Internet Puppy Scam

[animalcrusader]

Has anyone noticed the enormous amount of FREE PUPPY ads requesting payment to Camaroon? These ads are posted under many, many different email addresses but are all unusually similar. They all advertise free registered full breed puppies. They all require the buyer to pay only shipping charges from overseas, by wire transfer only. The sellers also all seemed to be, strangely enough, Christians, either missionaries or Evangalists who are unable to take care of the millions of puppies that they own. Please beware. These are eitherSCAMSor PUPPY MILLS I followed thru on several and as soon as there is any indication that follow up proof is required, they disappear.

[AndyTampa]

Why the hell would you bother to follow up? Aren't there enough puppies of our own in this country? Buy American!

[animalcrusader]

I followed up to try to find the source of the scam. Too bad there aren't more people like me who caare enough about a problem to try and solve it instead of badger those who do. Thanks for Nothing

[woofshepherd]

Oh like Backpage.com pets for sale?? now thats scammer city for ya. If you are too dumb to determine a scammer from a regular individual trying to sell their mutts then you don't need a dog in the first place.

[Zoltan]

I followed up to try to find the source of the scam. Too bad there aren't more people like me who caare enough about a problem to try and solve it instead of badger those who do. Thanks for Nothing

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17805134/

[Zoltan]

Oh like Backpage.com pets for sale?? now thats scammer city for ya. If you are too dumb to determine a scammer from a regular individual trying to sell their mutts then you don't need a dog in the first place.

well said.

[AndyTampa]

I followed up to try to find the source of the scam. Too bad there aren't more people like me who caare enough about a problem to try and solve it instead of badger those who do. Thanks for Nothing You're quite welcome to nothing.

Are you implying that you investigated them? Because that's not what you wrote. What you wrote inferred that you were attempting to get a dog and almost got scammed. I am also an animal lover. I am fine with you posting a warning to others here. I was alarmed that you tried to bring another dog into this country when we have a big enough problem with homeless pets being euthanized here. When I read about someone adding to the problem, I let my voice be heard, or in this case, read.

[Snwflk2265]

:confused: Has anyone noticed the enormous amount of FREE PUPPY ads requesting payment to Camaroon? These ads are posted under many, many different email addresses but are all unusually similar. They all advertise free registered full breed puppies. They all require the buyer to pay only shipping charges from overseas, by wire transfer only. The sellers also all seemed to be, strangely enough, Christians, either missionaries or Evangalists who are unable to take care of the millions of puppies that they own. Please beware. These are eitherSCAMSor PUPPY MILLS I followed thru on several and as soon as there is any indication that follow up proof is required, they disappear.

Im going through this right now. Im suppose to be sending money tomorrow and get my puppy Saturday. So I shouldnt do this? Im scared to now. Hes seems to be nice and not in an hurry to rush me for anything. But he wants a western union. :confused:

[admin]

:confused:

Im going through this right now. Im suppose to be sending money tomorrow and get my puppy Saturday. So I shouldnt do this? Im scared to now. Hes seems to be nice and not in an hurry to rush me for anything. But he wants a western union. :confused:

I wouldn't.

[Zoltan]

:confused:

Im going through this right now. Im suppose to be sending money tomorrow and get my puppy Saturday. So I shouldnt do this? Im scared to now. Hes seems to be nice and not in an hurry to rush me for anything. But he wants a western union. :confused:

Buy a dog in your area. trust me......

[Snwflk2265]

I wouldn't.
IM NOT! :mad:
Nope cuz I went back to check some other adds and a few people have posted adds about little puppys and I went to check and its the same pictures and story line but different email.
IM SOO MAD!

I thought it would be nice because USA puppies are sooo expensive I cant afford a cute teacup little Yorkie, Maltese, Chihuahua. Im so hurt :(

[Snwflk2265]

Buy a dog in your area. trust me......


