# ***FRAUD*** Premier Waterfowl - Chance Keller***FRAUD***



## dknut

I want to give you all a heads up on what happened to me and my hunting group this past weekend and hope that this will never happen to you. Everything I state is facts and unfortunately none of this is exagerated. 

Our family's land was sold this past year and left us trying to find a place to hunt ducks... After a deal fell through with one opporunity we were now in scramble mode knowing that duck season was right around the corner. I searched Leashunter.com and found an opporutnity in Liverpool that seemed like it might be a good fit for our group. The name of the outfitter is CHANCE KELLER and he operates under the company name of PREMIER WATERFOWL. 

My hunting group and myself met with Chance at the land that he advertised, a week ago this past Sunday. We drove the land and asked the typical questions anyone would ask when looking at leasing land. He identified himself as the landowner and said he had bought it a couple years back. Anyhow, everything looked great so we decided to sign the lease and cut him a check for $4,800.00 and figured we were getting a heck of a deal (little did we know what kind of "deal" we were getting). Chance gave us the gate code and made other promised certain things would be done prior to our hunt for opening weekend and we went our seperate ways. 

Friday evening I drive down to get my decoys out and make sure everything is good to go for the morning hunt. Gate is locked, code doesn't work... I figure it's no big deal, either I wrote the gate code down wrong or he gave me the wrong number. I call CHANCE KELLER and leave him a voicemail then hop the gate and walk out to the pond we'd be hunting since it wasn't a long walk. I get back and call Chance again leaving him another voicemail then proceed to call every half hour till I get back to the house and begin to worry. I get online and go to check Leasehunter.com to see if there is an alternate number listed for him... His ad was removed!!! This is great, just what I needed... So I sent Leasehunter.com an email asking if they knew why his ad was removed and to please get back to me. 

Anyways, I figure I would take my group down Saturday in hopes that this was just a bad start to a great hunting season. We get down to the lease around 5:45 and there is a group at the gate that has already got in. I ask them if they knew Chance Keller with Premier Waterfowl, they did and said they had leased some ponds from him as well. So I am feeling a bit better about our situation now and drive to one of the ponds we leased. Getting out and walking toward the blind we are approached by another group of hunters who were very nice and asked who we were there with. I explained my arranegement with Chance Keller... I forgot the guys name but he said that we were on Jeff Boswell's land, operator of The Duck Factory and that we could go meet him at the barn down the road. I knew now that we had been duped. 

So we pack up our stuff and head to meet the actual landowner where we proceeded to tell him our story, (along with a group of about 10 others who had also been scammed by CHANCE KELLER) needless to say Jeff was appauled that we were on his land for 3 HOURS the previous Sunday. He told us that CHANCE KELLER had come to him with a broker last Monday (Day after showing us that land) and said he was interested in making an offer on a piece of his land. That is the first time Jeff had ever heard of Chance Keller and reassured us that 1) he was in no way the owner of that land, 2) he had no right to lease that land and 3) he had never heard of Premier Waterfowl or Chance Keller prior to last Monday. Jeff appologized for our bad luck and agreed to help us in any way to help find this POS. 

We are now taking the proper actions to catch this guy. 

Bart with Leasehunter has been in contact with me, has been a great help and is also very concerned that this has happened. I will continue to use Leasehunter.com to try to find anyone looking for last minute duck hunters. Thanks go out to Bart of Leasehunter.com, Jeff Boswell and anyone else who is helping out with this ordeal. 


Sorry for the long story but I just want to make sure that this doesn't happen to anyone on this site.


----------



## txrowdy

sorry to hear that.....I would be absolutely infuriated and have to hold myself back from making death threats on his voicemail. If it makes you feel any better I just called that number and left a message in Pig Latin


----------



## FINNFOWLER

Man that sux. Thank you for the heads up and I hope that you get your money back SOON. I will keep my ears open for any information that might help you.


----------



## PasadenaMan

Look his name up at http://www.intelius.com/
I found 18 peope with that name or simular names.
I hope you find him.

You can also try one of those pay sites that charge around 20 bux to look up name and adress on who owns that phone #.


----------



## boom!

phone is out of order


----------



## SV_DuckBuster

Yep, looks like he already disconnected the number.


