Buyer Beware: Puppy Scam Hits the Ark-La-Tex

Puppies are hard to resist. Small, pure-bred ones are always popular and pricey. Guess what? Scammers are well aware of that. In this new twist on the West African money scams, this one not only goes for your wallet, but, your heart. Thanks to a tip from our viewers, we discovered one such scam on an Ark-La-Tex classifieds website.
 
The ad reads "Quality English Bulldog Puppy for Rehoming-Adoption," Next to the description is a photograph of an English Bulldog. It describes the dog as affectionate, house broken and great with kids. By just looking at the picture and reading the description, this bulldog looks like the perfect pet. The price: nothing. All the consumer has to do is pay $250.00 for shipping and handling.

We deal with scams in the Troubleshooters Office all the time, so, we knew this deal looked too good to be true. However, we had to find out for sure, so, Wanda Pontz, director of the KTAL Troubleshooters Office, responded to the ad. "They claimed to be raising funds for a children's home in Cameroon," Pontz said. At least, that's what a person going by the name "Sister Beth McNabb" told her. "Sister McNabb" then provided a little more details on this perfect and mysterious English Bulldog. His name is Cutie and the children's center is sending him to the U.S. because the weather in Cameroon, Africa doesn't agree with him. All we had to was send a $250 money order and Cutie would be ours.

Of course, once "Sister McNabb" asked for a money order, we knew there was no Cutie, just a scam. "People are out there all over the United States just waiting for people who will pay for that little puppy and never get it," Pontz said. It's actually part of a scam that is sweeping across the country and dog lovers are falling for it.
 
If you are looking for a puppy, do not turn to ads like this. Instead, use these tips from the Better Business Bureau and the American Kennel Club: Do your research http://www.akc.org  and take your time choosing the puppy. Don't be fooled by a slick website. Meet the breeder and the puppy in person before making a deal. The safest thing to do is find a puppy locally .Remember, you can often find great pets at your local animal shelter. However, here's the bottom line: don't let a sob story, a cute picture and a bargain sucker you into making a deal you'll regret.