African grey parrot and exotic-bird permit scams
What happened
A documented scam pattern. African greys and other parrots are expensive and heavily trafficked, which fuels online fraud. A seller sends cute photos of a baby bird, takes a deposit, then demands more for "vetting", ringing, and CITES or travel permits before going silent. Because the legal trade genuinely involves permits, the paperwork demands sound believable. Only deal with sellers you can visit, insist on seeing the bird and its legal CITES/TOPS permits in person, and never pay deposits and "permit fees" up front to a stranger online.
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