----------



## chuck115

i just tried the number and it's dis------connected, good luck in your quest to find the DOUCHE BAG


----------



## zrexpilot

sorry to hear that.
you should be able to track him through the check you wrote and he is going to cash.
call the attorney generals office


----------



## dwhite

I know Jeff and he is a great guy. I really hope ya'll catch this thief! I live in Danbury and will be sure to keep my eyes and ears open for the name. Keep us updated!


----------



## Capt. Dustin Lee

I was talking with another outfitter yesterday about this and we was talking about how there is always somewhere some idiot low life like this that gives either us Guides or other Outfitters bad names. This person is not an outfitter but a POS. I hope he gets caught and soon. Wished you guys had some pics of this POS. We are hunting over around that area and could keep an eye out. Sorry this happened to you guys. It boils my blood so I can only imagine how you guys feel that got scammed.

Capt. Dustin Lee
Fish'N Addiction Guide Service
www.TexasBigFish.com
www.MatagordaBayFishingGuide.com 
979-236-6203

Team Brown Lures, Fish -N- Hunt, Kubala Kustom Rods, Midcoastproducts., Wiley X and Stinky Pants Stringers


----------



## dwhite

Posted it on another forum as well. This douche will get caught!


----------



## Bull Minnow

Man, that sux! I hope you guys find him and prosecute to the fullest. Definitely a low life scumbag! I am sure you want to do more than press charges against this Jack donkey!


----------



## copano_son

Can someone (police, DA, attorney) ask the phone company where his phone bill is mailed to?


----------



## wfishtx

Might be a little late, but if the check hasn't cleared, you should stop payment on it immediately.


----------



## OxbowOutfitters

File with the Sherriff in that county as fraud.. 
Theft by check
Call the Game Warden & let them know whats up
Sorry Bro.. Not everones like that.. Karmas gonna get him if someone else doesnt..


----------



## Charles Helm

Not that it makes you feel better, but plenty of us have a similar story. Maybe not so flagrant, but at one time or another I bet a bunch of us have trusted a little too much.

Good luck chasing him down.


----------



## TXFPCOACH

http://www.google.com/search?q=%22premier+waterfowl%22+texas+keller&hl=en&safe=off&filter=0

Check the Cached page under leasehunter it may take you to an alternate number (Company blocked the site can't view it personally)


----------



## marksmu

I have access to certain non-public data bases. I ran a search on the number you gave below.

It is registered to KELLER, MIGUEL with a Galveston zip code....77550-4753

I cannot access the full address, but I dont think his name is Chance. 

Hope that helps.




If anyone is interested or just wants to drive Chance Keller crazy, his # is 409-877-2909. I have been calling him whenever I think about it... All times of the night, early morning, and will continue to do so until he disconnect that line.


----------



## trodery

If it were me and I had an address for the guy, I WOULD get my money back with involving any police agencies! 

I have experienced fraud like this and have been successful getting my money! I doubt what I did was legal but it worked!

If you can find him and you want some help...shoot me a message and I'll see what I can do! I HATE con-men with a passion!

DKNUT--- I would suggest NOT having lots of people call him and harassing him, you don't want him to go into hiding anymore than what he is already. A couple of strategic calls will usually work!


----------



## sea sick

*dknut*

I believe that was me that spoke to you. We talked to 2 guys walkin to the pond before shooting time. sorry to hear about your bad fortune. I hope it works out for everyone in the end. Good luck to all that are involved with this.


----------



## Redfishr

Good luck and I hope this POS gets thrown in the big house were he belongs for STEALING MONEY.....


----------



## monkeyman1

dknut, check pm...


----------



## spiwonka

did the free look up for the number you listed on the crook on http://www.intelius.com/. For a few bucks it looked like you can get his address and other info!!! It looks like it will also give relatives phone numbers also!! Do the reverse number look up!!


----------



## brentscann

Boswell is a good man we own 25 or so duck/crawfish ponds right across the street from him and he well help you as much as he can


----------



## justletmein

Ouch, that stinks. Contact the police and let them handle it, and maybe your bank too. It should be pretty easy to find out where the funds went as he's gotta deposit that check somewhere.


----------



## TexasSnowStorm

Thats exactly what i was thinkin


----------



## Texas Jeweler

Chances are, this perp took the check to the writers bank and cashed it there. This is not the first time we have heard of similar scam and it is just outright theft.


----------



## crashboatbasin

I hope i hear his name i cant stand a thief , what goes around comes around !!!!!


----------



## fishtale

For a long post it was very well written and easy to read, I'm sure that's not what you're wanting to hear right now, but I can only sympathize with you, totally sucks.