Im trying to find something but they are sooo expensive. The pet shop said I can make payments but I have to do a credit check and the application is talking about Financing. Its said. :(

[admin]

I thought it would be nice because USA puppies are sooo expensive I cant afford a cute teacup little Yorkie, Maltese, Chihuahua. Im so hurt :(

Click here (http://www.pawschicago.org/ShelterInformation/chicagoshelter.htm) for discount dawgz!

[Snwflk2265]

Click here (http://www.pawschicago.org/ShelterInformation/chicagoshelter.htm) for discount dawgz!

THANK YOU!!

[lbgirl]

I just joined and i am happy to be here, i have been looking for a bulldog puppy and i cant tell you how much almost are scams IF YOU CANT GO AND GET THE DOG YOU WANT DO NOT SEND FOR ONE IT IS A SCAM I PROMISE YOU OR IF I AM WRONG IT IS A PUPPY MILL AND THE DOG WILL DIE OF SOMETHING NOT HEALTHY....

[lbgirl]

PLEASE TELL ME HAS ANYONE SEEN/DELT/HEARD OF; T_boy_50@yahoo.com
kellywestham4u@yahoo.com
ray mond pridepets23@yahoo.com if so please i would love to hear any info i just want to say dont buy they are scams and they are in diffrent countrys and if you want to give your money away sent it to a shelter and save a live rather than give to a crimanal .............i hope they get busted....

[Snwflk2265]

PLEASE TELL ME HAS ANYONE SEEN/DELT/HEARD OF; T_boy_50@yahoo.com
kellywestham4u@yahoo.com
ray mond pridepets23@yahoo.com if so please i would love to hear any info i just want to say dont buy they are scams and they are in diffrent countrys and if you want to give your money away sent it to a shelter and save a live rather than give to a crimanal .............i hope they get busted....

They are always changing their emails its very hard to catch them. I almost got scammed but noticed another ad up and they had pictures of the same puppy pictures this one person was sending me. It you are going to scam you should wait till your done scamming before you try again ON THE SAME SITE!! Dumb ppl.
Im glade I didnt fall for it and I got a puppy that is sooo cute!!

[lbgirl]

:eek: got another one belindapuppieshome@yahoo.com says i just missed getting the puppy BUT I can pay for shipping from Lagos Nigeria west africa were the bulldog puppy JUST left but the owner wants so bad to find a home for it.............gotta laugh ..

[richdon03]

NEVER pay anyone by Western Union unless you know them personally. You have no recourse if they take your money and run.

[Sparker888]

I responded to one of these ads. You know, the ones that have 000-000-0000 as the phone number and all the emails are under yahoo accounts. It was for an english bulldog. I didn't want the dog but I was just curious because her ad did sound suspicious. She only wanted shipping charges and that was it. So I emailed her and I said, "Are you running a puppy mill?" And so she emails me back saying, "No, I'm not running a puppy mill. I used to but not anymore." And her spelling and grammar was so bad you could tell she didn't know English well. She then said, "I take very good care of my pups. They are all so very cute. I can send you one and you can pay for shipping but you need to send me money to ship." So I told her that I wasn't really interested in the pup; just wanted to know if she was running a puppy mill. Then I emailed her back and said, "You're going to hell." Those poor pups.

[notanattorney]

Many of these scams start with an ad in your local newspaper advertising puppies for sale (oftentimes Bulldogs or Yorkies). You call the number listed, and they say, "Sorry, I just sold my last one.... BUT, I have a friend who just went to do missionary work in Africa who has a puppy that he has to give away... He has no time to give the puppy."

So then he gives you an e-mail address and you write. The "Reverend" in Africa needs you to send him money for shipping "my lovely baby" to you. He can only accept WESTERN UNION funds. He will ship the puppy "to you via Express pets delivery on next day delivery after shippment through a shipping agent."

These newspaper ads have appeared all over the US, Canada and even in New Zealand. The seller is all sold out of puppies! .... Beware! The susbsequent emails all have pretty much the same wording, with some grammar and spelling being a little better than others. As more of us find out, these scammers will undoubtedly improve their email writing and vary the contents of the emails. Of course, you know there is no puppy in the African mission needing a home.

