Consumer Alert: Nigerian Puppy Scam

By Ashley Hinson, Anchor/Reporter

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By Ashley Hinson

Story Created: Jul 17, 2007 at 11:20 AM CST

Story Updated: Jul 18, 2007 at 6:07 AM CST

It’s an old scam, with a new look, and people are falling for it. Con artists are now taking advantage of you as you try to add a fluffy friend to the family. Normally, you’d think of scams being for something you try and buy online, or perhaps even through email. But scammers are now trying to pull the heartstrings of animal lovers—from thousands of miles away.

The search for the perfect pet can be a challenge, and many will start that search at an animal shelter. But some turn right to the classifieds to find the perfect pooch.

For morning DJ Scott Steele in Cedar Rapids, getting a dog from the classifieds, almost meant getting duped.

“I got a reply back and as soon as I got the reply back something smelled wrong about it," Steele said as he described the scam.

The ad was for an English Bulldog, but seemed too good to be true from the get go. But Scott was savvy, saw the writing on the wall, and took matters into his own hands.

"I've kind of watched some of these shows where they bust internet scam artists,” said Scott. “I saw it and the writing was really bad."

He also found four pictures attached to that email. But was it said caught his attention.

"The puppy's free...but we want you to send $400 for shipping," said Scott as he described his dealing with the seller.

Scott at this point had caught on to the “Nigerian Puppy Scam” making it’s way across the country, taking advantage of animal lovers through the internet, and the classified ads. These ads are often times places with just a credit card—through the internet—making it a faceless predator, using a furry face to take advantage for you.

TV-9 Tried to contact the seller by creating our own email address--and no response. Officials we talked to say they're probably already onto another free email address--to scam other people.

Scott didn’t buy the dog, but he did use the KHAK Airwaves to tell his story. It even kept one of his listeners from falling for the “Nigerian Puppy Scam.”

"She sent me the exact same email that I had gotten from this guy, that said my husband and I were about to send this guy 400 dollars for this dog,” he said, adding, “Because you talked about it, obviously we're not going to do it now."

The scammers agenda may include collecting your bank or credit card details but mostly, they just want cold hard cash.

Tune in to the TV Nine News Thursday Morning, July 19, to hear from Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller. He’ll tell us how you can fight back, and what to do if you’ve been scammed.

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