#MiddleburyCT #Pets #PetBuyingScam
DEAR PAW’S CORNER: I got scammed! I can’t believe it. For decades, I’ve purchased specific dog breeds from reputable breeders locally and up to a few hundred miles away. But last year I decided to purchase a dog from overseas, specifically Europe, because I wanted a specific breed and there were none available locally. Normally I would happily fly over myself to meet the prospective pet, but due to travel restrictions during the pandemic, that was not possible. There’s a lot to my story of being scammed, but in the interest of time I will just say that I paid out several thousand dollars to a scammer who looked very legitimate online, and at the end of the day, no dog ever arrived. I want to warn other people who are thinking about buying a dog from overseas to be very careful. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. – Heartbroken in Dallas
DEAR HEARTBROKEN: Thank you for sharing your story. It will help so many other potential owners to avoid pet-buying pitfalls.
Overseas pet-buying scams have increased dramatically in the past few years – so much so that such purchases, especially from Eastern Europe, were banned temporarily. But scammers don’t care about bans, and they’ll do anything to get money from people who just want a pet.
If you haven’t done so yet, report the scammer to authorities. File a report locally with your city’s police department. If you wired money to the scammer, contact the service provider to report the incident. Report the incident on pet scam websites, social media and anywhere that pet owners chat. The International Pet and Animal Transportation Association has more strategies to report scammers here: www.ipata.org/pet-scams.
Were you scammed when trying to buy a pet? Tell us your story at ask@pawscorner.com.
Send your tips, comments or questions to ask@pawscorner.com.
© 2022 King Features Synd., Inc.
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