I hope they catch this low life &&$%@#$%^.


----------



## Bledsinger

Bank should have him on video cam.


----------



## justletmein

Texas Jeweler said:


> Chances are, this perp took the check to the writers bank and cashed it there. This is not the first time we have heard of similar scam and it is just outright theft.


$4,800 check that dude will be positively ID'd before his bank hands over the cash and probably have to give a thumb print as well. I think we'll be reading before too long about the guy doing some time. If he gets charged with felonies as a result he'll lose a lot of firearms privileges as well which will hurt even more every time season rolls around.


----------



## bluefin

he'll lose a lot of firearms privileges

If he does jail time (as he should) he'll most likely lose his Man Card as well.


----------



## OxbowOutfitters

Punks like Him dont have a Man Card.. they have a Mangina



bluefin said:


> he'll lose a lot of firearms privileges
> 
> If he does jail time (as he should) he'll most likely lose his Man Card as well.


----------



## PasadenaMan

marksmu said:


> I have access to certain non-public data bases. I ran a search on the number you gave below.
> 
> It is registered to KELLER, MIGUEL with a Galveston zip code....77550-4753
> 
> I cannot access the full address, but I dont think his name is Chance.
> 
> Hope that helps.
> 
> If anyone is interested or just wants to drive Chance Keller crazy, his # is 409-877-2909. I have been calling him whenever I think about it... All times of the night, early morning, and will continue to do so until he disconnect that line.


I dug a little deeper and found 4 people with his last name in the zip code stated

http://www.galvestoncad.org


----------



## Solid Action

I hate to hear this, but I am confident that you will get your money in the long run. I remember a couple of years ago a bunch of folks were chasing a guy that did something similar with deer hunts and such. Was his name Dusty? Anyway, he was cuaght and I think he is doing some time. Good luck and let us know when you track him down.


----------



## PasadenaMan

I found one publicdata.com Chance Keller and what a wrap sheet he has. Not sure if I should attach this but send me an email and I will email the finding i have. Looks like this might be the guy.


----------



## RogerB

Solid Action said:


> I hate to hear this, but I am confident that you will get your money in the long run. I remember a couple of years ago a bunch of folks were chasing a guy that did something similar with deer hunts and such. Was his name Dusty? Anyway, he was cuaght and I think he is doing some time. Good luck and let us know when you track him down.


 yeah - it was Dusty - and if my memory serves me correctly deertexas (Scott Thrash) had a lot to do with chasing that bad apple down.


----------



## Auer Power

What kind of vehicle was this Chance guy driving?


----------



## webfisher3

It is all too easy to be scammed while signing a lease. If you do not know the landowner or outfitter personally, ALWAYS take a camera with you and take a photo of the person(s) you are dealing with. Offer earnest money while you take some time to check this person/lease agreement out. A reputable outfitter/landowner will not rush you into a deal and will understand your need to be satisfied.


----------



## gimp6969

Sorry to hear that, good luck...


----------



## WestEndAngler

webfisher3 said:


> It is all too easy to be scammed while signing a lease. If you do not know the landowner or outfitter personally, ALWAYS take a camera with you and take a photo of the person(s) you are dealing with. Offer earnest money while you take some time to check this person/lease agreement out. A reputable outfitter/landowner will not rush you into a deal and will understand your need to be satisfied.


This is great advice... use a title company hold cash in escrow subject to terms of the lease etc. well said webfisher.


----------



## RogerB

yep, that would be great - but it's not always going to work. I chased a couple of hunting leases this year - made calls, made arrangements to go see the lease, only to find out that it was leased before I got there - sometimes sight unseen, other times by someone looking to lease who showed up before I could get there and paid cash on the spot to secure an opening or the entire lease.

too bad too - I was really looking hard so I could find a place for me and my two grandsons. I'm committed now to 3 individual weekend hunts. Those are great and fun - but a lease would have been preferrable.

sorry - didn't mean to hijack. This guy is a blister on the backside of humanity and needs to be popped.


----------



## PasadenaMan

*Searched public data.*

Regarding a name search Attached is what I Found, I am not acusing the person of anything. Just had a search done on the name provided. Change the gile name extension to .tif.


----------



## JLes

PasadenaMan that last post makes me sick, seeing all of the offenses.


----------



## dknut

Thanks everyone for your suggestions and help in this matter, we are staying on top of this and I'm limited on what I can share but I do appreciate all the help and concern. 

