Cute Puppies Being Used to Scam People Out of Money:
Apparently MySpace, and I would almost guarantee craigslist, are avenues for a new twist on and old scam. And of course we couldn’t have a scam without having the name Nigeria in the article…
Fraudulent Web sites, MySpace postings and print ads are asking people to help save puppies in desperate straits by sending money overseas, The Los Angeles Times reports.
The sites and ads usually show bulldog puppies that are said to have become stuck in Nigeria, Cameroon or other countries and are offered free to new owners. A variation offers the expensive purebred English bulldogs at vastly discounted prices, the Times reports.
Victims eventually were asked to send hundreds of dollars to cover expenses such as shipping, customs, taxes and inoculations.
Some reported paying more than $1,500. But no matter how much was paid, no puppies arrived, the Times reports. And even the pictures of the pooches likely are fraudulent. In the last couple of months, local business bureaus across the country increasingly have been getting complaints, Cox said.
I have to admit, that’s pretty clever. Appalling but clever.
Here’s some helpful advice. Do not do online business with third world countries, especially Nigeria.
