| national pet adoption of rare and/or expensive | | | | artist does not live in a foreign country but is |
| breeds is a common choice for people seeking | | | | actually scamming you from the comfort of |
| those animals at a reasonable price. Unfortunately, | | | | home in America. Keep in mind that fraud in the |
| international pet adoption scams are also more | | | | United States is illegal and can carry a prison term. |
| commonplace, as reported on various news | | | | The number of pet shipping and international pet |
| stories. ABC News is just one network reporting | | | | adoption scams is steadily rising. If you want to |
| on pet shipping fraud. | | | | help catch the crooks and reduce the number of |
| All typical pet shipping and international pet | | | | swindles, you can be proactive. Utilize your general |
| adoption scams have a basic premise. Fraudulent | | | | resources to track put the bad guys out of |
| con artists, most frequently claiming to be from | | | | business and, hopefully, behind bars. Use your cell |
| Africa, Cameroon, or Nigeria, reach out to people | | | | phones, landlines, addresses, and web cams to |
| searching for a specific exotic cat, dog, or bird. | | | | your advantage. Here’s how: |
| Oftentimes, the sale price is less than the cost of | | | | • Talk to the con artist and obtain phone |
| international pet shipping, but the con artist insists | | | | numbers, addresses, names, and any other |
| that it is all about making sure the animal is in | | | | information they give up to you. |
| caring hands rather than dollars and cents. If you | | | | • Keep a journal of dates, times, and |
| fail to do even some basic research, you may | | | | conversations. |
| hand over a few hundred dollars and a few | | | | • Retain the caller id records. You may |
| weeks later find yourself with no pet, no money, | | | | even want to photograph the record. |
| and no way to trace the perpetrator. | | | | • Ask your telephone company to trace |
| Avoiding Scams | | | | the number on the caller id on the basis that you |
| You can easily avoid international pet shipping and | | | | have been a victim of fraud and possibly identity |
| international adoption stings. More than ever, the | | | | theft. |
| swindlers tend to advertise on large, legitimate | | | | • Let your fingers do the walking. The |
| websites like Yahoo! Pets and major and local | | | | Internet is a well of information. Do your own |
| newspapers. You can protect yourself with some | | | | tracking. Trace a phone number to obtain an |
| simple personal security tips, such as: | | | | address and name. Then collect as much |
| • Never buy from individuals. Individuals | | | | information as you can find on the Internet about |
| that advertise puppies, kittens, or birds for sale, | | | | the person. |
| especially internationally, do not have the | | | | • Record the phone calls, print online |
| credentials that legitimate businesses have. | | | | exchanges, burn any virtual conferences onto a |
| • Check the company website. If the | | | | disk. |
| seller does not have a website, but claims to be a | | | | • Insist that you will handle the pet |
| professional organization, look elsewhere for an | | | | shipping arrangements. That way, they have to |
| animal. Any reputable company making | | | | give you their information. They also know at that |
| international sales will have a website in this day | | | | point that they won’t be able to cash in |
| and age. | | | | on this one. |
| • Be leery of the deal too good to be | | | | • Do not try to comprehend this person |
| true. It usually is. Research the actual cost of pet | | | | on your own. Be discreet so as not to endanger |
| shipping and international pet adoption or contact a | | | | yourself. When you have enough information to |
| reputable pet shipping company, such as | | | | prove the deal is a scam, notify local law |
| • Never reply to unsolicited e-mails or | | | | enforcement, and let them take over the |
| phone calls from people purporting to have the | | | | investigation. |
| exact species and breed of animal you are | | | | Pet shipping and international adoption scams are a |
| seeking and offers to forego the adoption cost of | | | | sad reality of the pet shipping world. Researching |
| the pet as long as shipping costs are paid. Once | | | | international pet adoption, the seller’s |
| again, if it is too good to be true, it generally is. | | | | business, and the cost of pet shipping before |
| Catching the Bad Guys | | | | entering into transactions is the best way to avoid |
| You might be surprised to learn that the con | | | | becoming a target. |