How Those Scams Work And How To Avoid It
Saturday, January 30th, 2010Most people who have a love for pets have done so since they were children. That love of animals definitely goes with them to adulthood, and most people end up have a cat or dog as a pet. Unfortunately, there are pet scammers who are quick to use people’s love of animals to cheat them.
Puppy mills are held by several con artists around the world. Sellers receive these animals from brokers through shipping. Internet ads are then put up by the sellers, attracting buyers who take their word for it.
When they’re advertising on the internet there’s usually a picture of a very cute or pretty animal. The puppy is always touted as a purebred with championship abilities, and an extremely high price tag. If you want to buy, money is always required up front. The scam is that when the animals arrives, IF it ever arrives, it will not be the same one in the picture.
Another downside with these pet scammers is the guarantee they give that the animal has had its shots and is in perfect physical condition. Many of the buyers who fell for this game got a puppy that was sick and/or died soon after. Do not plan on buying any live animals for a source you cannot certify as being legitimate.
For the most part, a buyer of a pet is paying for a specific pet that has a picture on the website. However, the buyer receives no dog and they can’t get their money back. Due to the large amounts of money paid for what is claimed to be a championship dog, many people have lost small fortunes. It would do you well to use 411infoseek.com/361/744/ or another telephone look up service to test the validity of the claims these sellers are making, and to see if it’s a scam.
There is one variant of the pet scam that claims that the dog has to be shipped from out of the country, and asks for money to cover shipping. The scammer then keeps the money and never sends a pet. The buyer can do absolutely nothing to recover the money.
Pet scammers have many stories to tell that sound legitimate. Stories often revolve around abandoned pets from people who love their animal, but can no longer keep the pet. People overseas who have to give up their pet for various reasons are also a current story. Of course, all of these situations require money up front.
Being aware of who you are buying the pet from to start with is the best defense for not being scammed. As a buyer, you have the right to see what you’re buying ahead of time, and even the pet’s parents, if possible. The idea of buying any unknown animal, either overseas or here at home, is setting yourself up for trouble. Reputable breeders are known by other people, and it should be easy to check them out. Also, you should be seeing red flags anytime someone requests money be paid before you see what you’re buying.
To find out more about the phone look up service that can help you prevent frauds visit 411infoseek.com/509/312/
categories: pet scams,animal,scams