Remember when I blogged an article about how NOT to be a part of a scam earlier in my blog? Well, I had someone "pretend" that they were interested in one of our pups.....he is a BIG scammer.......how do I know? Well 1st of all.......they ALL use a form letter......how do I know? I get the SAME letter from different ones......over and over and OVER! They basically say the SAME thing!
Well here's his letter:
Hello (He didn't even address me by name......etc)
This is Mr Musty, (yeah right........Mr Musty? for real? Not even a REAL name!)......
I am a builder,my wife is a nurse,I have 2 kids,and I have a fenced yard,I am located at California. (FIRST OF ALL, this guy is behind a computer in NIGERIA, AFRICA....that's right...this is a Nigerian scam!!!)
Secondly, I sent him a LONG list of questions.......he didn't answer them directly like I asked him to! Another flag! This is because he uses a formatted letter like I stated before!
I just contacted you and since the price is okay by me and its good to go i will like to pay for it and my mode of payment will be via CERTIFIED CHECK which you can cash instantly at your bank,the payment will be sent down to your place via ups courier service. (There are a few red flags here.....first of all this guy is using a yahoo address......a first suspect. Secondly, due to the language, dialect and interpretation from his language to ours......there are MANY punctuation/spelling/grammatical errors.....another thing to look for is the idea of a certified check! You may think there's nothing wrong with a "certified check" right? Well these checks are MORE than you ask for...then you deposit them....and mail them the money Western Union. AFTER your WU check clears........the "certified check" will BOUNCE, will be FAKE and you will be out the $$$$$))
About the shipping there is no need for you to worry about that because i will have my personal shipping agent sent down to your residence for the pick up and inspection but i will need your help in remitting the shippers fee because I have not gotten in contact with the shipping agent for sometime now so what i want to do is that i will add excess fund i mean include his payment together with yours and once you have received the check,Cashed instantly at your bank,Then you will deduct your payment and have the rest paid to the shipping agent via WESTERN UNION as soon as i have him located ok,he will be able to make arrangement to take his flight to ur resident and pickup then ship. (Does anyone else but me see all of these run-on & fragmented sentences?? Yep...refer to what I said in the previous paragraph!) So if this is ok by you i would want you to provide me with the below information which will be used to send the payment to you I hope you understand my explanation to you. (Another issue is that the idea of Western Union! If they ask you to use this...this is a huge indicator that they are scamming you!!)
1. First and Last names(which will be issued on the CHECK )
2. House address(physical home address where UPS will deliver payment too)
3. Phone number.(incase i need to contact you urgently)
(Another thing is.....I am the one asking for details NOT him. So...eventhough I see this as a scam....I could easily delete it...but instead I am going to make an example of him to show you how to take steps to insure that you are not a victim! Even breeders like us, can be taken for a scam! We are not immune!)
Hope this helps you pay attention in the future. Make sure you read the article on how not to be part of a scam so you can take extra precautions!!
Showing posts with label Scams. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Scams. Show all posts
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Saturday, April 11, 2009
How to Not be a part of a scam??
We get emails all the time of people that have been unfortunately taken advantage of by a scam. Yes I do feel sorry for them, but I also don't. It is their job also to do their homework, in order to know if something is right, before they put out money.
After our first bulldog, Molly died, we were on a search for a new baby. We made many calls and emails. One of the first emails I did, was an email to a lady in TX, so I thought. This lady was a liason for a person in Africa. That was my first indication. There WAS NO PHONE NUMBER. (EDITED: They are recently able to find ways to use local numbers within the USA!!! So beware)
He gave me this sob story of how he was there, was a vet, owned these bulldogs that he couldn't take care of. I was suspicious from the beginning. Then I heard a story on our local television about people that were at the airport waiting for bulldog puppies, that never came, AND THEY GAVE THE SAME STORY THAT I WAS TOLD IN THE EMAIL.
It makes me sick everytime I look online at different websites and even our local AJC when I see SO MANY scams, and they are. They are flooded with them. Here are some ways that you and your family are not taken advantage of:
1. There is NO SUCH THING AS A $500 (or $800) English Bulldog. When you see an ad that advertises $500 for a pup and then it says "for adoption", 99.99% if not 100% of the time it is a scam!