What you ought to do is 1) Look in your local papers. Monitor these puppy ads frequently. If you or your friends find any such ads, notify your paper and force them to take steps to pull and prevent such ads. 2) Tell your friends to NEVER send money abroad via WESTERN UNION or other such non-traceable means.

Keep all of us informed about the new tactics these scammers are using as you discover them and let us know what other things we can do to prevent this scam from succeeding.

Here is a sample letter (many similar letters have been received by people throughout the world):

Thanks for your interest in my lovely baby. She is still very much
available for new home.She is 9 weeks old,She weigh 4lbs and she will
be 50 - 55 lbs at full grown,She is AKC registered and her shots are
given up to date.All her papers will accompany her, But right now i am
in africa on a Christain mission with my wife and we have her right
here with us.we are going to ship her to you via Express pets delivery
on next day delivery after shippment through a shipping agent , i am
leaving her for free but you will have to pay for shipping fee which
is $350 to your location...if you are interested in having her, i want
you to get back to me with your full name,address including the
nearest airport to you.Please if you know that you are not going to
take very good care of my baby do not reply me becuase i am only
giving her out becuase we dont have time to take care of her again due
to the mission work before us here. Await your response.

PASTOR FRANK JACKSON
THE MESSIAH MISSION HOUSE
12,CATHOLIC MISSIONS STREET
ILASAMAJA,LAGOS NIGERIA 23401
+2348063120746 OR 0092348063120746

[Zoltan]

Many of these scams start with an ad in your local newspaper advertising puppies for sale (oftentimes Bulldogs or Yorkies). You call the number listed, and they say, "Sorry, I just sold my last one.... BUT, I have a friend who just went to do missionary work in Africa who has a puppy that he has to give away... He has no time to give the puppy."

So then he gives you an e-mail address and you write. The "Reverend" in Africa needs you to send him money for shipping "my lovely baby" to you. He can only accept WESTERN UNION funds. He will ship the puppy "to you via Express pets delivery on next day delivery after shippment through a shipping agent."

These newspaper ads have appeared all over the US, Canada and even in New Zealand. The seller is all sold out of puppies! .... Beware! The susbsequent emails all have pretty much the same wording, with some grammar and spelling being a little better than others. As more of us find out, these scammers will undoubtedly improve their email writing and vary the contents of the emails. Of course, you know there is no puppy in the African mission needing a home.

What you ought to do is 1) Look in your local papers. Monitor these puppy ads frequently. If you or your friends find any such ads, notify your paper and force them to take steps to pull and prevent such ads. 2) Tell your friends to NEVER send money abroad via WESTERN UNION or other such non-traceable means.

Keep all of us informed about the new tactics these scammers are using as you discover them and let us know what other things we can do to prevent this scam from succeeding.

Here is a sample letter (many similar letters have been received by people throughout the world):

Thanks for your interest in my lovely baby. She is still very much
available for new home.She is 9 weeks old,She weigh 4lbs and she will
be 50 - 55 lbs at full grown,She is AKC registered and her shots are
given up to date.All her papers will accompany her, But right now i am
in africa on a Christain mission with my wife and we have her right
here with us.we are going to ship her to you via Express pets delivery
on next day delivery after shippment through a shipping agent , i am
leaving her for free but you will have to pay for shipping fee which
is $350 to your location...if you are interested in having her, i want
you to get back to me with your full name,address including the
nearest airport to you.Please if you know that you are not going to
take very good care of my baby do not reply me becuase i am only
giving her out becuase we dont have time to take care of her again due
to the mission work before us here. Await your response.

PASTOR FRANK JACKSON
THE MESSIAH MISSION HOUSE
12,CATHOLIC MISSIONS STREET
ILASAMAJA,LAGOS NIGERIA 23401
+2348063120746 OR 0092348063120746

How about just going to your local Humane Society and just getting a dog that has no home, instead of wasting your time trying to flag every puppy scam you see.

There will always be scammers and there will always be stupid people who fall for them. Period.

[nstewart32]

It's ashame how scammers use people's passions or emotions to their benefit.

I am a huge pet lover and can't belive they are using pets as a target market to make money.

