Rays and Aro's and says PM for a price list. So I PM'd him and he gave me a price list that was out of this world cheap. Example: he want $350 US for a pair of Super red Aro's and everything was in pairs which put up huge red flags for me. But I wanted to make absolutely sure he was a scammer before posting about this so I did more research. He posted a big bucket of full gold head Aro's and the caption was " New Arrivals, PM for Price list" and when I asked him them he said that they had bred them at his farm in Thailand.... so I asked him what his farm was called and he would avoid the question. But he wasnt like atypical scam where they are pushy to get you to order from them he was very laid back and didnt try to push me to buy at all. so I sent him a message yesterday asking him about shipping to canada and how does the money work and also if he could send me a reference of someone that has had a successful purchase from the FB page. His response was our clients are confidential. Then i said okay well if you breed the Aro's in Thailand you must have a farm name so what is your farm name. and he finally gave it up, his so caled farm is CMB Fish Farm..... cmbfishfarm.biz Not sure if any of you guys have ever heard of this farm but I certainly have not so i looked it up and it took me to their FB page where is is all terrible reviews of people giving 1 star and saying its a scam and that they will take your money and create fake shipping and you never get anything. So be careful with these guys. Unless someone has dealt with them before and had good success please share your experience but as far as I can tell they are a scam
 
Thanks for that Barriefishguy.

I just followed another link on www.kijiji.ca for a guy pretending to sell Asian arowana.

He provided a phone number and suggested texting him. I Googled the area code and it is for Newfoundland. Okay, kind of weird as I don't think there are many arowana keepers there, but anyway I contacted him at the number he provided.

We texted back and forth and he sent me to his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/arowanafishsales/

He claims he is Asian/American.

Notice the FB page is pretty new. If you Google "Mark Lawson Arowana sales" all sorts of sketchy classified ads from all over the world show up. Obviously a fake seller, probably from Cameroon. I've included a couple screenshots of the kijiji ads this scammer is using. I just noticed how the city location provided in the ad seems to change a lot - Sudbury, Kenora, Kelowna - which of course does not match the Newfoundland area code :)

Before I stopped texting with him, he wanted me to pay by:

Western Union
Bitcoin
Moneygram

Any legitimate seller will arrange payment by direct bank wire transfer.

Another fake site that has appeared is:

http://srisenaarowanafishfarm.com/price.html it is a reformat of other fake sites.
 

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