Complaint Review: Tim Morton - Brooklyn New York

I put an ad in the state paper for our standard poodle puppies.  A man called me through relay, on the pretense that he is deaf, and requested that I hold a puppy for him.  He stated that he would send a $200 deposit, plus an extra $100 to hold the puppy for his son's birthday. 

He was very evasive in answering any detailed questions and would not acknowledge his need to complete and return an application.  He was in a rush and wanted me to respond quickly for everything.  He sent a check via UPS Overnight for $2,850.00 and requested that I forward the surplus of $2,500.00 to his shipping company in New York.  My bank called the bank backing his check and could not get a response (all lines were busy).  So, the bank decided to hold the check for 7 days to see if it would clear. 

In the meantime I found the Rip-Off Report, confirming that this was a scam.  I have included a couple of his e-mails below (to know what to watch for):

Tim Morton:

Hi.. Thanks very much for your response. I would be buying puppy you have for sale so kindly reserve it for me. You have to bear with me that I called with relay service, its because am hearing impaired. I am sending you this email to make final reconfirmation of the puppy which am willing to buy for my son as his birthday present and I also want to let you know that payment will be by certified Check or Money Order. However, I want to alert you on the fact that you will be receiving the Check or Money Order this week or next week and payment will cover your cost and as well as the shipping cost to be paid to the person that will take care of the pickup in your house. So please as soon as you receive the payment, get it cashed immediately, deduct the money that accrues to you and send the remaining balance to the Head Office of the company that handles the shipment via Western union. Moreso, I will pay you an extra $100 if you can reserve this for me. So in view of the above, Here are some of the details I will need for final issuance of the Check or Money Order to you. (1) Full Name (2) Mailing address, no p.o.box please (3) your direct telephone number both home and cell.? {4} Acceptance of my offer (5} Final asking price Once you get back to me with all the above informations, the check or money order will be issued out immediately and it will be sent to you. Regards Tim

Several times I requested details to see get a better understanding of his intentions.

Tim Morton:

On Nov 23, 2010, tim morton wrote: Thanks for the response.............. you will be receiving the payment by next week so please if you receive the payment i want you to deduct your funds and the extra $100 for holding the male puppy for me and send the excess to the shipper through western union so that the shipper can be able to come for the pickup of the male puppy and make sure you don't sell the male puppy to anyone else okay and i will like to know if this is clear to you? .............love to read from you soonest...thanks have a great day. Regards Tim.

Me:

Tim, To be sure I understand let's be very specific. You will be sending $200 for the puppy deposit, plus $100 extra to hold the puppy. How much money will you be sending total? Where are you located, so that I can verify exactly how much it will cost to make transport arrangements? Thanks again! Mary

Tim Morton:

Alright you will receive an excess funds and once you received it,you are to deduct the $200 for the puppy out of it and the extra $100 for holding it and after that you will send the rest to the shipper that will come for the pick up of the puppy and i do live in illinois and i will give you further instructions about this when you received the payment so i hope you understand better now. Regards Tim

Me:

Thanks Tim, That makes more sense to me. I will await the payment and further instructions regarding pick up. As soon as I receive your deposit (and completed Deposit/Purchase Agreement) I will hold your male puppy. Then we will just require the final puppy payment with cash or money order at or before pick up. Do you have a preference as to whether your male puppy is all black or black with white markings?? We have 2 solid black males, 1 black male with a white marking on his chest, chin, and paws, and 1 black male with a white from his chin all the way down to his chest (tuxedo). Which do you think your son would like best?? Out of curiosity, do you have any other pets or a yard? Do you have any other questions for me? Thanks so much, Mary

Tim Morton:

On Nov 25, 2010, tim morton wrote: Hello How are you doing today,I just wanted to notify you that the Check has been overnight to you via FEDEX and it will be deliver to your front door this morning and here is the fedex tracking number to confirm the delivery time of the Check 8738 0304 4*** once you receive the Check just proceed with it and deduct the money that is accrues to you from it and send the balance via MoneyGram to my shipper company information below for the pickup of the puppy Julien Semexant 885 Third Ave Brooklyn, NY 11223 So once you have made the transfer of the balance via MoneyGram to my shipper agent information and get back to me with the MoneyGram details below... sender's name : sender's address: amount sent after deducting transfer charges : Money Transfer Refrence Number (MTRN).. I will be very happy if you do this snappy bcos immediately the shipper agent receives the funds you will be contacted immediately in regards to the shipping arrangement at your location more so the shipper have prepare all documentations and fill out all my personal details where necessary,and you can also send an email to the shipper email address, [email protected] ,Get back to me to know you got this message. Thanks Regards Thomas

Me:

Dear Tim, My husband and I are feeling uneasy about being put in the position to be responsible to forward your large amount of money--$2,500.00. We do not want to be involved in any kind of interaction that is not completely lawful and on the up and up. The reason we are questioning the validity of your check payment is because it usually only costs about $400 to transport a puppy in the United States.

My uneasiness has been confirmed. Your Check #1*** for $2,850.00, dated 11/24/2010 has been canceled. This is a fraudulent check and has been reported to the authorities for an investigation. Do not contact me again--my e-mail is being monitored by my county's Sheriff's Department. My puppies are a part of my family and will not be subject to a pathetic banking scam.