Thanks Again.


----------



## OxbowOutfitters

I couldnt see it.. 
just copy n paste it,, Im sure a Leo here might drive by just cause


----------



## texasbagman

That is a horrible thing to have happen. Sorry to hear it.

Wonder how he, Chance, got on the property to begin with. Obviously he had access if he showed you around.


----------



## South Texas Swamp Donkey

If you know the area, access is not that hard . Hope they get that punk soon


----------



## Texas Jeweler

*thanks*



PasadenaMan said:


> Regarding a name search Attached is what I Found, I am not acusing the person of anything. Just had a search done on the name provided. Change the gile name extension to .tif.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Tip of the hat to Pasadenaman for this published information.

Also, the idiots TDL# should be on the check if the bank processed it. When he meets his new lover in prison, hope he does not mind being the wife.


----------



## Txmudbug

The way he got in was to pretend to be interested in buying 100 acres for sale on the 800 acre club. He even brought his own broker and spent three hours looking over the whole place. This is also how he managed to get the lock code (which have been changed).


----------



## Captain Stansel

I'm sure you've already obtained this, but if not here is his email address and home address. He lives in an appartment right off I-45 and 2004 across the street from mall of the mainland

2801 FM 2004 apt 813
Texas City, TX 77591

[email protected]

Go get this criminal


----------



## gulfcoast200

A tip for anyone with combination locks ALWAYS roll the dial if your going to leave it unlocked. Even if your only going to be working 50 yards away or only leaving in open for ten minutes. Its to easy for crooks to roll up there and check it and come back later and rob you blind. I had a guy that his cows kept getting on our property we gave him the code the first time to get them off and then we noticed our stands had been messed with so I changed it. Well a few week later I'm out checking my camera and he drives up and starts talking well its no big deal and I happen to look at his hand and danged if isn't the gate combo written on his hand. Well needless to say I changed it again and if his cows show up on our property I just call the law on him. I know Jeff Boswell personally and he's a great guy, I can only imagine what was going through his head that morning. I hope you guys that got scammed catch that scum bag.


----------



## OxbowOutfitters

if we can hang horse thieves why not Poachers like this Cheese weasle


----------



## AvianQuest

gulfcoast200 said:


> A tip for anyone with combination locks ALWAYS roll the dial if your going to leave it unlocked. Even if your only going to be working 50 yards away or only leaving in open for ten minutes. Its to easy for crooks to roll up there and check it and come back later and rob you blind.


Excellent advise! I've put that in the rules at our hunting club, but I still have problems with members leaving the combination on the lock when planning to come right back out the gate, or more commonly, they only change the last number when they lock it. It's easy for a crook to come by and roll the last number stopping at 0 to 9 to see if it opens.

The first thing I always do after opening a lock is to roll the como to 0000.


----------



## Captain Stansel

What is the latest with your story bro? Have you tracked this guy down yet?


----------



## sweenyite

Sickening. What a POS!


----------



## PasadenaMan

This would make a great Story for Channel 2 investigates to cover.


----------



## troutomatic1488

Scamming someone and using his real name? I think he might look into a new line of work. He does not seem to be a very good criminal looking at his criminal history. I would bet on cocaine nothing else makes you that stupid.


----------



## bearintex

Any updates to this story?


----------



## OxbowOutfitters

Lmao,, Its gotta be Crack... cause this crak head has it comin:brew:


TROUTOMATIC said:


> Scamming someone and using his real name? I think he might look into a new line of work. He does not seem to be a very good criminal looking at his criminal history. I would bet on cocaine nothing else makes you that stupid.


----------



## dknut

********UPDATE********

Wanted to let ya'll know that both groups that were scammed in this deal have received all of our money back, paid in full. For legal reasons I can't give much detail in how we got our money back. All I can say is that persistence pays off. Remember to always get as much information about someone as you can when entering into an agreement such as this. Had I not got his license plate #, we would have never seen our money.
*

Thanks again to everyone that helped.


----------



## justin-credible1982

Glad to hear you got your money back!


----------



## Rack Ranch

good 2hear..


----------



## saltaholic

If you are looking for a great club thats legit check out Coastal Prairie outfitters, we are hunting with them this year and they have some great properties for sure. The guys that are running this deal have been around a long time working with other outfitters.


