Word of warning - don't get caught out

Pipkin28 · #1 (**permalink**) 22-04-2008, 10:54 AM

I thought I'd share this with you, in the hope that no-one on here will fall for the same scam.

The daughter of the chap I work with was the victim of a scam yesterday and lost £132. Now whilst that isn't a great deal of money, she won't have been the first person to get conned in this way.

Over the weekend she found an advert for an 8 week old chihuahua for £150 in an online freeads site. She responded as she's always wanted a chihuahua. We believe the advert initially said the location was Birmingham but in the reply email she received she was told Scotland.
She was planning to go up in person but yesterday she had a call to say that the dog was free but she just needed to cover the carriage cost of £132 and it would be shipped to her, by plane, and it would be at the local airport in 2 to 6 hours as the dog was already with the pet couriers.
She was told to wire the money to them, which she did.
She then received a call from the 'courier' to say that she needed to wire a further £300 to cover insurance and a 'pressure vaccine'. She told them she wasn't going to send any more money.

Now, we all know alarm bells should have been clanging away before it got that far but she's young and was excited about getting the dog.

She contacted the company organising the money transfer to try and cancel the transaction but was told it was too late as the money had already been cashed.

She has also contacted the police who have helpfully told her there is nothing they can do.

It appears the money was cashed abroad, most likely South Africa.

So the warning is, if you use any of these sites please read the hints, tips and help pages before you do anything. As they are usually aware of how these scams operate. They do tend to target particular breeds of dog, such as bulldogs and chihuahua's. And don't wire any money, you're better off making a long journey and seeing that the animal really does exist before you part with any cash.

hanhan · #2 (**permalink**) 22-04-2008, 11:16 AM

I've also been targeted by something similar a few years ago via ebay for some red hot chilli pepper gig tickets.

Very stupid of me to fall for it but that I did, wired £100 via a money shop and quelle surprise they never turned up.

My sweet revenge is that about 2 years ago the guys that were reknowned for doing it got caught and locked away!

royal_girly · #3 (**permalink**) 22-04-2008, 11:35 AM

These scams are all over the net and free ad sites, they prey on people who see a 'cheap' dog and get them to part with their cash heart overruling head.
Bulldogs, Capuchins, Chi's are a particular favourite.

Rain · #4 (**permalink**) 22-04-2008, 12:54 PM

Yeah, seen these before. People have tried it with snakes too. Also seen it the other way where Mr.S Africa will send a bankers draft for £x in exhange for your goods.

Nearly lost my car to this scam. Advertised on autotrader, had someone called "Andrew Bennet" email me saying he would pay just shy of my asking price. I agreed, then he said he was in switzerland! Ok, still not a problem.
Then he started things like "I will send you £3500 for your car, and £3200 for the carrige, which you will pass onto the carrier company for me".
Alarm bells rang!!!!
I went along with his scam for a bit, with fake addresses and phone numbers. Messed him around something cronic. Then he sent his bankers draft...
A English man, living in switzerland, sent me a Irish bankers draft, for sterling, from spain!
At which point, i handed in all the info, along with his given address and his phone number (a landline number, not mobile!) to the police. Only to be told "well, there's not a lot we can do to him".....

Ah well, at least it kept him and me busy for a while

BTW, I also rang the bank the draft was from, and had them confirm it was a fake

loobylou · #5 (**permalink**) 22-04-2008, 05:34 PM

My dad got caught out by a scam that sounds almost identical to this one except it was for a yorkshire terrier. He paid for the dog which was supposed to be personally delivered, then he was told circumstances had changed and they needed money to fly the dog from scotland.

missk · #6 (**permalink**) 22-04-2008, 05:38 PM

always go and see a reputable breeder and look at the puppy and its mother. Helps look after animal welfare as well as stay clear of potential scams...

Marinam2 · #7 (**permalink**) 22-04-2008, 06:41 PM

ooppsy try to teach her more about dishonest people.

It is going on LOADS with Bulldogs at the moment, i questioned why they were so cheap after a saw 5 plus adverts offering for less than they normally go for because they normally sell for £1200.

Marina

Uncle Les · #8 (**permalink**) 22-04-2008, 06:49 PM

Like the saying goes If it sounds to good to be true......... forgot the rest but you know how it ends.

Emmaj · #9 (**permalink**) 22-04-2008, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pipkin28

I thought I'd share this with you, in the hope that no-one on here will fall for the same scam.

The daughter of the chap I work with was the victim of a scam yesterday and lost £132. Now whilst that isn't a great deal of money, she won't have been the first person to get conned in this way.

Over the weekend she found an advert for an 8 week old chihuahua for £150 in an online freeads site. She responded as she's always wanted a chihuahua. We believe the advert initially said the location was Birmingham but in the reply email she received she was told Scotland.
She was planning to go up in person but yesterday she had a call to say that the dog was free but she just needed to cover the carriage cost of £132 and it would be shipped to her, by plane, and it would be at the local airport in 2 to 6 hours as the dog was already with the pet couriers.
She was told to wire the money to them, which she did.
She then received a call from the 'courier' to say that she needed to wire a further £300 to cover insurance and a 'pressure vaccine'. She told them she wasn't going to send any more money.

Now, we all know alarm bells should have been clanging away before it got that far but she's young and was excited about getting the dog.

She contacted the company organising the money transfer to try and cancel the transaction but was told it was too late as the money had already been cashed.

She has also contacted the police who have helpfully told her there is nothing they can do.

It appears the money was cashed abroad, most likely South Africa.

So the warning is, if you use any of these sites please read the hints, tips and help pages before you do anything. As they are usually aware of how these scams operate. They do tend to target particular breeds of dog, such as bulldogs and chihuahua's. And don't wire any money, you're better off making a long journey and seeing that the animal really does exist before you part with any cash.

Nopes there is nothing that can be done at all

as these people aint even in the country a friend of mine was scammed in exactly the same way probs by the same people with a husky pup advert

So we have been down all the avenues with her and that was just before xmas and she parted with over £600 for a free puppy.................

all we have done is when seen ads by these people notifyed the sites that they are on that they are scammers

Pipkin28 · #10 (**permalink**) 22-04-2008, 11:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marinam2

ooppsy try to teach her more about dishonest people.

Well, I think she's definitely learned the hard way and is no doubt beating herself up for falling for it. But she's not the first and she certainly won't be the last. But it's a lesson we can all learn from and the more people who learn to recognise the warning signs, the better!

If it helps save some of the lovely peeps on here a lot of heartache then it's served a purpose! God, I'm such a creep.....and I don't even want anything!!

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