**note here** Bulldogs are not only VERY difficult to breed but difficult to raise. The out of pocket for breeders can be very expensive, in the THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS and that is before we sell one puppy. They can also have a high mortality rate, so there is no such thing as a "cheap bulldog". Also, if you are looking for a "free" or "cheap" English bulldog, I need to mention something. They are an expensive breed to raise. If you don't have the money to put up front for the breed, then you don't have the money nor do you have any business raising and owning an English Bulldog!
2. 100% of the time they will either use no phone number or a fake one. If you cannot physically talk to someone, then there is a problem!!!
3. Alot of the times the scammers will use yahoo or gmail for their email accounts.
4. If you see multiple ads for the same puppy with different emails, then it is a scam
5. If they mention Western Union or AFRICA or NIGERIA in their emails, 150% of the time IT IS A SCAM!
6. Alot of the times you look at the picture, and there is only one picture, usually a very blurry and pixled picture of this so called $500 (or even $800) for adoption puppy, it is because THEY STOLE IT FROM SOMEONE ELSE!
7. If they advertise an English Bulldog FOR FREE or For Adoption, It is a SCAM!
8. When you call someone, or ask someone regarding a pup, ask them to take a RECENT (within 24 hours) picture of the pup, with a piece of paper in the picture with YOUR NAME ON IT or something specific like a crushed can!
9. Ask for a vets name and phone number! A reputable breeder won't have any problems giving that out!
10. If they text, call or email you at odd times of night, beware. I was recently contacted by a Nigerian scammer that used a SC number and was texting me at 4 am!
11. Ask for multiple photos of the puppy FROM BIRTH, including photos of the PARENTS!
Please be careful during these difficult and hard times, not to be taken a apart of this scam!
After our first bulldog, Molly died, we were on a search for a new baby. We made many calls and emails. One of the first emails I did, was an email to a lady in TX, so I thought. This lady was a liason for a person in Africa. That was my first indication. There WAS NO PHONE NUMBER. (EDITED: They are recently able to find ways to use local numbers within the USA!!! So beware)
He gave me this sob story of how he was there, was a vet, owned these bulldogs that he couldn't take care of. I was suspicious from the beginning. Then I heard a story on our local television about people that were at the airport waiting for bulldog puppies, that never came, AND THEY GAVE THE SAME STORY THAT I WAS TOLD IN THE EMAIL.
It makes me sick everytime I look online at different websites and even our local AJC when I see SO MANY scams, and they are. They are flooded with them. Here are some ways that you and your family are not taken advantage of:
1. There is NO SUCH THING AS A $500 (or $800) English Bulldog. When you see an ad that advertises $500 for a pup and then it says "for adoption", 99.99% if not 100% of the time it is a scam!
**note here** Bulldogs are not only VERY difficult to breed but difficult to raise. The out of pocket for breeders can be very expensive, in the THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS and that is before we sell one puppy. They can also have a high mortality rate, so there is no such thing as a "cheap bulldog". Also, if you are looking for a "free" or "cheap" English bulldog, I need to mention something. They are an expensive breed to raise. If you don't have the money to put up front for the breed, then you don't have the money nor do you have any business raising and owning an English Bulldog!
2. 100% of the time they will either use no phone number or a fake one. If you cannot physically talk to someone, then there is a problem!!!
3. Alot of the times the scammers will use yahoo or gmail for their email accounts.
4. If you see multiple ads for the same puppy with different emails, then it is a scam
5. If they mention Western Union or AFRICA or NIGERIA in their emails, 150% of the time IT IS A SCAM!
6. Alot of the times you look at the picture, and there is only one picture, usually a very blurry and pixled picture of this so called $500 (or even $800) for adoption puppy, it is because THEY STOLE IT FROM SOMEONE ELSE!
7. If they advertise an English Bulldog FOR FREE or For Adoption, It is a SCAM!
8. When you call someone, or ask someone regarding a pup, ask them to take a RECENT (within 24 hours) picture of the pup, with a piece of paper in the picture with YOUR NAME ON IT or something specific like a crushed can!
9. Ask for a vets name and phone number! A reputable breeder won't have any problems giving that out!
10. If they text, call or email you at odd times of night, beware. I was recently contacted by a Nigerian scammer that used a SC number and was texting me at 4 am!
11. Ask for multiple photos of the puppy FROM BIRTH, including photos of the PARENTS!
Please be careful during these difficult and hard times, not to be taken a apart of this scam!
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