The " Puppy " Scam !

 This COVID-19 lockdown has generated a new interest in adding a " pet " to the household and animal shelters have had a rush of customers offering to give an abandoned dog or cat a new home. Usually the good samaritans who run animal shelters  check to see that the home is properly fenced and only charge a nominal sum before handing the anima to their buyer.  There is now a scarcity of unwanted animals to meet demand.

More selective buyers are choosing a preferred breed of puppy and are looking to registered dog breeders for supply and in this electronic age that has degenerated into sophisticated scams. Puppies from breeds that are in demand and which come with registration papers that guarantee their bloodlines can cost thousands of dollars and the police have taken a 27 year old man into custody and it is expected he will face charges that may run well in excess of a million dollars scammed.   He has been refused bail while the police wait for other victims to come forward to determine the full  extent of the scam.

The breed the scammer chose was blue Staffordshire Bull Terriers and he simply advertised puppies for sale on Gumtree and these were accompanied with appealing pictures of healthy pups to get the buyers excited.  He was asking for $2700 for each pup while legitimate breeders were asking for $3000.

This " bait " advertising got results.  New customers were asked to provide a " deposit " of between a thousand and two thousand dollars and quickly advised that the pup was on its way to them. They were then required to pay the balance, and often extra transport costs added on to cover delays when excited buyers failed to receive their purchase.

When the scammer thought no more money would be forthcoming, contact simply ceased.  He ceased answering emails and it quickly became evident that there were no puppies.   Those pictures used in the advertisements had been stolen from other web sites and the purchasers were buying " mirages " that did not exist. Police report that in the first six months of 2020 there have been similar scams with losses running well over a million dollars.

It delivers a timely warning that buyers need to check the bona fides of the seller before any money changes hands and the first move the buyer should make is to ensure that the breeder is registered with the Kennel Control  Council of Australia.   The KCC is the control that determines bloodline registration is correct and most breeders welcome a visit from buyers to inspect their facilities and actually see the dogs they are interested in.

Sometimes the sale involved breeders and buyers living in different states and the KCC registration serves as a degree of safety that the sale offer is legitimate.  Buyers often pick a breed of dog for more than their sheer looks.  Size is important, and whether the breed is good and safe with kids can be a factor.  A mixed breed dog can have very different characteristics and is a step into the unknown.

Unfortunately pictures of cute puppies is a big incentive for people to be unwise.  How a dog will fit in with their household is a big question that needs thought before that buying decision is made, and it must be remembered that most dogs have at least a twelve year lifetime.

That old adage is perfectly true in the electronic age.  If it looks too good to be true - then it probably is  !