Victim Location 38655
Type of a scam Online Purchase
Not sure this is a scam, but am suspicious. Website offers teacup poodle mixes, claiming to be home raised. No names or addresses on site, nor pictures of facilities, or of parent dogs, which are typically available on a home-raised site. According to texts, they are in Newport Beach, but the only Jack’s Toy Puppies site on Facebook is in California. Facebook has only 2 likes and no photos. Both website and Facebook seem to have originated in July, 2020.
Site has ScamPulse.com endorsement, though the company doesn’t show up on any ScamPulse.com searches. The website said shipping was free, but the text said $120. Puppies adorable, of course. Price is very good, $600, when they’re usually at least twice that. No birthdays included, and all the puppies are “9 weeks and 2 days old.” As I thought about it, this made me suspicious. Different litters should have had different ages. All should have had birth dates posted.
Payments accepted included Walmart and wire transfers, plus Zelle. Their PayPal “has issues.” One of my texts was rejected by the server with the +1 (1) (216) 116-11 Error message, which I understand sometimes means an international number tried to mask as a US number.
When I asked what to have ready for the tiny puppy on delivery, they sent this text:
Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Adult Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food
Milk, human food, water and vitamins.
Most breeders are adamant about keeping human food away from puppies, especially when they’ve just had a long journey. It made me question if they have the dogs at all, because they don’t sound like people who have been doing this for years, as their site claims.
I’d like to be wrong. I hope it’s not a scam. They didn’t take my money (waiting for me to take the next step, which would be to get a Zelle account and send them their money.
Interactions have been friendly with “former missionaries overseas and at home.” Everything cordial. They love their puppies. Want monthly photos. Answer emails, but not specific questions in the email.
So, I don’t know how to answer if they attempted to take my money. So far, they’re waiting on me. Last contact was yesterday, 7/13/20.
If necessary I can send copy of email or text messages. Separately, things seem benign, but I’ve started to feel uncomfortable with the big picture. If I’m wrong, and they do have those puppies, would you let me know?
If you feel you are a victim of an online puppy scam, ScamPulse.com encourages you to file a complaint and/or customer review at www.bbb.org/Norfolk, with the Virginia Attorney General’s office at https://www.oag.state.va.us/consumer-protection/index.php/file-a-complaint, as well as report your experience to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov and the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov.