Victim Location 11356
Total money lost $692.50
Type of a scam Other
I found a listing (no longer available) on Craigslist for Maltese puppies up for sale. I emailed the seller, named Maria Maha, and she had two puppies available for $300 each, as I was already looking to purchase two. She stated that she was located in Richmond, Virginia and that she would have them delivered via pet delivery service (Optimal Prime Pet Chauffeurs). We switched to text messaging for faster communication, and she told me that I would pay the delivery service directly, who will then give the money to the seller upon delivery. It was a total of $680 ($300 for each puppy + $80 delivery charge) and $12.50 Moneygram fee, as this was how they required payment. I sent the money via Moneygram and they picked it up in Maryland. Afterwards, I got another email from the "delivery service agency" saying that I need to purchase a crate for shipping the puppies, claiming that the seller left them in a wooden crate, which is not acceptable for shipping. My choices for a crate were $425, $550, or $750. I called them asking if this was a scam, and the man became very defensive and said that "this is legit." When I called both the seller’s number and the delivery agency’s number, I realized that they were both using Google calling services. Also, the email I received from the delivery agency contained both their number and the seller’s as business telephone numbers, which means that the seller was not a client but in fact working together with the "agency." I told them that I would call law enforcement if they did not return my money immediately, and he told me that it would take 7 business days, which does not make any sense. Afterwards, both persons would not answer my phone call.