----------



## dknut

saltaholic said:


> If you are looking for a great club thats legit check out Coastal Prairie outfitters, we are hunting with them this year and they have some great properties for sure. The guys that are running this deal have been around a long time working with other outfitters.


Thanks Salt, I'll check them out. We were able to find a place, last minute and only missed the first 2 weekends (and all of teal season).


----------



## Big Willy

Never been scammed for that much money, but it always feels good to catch the dirtbag!!! Good job on getting the money back.:doowapsta


----------



## ShallowSport24

dknut said:


> Wanted to let ya'll know that both groups that were scammed in this deal have received all of our money back, paid in full. For legal reasons I can't give much detail in how we got our money back. All I can say is that persistence pays off. Remember to always get as much information about someone as you can when entering into an agreement such as this. Had I not got his license plate #, we would have never seen our money.
> *
> 
> Thanks again to everyone that helped.


I understand the legal ****. Do you know of a news or other source that might have the details about this POS?

Oh by the way congrats on the out come.


----------



## ol' salt

When he cashes your check, which I am sure he has done, there will be a bank stamp and acc't number. That's where I would start. I'm sure the police have already done this.

Good luck. This is something we all need to watch. You can get a landowner's name at the county tax assessor office or I'm sure you young folks know how to do so on your computers. Know who you are dealing with prior to meeting them


----------



## sweenyite

ol' salt said:


> When he cashes your check, which I am sure he has done, there will be a bank stamp and acc't number. That's where I would start. I'm sure the police have already done this.
> 
> Good luck. This is something we all need to watch. You can get a landowner's name at the county tax assessor office or I'm sure you young folks know how to do so on your computers. Know who you are dealing with prior to meeting them


read post #61......


----------



## troutslayer

did this mean that the POS was caught or just that you got the money back......congrats on the money....and I hope they caught him


----------



## Sea-Slug

Glad you got your money back. Most never do on these type of scams.. I hope he gets prosecuted.


----------



## mipmop2005

*Scammer.*

*I cannot beleive this guy did this **** again. This guy if hes kinda balled tall. He is from Crowley Louisiana. His real name is Miguel Keller. He used to be a family friend, But when he started this ****, HES NOT ANYMORE. I hope you catch up with him and he needs to serve time for doing this. Sorry to hear he got yall like that.*


----------



## crewdgras

FYI--------- duck lease scams are rampant -------- since you haven't leased in a long time, you apparently didnt know this,,,,,, it is VERY common,,,,,,,


----------



## fy0834

Glad u had a good outcome!

I went and bought a rope and found a tall oak tree for when you found him.


----------



## realwrangler

Ya this makes me sad and sick. People make a living this, defininetly not just a duck lease thing, happens all the time on a much larger scale. A guy who doesn't have any more business than the man on moon on that property will cut a link and put his own lock on gate and take some corporate guys for a tour of the place which will go highly unnoticed with oil and gas lease traffic and get away with a quick 100k. When you put down that kind of money do the leg work. Information of property ownership and size
Is public information available
At county courthouses. Not all ranch owners ate honest either though, some may lease 5000 acres on a dollar amount per acre basis to a person or group who wouldn't know the difference between 5000 and 1500.


----------



## realwrangler

Excuse the grammar errors


----------



## racksnquacks1

Chance Keller is at it again. He tried to get myself and my friend into a guide scam. He is going by Mike Keller of Smack Down Rod and Gun Club. All a big scam to get people to mail him money early for hunts, and there is no guide service that exists.

Please continue to beware, he is still out there.

BTW: Fowl Play Game Calls, Garrett Wishon, and Taylor Schaltenbrand have no affiliation with Chance, Mike, or Miguel Keller.

Thank you!


----------



## KSOP

Sorry to hear this, just a thought maybe try facebooking his name and alias to see if he happens to be stupid enough to be on it. My BIL is a detective and he said you wouldn't believe how many criminals they track by facebook. Just a thought and good luc finding this scumbag!!!


----------



## txnitro

perfect opportunity for a "sting" operation...


----------



## dknut

This kind of response is exactly what I was hoping for when I wrote my story. Thanks to everyone that has made this blog as big as it is. It is because of the popularity of this thread that a couple people have been saved from the fraudulant activity of Chance Keller. Right now if you google "Chance Keller" this is the first thing that pops up and I personally know of a couple people that have had run-ins with Chance since this and beacuse of this thread, they have avoided dealing with him. 

