Puppy Scams: The New Nigerian Con

Recently there are reports of a new type of email scam. Like the classic Nigerian scam, these fake emails are used only to cheat you out of your money. The person you actually think to be a nice, humble minister is actually a man with a computer, a desk, and a headset in a dank room with a few other men, trying to make as much money off you, before moving on to the next victim. This scam is one everyone should know about to protect themselves.

The story: In a war torn country, Bosnia, for example, a large litter of pups purebred dogs worth a large sum of money, are in danger and do not have a home. The church has taken them in, but can not provide a home for all of them. It is willing to send you a free dog, (purebred, of course worth a few thousand dollars), for free. If you ask why, they'll only say, "We only want to find, kind, loving homes for these wonderful puppies." They can send a dog to your airport with an associate, and all you need to do is come to the airport to pick him up. They only ask you to cover the cost of the shipping of the animal. Usually, this will be $450-$500. To ensure that you pay up, they usually include a picture when you ask for it. That's probably what you'll get in the email, but what REALLY happens? Read on...

You give them your credit card number, so they can take the shipping fee. You go to the airport on the day of the "delivery." You could spend hours there, hours, and hours, and you would never see that beloved purebred English Bulldog you wanted so much. So, you go home, sad and angry. You email/call the scammer, demanding an explanation. The "minister" is astonished! He has no idea why the dog was not there. The associated must have taken off, he says. He wills end you another one, and will make sure it is a trusted delivery man. That is, for another $500. You think, well, a dog like this would cost $2000, paying a total of $1000 is a great deal! So you pay again, and go back (if you're really clueless enough to not realize what is going on), and again, you don't get the puppy. By now you're done with the scammer, you realize what he's done, andhe scammer has done his job. He's cheated you out of 1 Grand, and in another 5 minutes, he'll work with another "customer."

Hopefully, you won't fall prey to the clutches of the new Nigerian Scam, and will be able to spread the word about his awful crime. Next time, buy from the Store.