Thank you so much for this helpful info.

[nwdogwhisperer]

You can add this email address to the list "kelcymilt@yahoo.com" of Cameroon bulldog "owners" that is trying to give away a free puppy as long as you pay for shipping. I have quite a few emails from the person!

Hopefully people can become aware of what is going on before sending those people money! They wanted $226 from me for shipping. You could always run a background check on any dog breeders or dog owners selling you a pet. It's a small cost compared to how much you could lose if you send money to an overseas thief.

Just be on the lookout - and if you feel that there is something strange with a transaction you are about to take part in, ask questions and get as much information as you feel you need. Don't be afraid to change your mind, they will try to pressure you.

Good luck!
NW Dog Whisperer (http://nwdogwhisperer.*************)

[WINSTONTIBBS]

I GOT A HOLD OF THIS ASSHOLE & HE TOLD ME TO WIRE HIM $400.00 FOR EACH DOG FOR SHIPPING & THE MONEY WOULD BE REFUNDED TO ME,SO I QUESTIONED HIM IF IM GOING TO GET A REFUND THEN WHY BOTHER WITH SENDING IT IN THE 1ST PLACE,& HIS ANSWER WAS HE DIDN,T HAVE THE FRONT MONEY TO PAY FOR THE SHIPPING!!!! SO I DIDN,T GO THRU WITH THIS SCAM & WHEN I GOT MY PHONE BILL FOR THE 2 CALLS I PLACED 1 TO HIM & 1 TO THE SHIPPER WHO SEEM LIKE THE SAME GUY I GOT MY MONEY BACK FROM THE PHONE CO. :mad:

[notanattorney]

This ad is posted under pets in these Backpage places: Chicago, New York, Puerto Rico, Honolulu (where pets undergo strict quarantine laws when entering the state) .... Haven't checked other cities.

Cute And Affectionate TeaCup Yorkie Puppies For Adoption
posted: June 16, 2007, 05:07 PM

Hello
we have loving yorkies for adoption to any loving and caring homes,the yorkies are well akc vet check and has all shots as well as health guarantee,interested can just write back for more informations and picks
thanks
Contact: (012) 155-2301

Could this be another of those scams???? [Backpage doesn't allow e-mail addresses to be used for pet ads.]

[Zoltan]

This ad is posted under pets in these Backpage places: Chicago, New York, Puerto Rico, Honolulu (where pets undergo strict quarantine laws when entering the state) .... Haven't checked other cities.

Cute And Affectionate TeaCup Yorkie Puppies For Adoption
posted: June 16, 2007, 05:07 PM

Hello
we have loving yorkies for adoption to any loving and caring homes,the yorkies are well akc vet check and has all shots as well as health guarantee,interested can just write back for more informations and picks
thanks
Contact: (012) 155-2301

Could this be another of those scams???? [Backpage doesn't allow e-mail addresses to be used for pet ads.]

Yes, I would have to say that is a scam. Look at the area code... 012 doesn't exist. Also, if you see an email address in a pet ad, its a scam.

[petsitterkat]

If they have a supposed pet for rehome or adoption, and they don't post the rehome fee or adoption fee in the ad itself or don't abide by the rules for posting those types of ads. Plus any anonymous forms of email address may be sketchy. The best bet is to use an alternate email address you dont mind disabling later on, respond, see what the response is, report them to the websites abuse department and the FBI and block the email address right away.

:D

Hope that helps!

Best,

Kat

[outragedpetowner]

Pet Shop Puppy
I'm a little puppy, so cuddly, sweet and small
I live inside a cage, you see at a Pet Store in the mall.
I'm not an only puppy, my sisters are all here.
My brothers, too, except for Ralph who died coz he was scared.

It's lonely here at nighttime when all the lights go dark,
We tremble in our cages and we whimper and we bark.
But no one comes to hold us or pet our fears away.
We sit all night in terror til the store opens next day.

We don't remember mama, left so far behind.
she did the best she could for us til Man said "It is time."
He crammed us all in cages too small for us you see.
We rode for hours; we could not help but lay in poop and pee.