If you come in contact with this guy, post it up here because he is out there and he is stil trying to run his scams. As one that has been through he ringer by this guy, I personally hope he gets what's coming to him. 

I'm sure this chump knows of this thread by now, so if conducting a "sting" please keep it out of this thread.


----------



## justinsfa

How are you guys getting approached by this dude? He running ads in a paper or what?


----------



## racksnquacks1

dknut said:


> This kind of response is exactly what I was hoping for when I wrote my story. Thanks to everyone that has made this blog as big as it is. It is because of the popularity of this thread that a couple people have been saved from the fraudulant activity of Chance Keller. Right now if you google "Chance Keller" this is the first thing that pops up and I personally know of a couple people that have had run-ins with Chance since this and beacuse of this thread, they have avoided dealing with him.
> 
> If you come in contact with this guy, post it up here because he is out there and he is stil trying to run his scams. As one that has been through he ringer by this guy, I personally hope he gets what's coming to him.
> 
> I'm sure this chump knows of this thread by now, so if conducting a "sting" please keep it out of this thread.


DKNUT, you will never beleive what he did while he had his facebook site. He stole the pictures you put in this thread of your ducks and your truck with the pintails and the specks and used them in his facebook site to lure people to come hunt with him.

He contacted us through facebook because we were putting up a lot of pictures of the birds we killed and offered us a job, thanks to this thread, we avoided being his next victims.

Thanks Again!


----------



## dknut

racksnquacks1 said:


> DKNUT, you will never beleive what he did while he had his facebook site. He stole the pictures you put in this thread of your ducks and your truck with the pintails and the specks and used them in his facebook site to lure people to come hunt with him.
> 
> He contacted us through facebook because we were putting up a lot of pictures of the birds we killed and offered us a job, thanks to this thread, we avoided being his next victims.
> 
> Thanks Again!


Wow! That guy is a joke. I'm glad y'all were able to get a heads up about this guy before working with him.

We got lucky enough to find a place to hunt but to tell you the truth, it makes me leary when trying to find another place (currently looking).

If anyone has knowledge of a place that's open, I have a small group (5 people) looking for a new place to hunt.

Thanks!


----------



## texas8point

That sucks, good luck finding that JA


----------



## dwilliams35

That would be a pretty cut and dried copyright infringement case. If you took the photo and posted it on the net, it's a published work and you hold the copyright.


----------



## sweenyite

Another thread that just wouldn't die......


----------



## -D

Had a similar experience hunting deer in Kansas.....its a bad feeling when you are hunting a place and the land owner shows up wanting to know what you are doing there.


----------



## MEGABITE

sweenyite said:


> Another thread that just wouldn't die......


The more people that see this the better.


----------



## HunterGirl

dwilliams35 said:


> That would be a pretty cut and dried copyright infringement case. If you took the photo and posted it on the net, it's a published work and you hold the copyright.


WRONG!


----------



## bluefin

Mr. Williams,

I am afraid HunterGirl is correct and you're wrong.
The only way to protect your posted pictures from being used by someone else is to overtype on them. Meaning a see-thru type lettering that you can clearly (with whatever message you want) see but still be able to see the pic. 

If it's copyrighted then most likely that person has spent some money with a lawyer.

Once you post something on the internet it's free to spread around - unfortunately.


----------



## justinsfa

bluefin said:


> Mr. Williams,
> 
> I am afraid HunterGirl is correct and you're wrong.
> The only way to protect your posted pictures from being used by someone else is to overtype on them. Meaning a see-thru type lettering that you can clearly (with whatever message you want) see but still be able to see the pic.
> 
> If it's copyrighted then most likely that person has spent some money with a lawyer.
> 
> Once you post something on the internet it's free to spread around - unfortunately.


x2.... ask my ex-girlfriend..... an online X-rated site got some pics from her myspace. We were just laughing at the photos this morning actually.


----------



## CentexPW

If you post pics on the net, watermark them. It is a transparent overlay. But unfortunately there are some so lame they will steal them anyway.


----------



## dwilliams35

bluefin said:


> Mr. Williams,
> 
> I am afraid HunterGirl is correct and you're wrong.
> The only way to protect your posted pictures from being used by someone else is to overtype on them. Meaning a see-thru type lettering that you can clearly (with whatever message you want) see but still be able to see the pic.
> 
> If it's copyrighted then most likely that person has spent some money with a lawyer.
> 
> Once you post something on the internet it's free to spread around - unfortunately.


