scary puppy-buying scams

The ASPCA has just released a warning about a new scam happening on the internet, and even through newspapers.  The basic scam is you respond to an ad which states “puppy to go to good home”.  The person who is “giving away” the dog says that the dog is actually in another city, and you’ll need to pay for a crate and airfare or gas to get it to you.  Of course, once you’ve paid – the dog mysteriously disappears and you’re left with an empty wallet and no puppy.

This happened to a lady in my own city – not only did she pay more than $200 to the scammer, but they then contacted her again and told her that her puppy had been accidentally shipped overseas and would cost another $1000 to fly back to her!  She of course, realized it was a scam and contacted the police.

“ASPCA Warns Potential Pet Parents to Be Aware of Internet Puppy Scams
Don’t be fooled by Adorable Pictures and “Free to Good Homes” Ads

NEW YORK – In response to recent reports regarding the growing trend of
Internet scammers offering purebred puppies for ³free to good homes, the
ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®)
today offers potential pet parents some valuable tips to avoid such scams.

“The best way to avoid being scammed is to simply never buy a dog you
haven’t met in person,” said Cori Menkin, Esq., Senior Director of
Legislative Initiatives for the ASPCA.  “Internet scammers lure people with
cute pictures of cuddly puppies, but the Internet is a vast, unregulated
marketplace.  People need to do their homework before they decide to get a
pet through the Internet.”

There are plenty of responsible breeders who ship puppies all over the country and even the world.  But before they will sell you a puppy, they’ll spend time making sure you’re the right person for their precious puppy.  Just because your dog needs to be shipped to you, doesn’t mean it’s scam – but it’s buyer-beware these days!

image: Stock.xchg