And now we sit in a Pet Store where kids come taunt and squeeze.
They do not hear our whimpers or understand our pleas.
We're miserable and it's scary here we all would rather die.
But since we don't we do our best to run away and hide.

I know you think my story too sad to leave me be.
You want to take me home with you, a happy little puppy.
But please, though it is fearful to live here against our will.
If you take me that leaves a spot another pup will fill.

You can stop our suffering but not by taking us home.
You must be strong and leave us here, unsold and all alone.
For if you do not take me, then another pup won't come.
And maybe he will not be shipped so far away from home.

Tho some of us may not survive the cycle 'ere it falls.
If we don't sell they will not need more puppies in these halls.
And if they need no puppies then the Man will not bring more.
Eventually it can all stop! You CAN close the door.

So when you see a puppy face so sad and sweet and small.
In a cage at a Pet Store at your neighborhood shopping mall.
The best thing you can do for him is leave him sitting there.
That is the best way you can tell all dogs how much you care.

Author Unknown

:eek: :( :mad:

[TML]

I have to agree with AndyTampa and Zoltan. There are LOTS of animals at your local shelter that need rescuing. The problem is most people want a cute little puppy and not an older dog that most likely has already been trained. I can't believe people would actually even consider getting a pet from overseas anyway. That's more inhumane than anything I've ever witnessed. Those puppies don't get food or water and they certainly don't get to exercise and they're shipped in crates and cages. Can you imagne traveling for two or more days in your own waste with no food to eat and no water to drink? That's why a lot of those puppies are sick or near death when they arrive. If you really are an animal lover then you'll boycott puppy mills and support your local humane society. Those animals need love and good home just like the puppies do.

[sarallyn]

I have to agree with AndyTampa and Zoltan. There are LOTS of animals at your local shelter that need rescuing. The problem is most people want a cute little puppy and not an older dog that most likely has already been trained. I can't believe people would actually even consider getting a pet from overseas anyway. That's more inhumane than anything I've ever witnessed. Those puppies don't get food or water and they certainly don't get to exercise and they're shipped in crates and cages. Can you imagne traveling for two or more days in your own waste with no food to eat and no water to drink? That's why a lot of those puppies are sick or near death when they arrive. If you really are an animal lover then you'll boycott puppy mills and support your local humane society. Those animals need love and good home just like the puppies do.


Amen. My shelter dogs are are even pure bred... they came to me knowing how to sit, stay, etc. One of my most recently adopted dogs will be entering classes to become a therapy dog.

Over 9,000 cats, kittens, puppies, and dogs are euthanized each DAY in pounds because no one wants them, and people want to buy pets for companians? C'mon, let's do the math.

If you are having trouble finding the right pet near you, visit petfinder.com. I found my shelter dogs on there. I highly recommend that site.

[TML]

Sarallyn,

I have thought about becoming a foster parent for the local Humane Society but I'm afraid that I will become attached and then eventually I'll be the crazy cat lady! I have three of my own; two were given to me and I rescued the third. She was lost and we called her owners and they never came to get her. I would love to have a small dog but I'm afraid it wouldn't get along with the cats plus I'm not home enought to give a dog the attention (and walks) it would need.

The best thing we can do is try and save the animals that are in the shelters. One of my co-workers got a full bred French bulldog from a shelter. Can you believe that? I never thought that full bred animals got ditched like the mutts. Either way it's sad. Again, support your animal shelters folks and remember to have your pets spayed or neutered!

[fresh_leads]

Bless your hearts,
it's always amazing to us in rescue how many people have no idea the true situation of dogs. The comment that "we didn't know purebred dogs get ditched like mutts" always makes me smile. Sometimes I wish I didn't know.
People dump dogs and cats when the novelty wears off, when they become an inconvenience or they just don't care anymore. It doesn't matter what kind or how much they paid for it. It's really sad.
I don't know that there are exact stats, but I seem to recell the number being approx. 25% of shelter dogs are pure breds.
There are also rescues out there for almost every breed, so remember to always look at shelters and rescues first.