No, it is 100% accurate. Copyright exists the second the work is created and put into a "viewable" form, be it a print or on a website. You then have five years, from creation, to "technically" register the copyright, at which point you would be eligible for damages and legal fees in an infringement court case. A copyright watermark doesn't give you any more protection than a photo without it, but it may serve as notice that you mean business about it.. Just because it's become common practice to freely spread such works on the internet hasn't changed that: it's just harder to control the spread, and probably makes it harder to identify infringement.

from www.copyright.gov:



> *When is my work protected?*
> Your work is under copyright protection the moment it is created and fixed in a tangible form that it is perceptible either directly or with the aid of a machine or device.
> 
> *Do I have to register with your office to be protected?*
> No. In general, registration is voluntary. Copyright exists from the moment the work is created. You will have to register, however, if you wish to bring a lawsuit for infringement of a U.S. work. See Circular 1, _Copyright Basics_, section "Copyright Registration."
> 
> *Why should I register my work if copyright protection is automatic?*
> Registration is recommended for a number of reasons. Many choose to register their works because they wish to have the facts of their copyright on the public record and have a certificate of registration. Registered works may be eligible for statutory damages and attorney's fees in successful litigation. Finally, if registration occurs within 5 years of publication, it is considered _prima facie_ evidence in a court of law. See Circular 1, _Copyright Basics_, section "Copyright Registration" and Circular 38b, _Highlights of Copyright Amendments Contained in the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (URAA)_, on non-U.S. works.


----------



## dknut

Hey guys & gals, 

I know it's been years since this happened but I wanted to bring this scam back to everyone's attention. It's getting to that time where people are scrambling to find a place to hunt. Don't rush into anything before you validate that everything is legit!! I'm sure Chance Keller is still out there scamming hunters, so beware! 

Here's to another good year of birds! 

David


----------



## Fishin' Soldier

dknut said:


> Hey guys & gals,
> 
> I know it's been years since this happened but I wanted to bring this scam back to everyone's attention. It's getting to that time where people are scrambling to find a place to hunt. Don't rush into anything before you validate that everything is legit!! I'm sure Chance Keller is still out there scamming hunters, so beware!
> 
> Here's to another good year of birds!
> 
> David


First I've heard of this. Thanks. I am currently looking for a lease this year.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2


----------



## Brad Beaulieu

dknut said:


> Hey guys & gals,
> 
> I know it's been years since this happened but I wanted to bring this scam back to everyone's attention. It's getting to that time where people are scrambling to find a place to hunt. Don't rush into anything before you validate that everything is legit!! I'm sure Chance Keller is still out there scamming hunters, so beware!
> 
> Here's to another good year of birds!
> 
> David


Your original post says you were going to try and catch up to the guy. What ever happened? Did you take him to court and get your money back or what?


----------



## dknut

All I can really say is that we got our money back.... Can't say how but he will always think about us in the back of his mind if he ever attempts to scam another hunter.


----------



## BretE

dknut said:


> All I can really say is that we got our money back.... Can't say how but he will always think about us in the back of his mind if he ever attempts to scam another hunter.


You make him an offer he couldn't refuse?........


----------



## huntnetime

dknut said:


> All I can really say is that we got our money back.... Can't say how but he will always think about us in the back of his mind if he ever attempts to scam another hunter.


Pictures or it didn't happen...LOL!!! We need LDP's...


----------



## dknut

It's that time of year again. Those that are scrambling to find a place to hunt, please do your research before handing over any money! 

Good luck to everyone!


----------



## Rack Ranch

Dang bro, you sure do hold a grudge. There is a lot of power in forgiveness. We all expect a little forgiveness don't we?


----------



## dknut

Rack Ranch said:


> Dang bro, you sure do hold a grudge. There is a lot of power in forgiveness. We all expect a little forgiveness don't we?


Are you serious?

I guess I should note that I am still getting calls from people asking about this guy. Apparently he is still out there running his scams on duck hunters. So yeah, I will continue to remind people about this experience.


----------



## Rack Ranch

Fair enough, and yes I was serious.


----------



## dknut

Rack Ranch said:


> Fair enough, and yes I was serious.


Sorry, I guess I don't want other people to get burned like we did.


----------



## Bily Lovec

dknut
thanks for bringing this back up,
Im looking now and I don't wanna go back to prison over some yahoo like that.


----------

