Don’t Fall For The Mail-Order Puppy Scam
This is the message sent by the scammer trying to explain why the dog had not been delivered, even though $490 had been sent.
A woman in Indiana found this out the hard way, reports WCPO-TV (NOTE: auto-play video at link).
She was trying to find a puppy pal for her pug, but couldn’t afford to spend upwards of $5,000 at a breeder.
That’s when she discovered someone claiming to be from Missouri who was selling a newborn pug online for much less — $370 for the puppy plus $120 for the flight to Indiana.
She sent the seller a MoneyGram for the costs; with fees for the service, it totaled $511. She was supposed to get the dog the next day, but nope.
When the dog didn’t arrive, the seller claimed that he was “at the agency now, trying to make the finalization,” whatever that means. He urged patience, but pushed his luck by then demanding another $500 for insurance.
That’s when the buyer realized she’d been fleeced.
“I was spitting nails,” she says about her reaction to being scammed.
The woman filed a police report, but — and this will probably not surprise regular readers — the scammer was not Missouri-based, but located in a foreign country and having a good time with the hundreds of dollars she’ll never get back.
This just serves as a reminder to never send cash in advance of a purchase to someone you don’t know. We don’t really recommend buying anything from a stranger online, but at least with credit and debit cards there are protections against fraudulent transactions and defective merchandise.
And if you want a puppy, there are plenty of shelters and rescues out there chock-full of perfectly fine pooches in need of a good home. Sure, they may not have papers showing they are direct descendants of 1922 Westminster best-in-show winner Ch Boxwood Barkentine, but they’ll still play fetch and drool lovingly on your carpet.
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