Dog Scam On Petfinder

Stacey Russell of Nashville, Tenn. found a stray dog, and listed it up for adoption on Petfinder. She hoped to find a good home for this dog, instead she was the target of an Internet scam, and ended up surrendering the dog to a local shelter. I've warned people in the past to be careful buying or selling dogs online, in this post called Nigerian Puppy Scam. Petfinder is an excellent resource, and would recommend them. Yet, even on Petfinder you need to be cautious to ensure that you won't be a victim of fraud. Law enforcement is seeing an increase in this type of activity, so I wanted to write a follow up post, in an attempt to raise awareness.

After listing the pit bull/lab mix she named Cocoa, Stacy Russell was contacted several times by an individual expressing interest and promising to provide a good home. This person claimed to live out of the state, but would pay for shipping the dog. The seller overpaid the cost by at least 2x with checks, and requested that Stacy refund the difference via Western Union. After becoming suspicious, Stacy found out the checks were counterfeit. With this type of scam they make various excuses for overpayment. The scammer sends counterfeit checks, and you refund the difference with real money.

In a variation of this scheme, the scammers will list puppies for sale on the Internet. They may list a dog for free where you just pay the shipping, or they may list a purebred puppy at half the normal cost. Once they have your money, you will never hear from them again. Petfinder is a fantastic website that is helping many dogs find forever homes, you just have to be careful. What I recommend is using their search box to find local rescue groups and shelters. If you do decide to purchase a dog from out of state, make sure to do your research, and make sure you know exactly who you are dealing with.