Online scams have been around almost from the first day the internet went public. Scammers get more clever everyday, constantly evolving their game. They have always relied on two key elements though: an emotional hook and a sense of urgency. Here’s the story of how a scammer almost suckered me for a few hundred dollars.
My boyfriend and I foster rescue dogs. The picture of the dog in this post is our latest rescue, Bo. We picked him up today. We found him on a posting from a reputable animal rescue. When we were new to rescue, we didn’t quite know how it all worked. I was scouring Facebook for posts of dogs that needed help. I found a posting for a golden retriever puppy that needed immediate saving. We looked at the pictures and read the pitiful story and just fell in love. We were hooked. I messaged for more information and received a couple more pictures and even more details of how dire this adorable fluff-ball’s situation was. We talked it over and decided we wanted to move forward. I contacted the poster and asked for next steps. It was then we discovered that the poster had moved to another state in the couple of days since the original posting. This meant the transportation of the dog was going to be across a couple of states. (Should have been warning sign #1.) No matter. We didn’t want this sweet puppy penned up in a warehouse or heaven knows where else for any longer than necessary. They gave us information on how and where to send the money needed to transport the dog to us. They wanted money Western Unioned to them. (Should have been warning sign #2.) They gave us an address for the transportation company that would handle transporting the dog to us. For some reason, I googled this company and its address. Google Maps showed it was an open field. (Warning sign #3 and I caught this one.) Sometimes Google Maps can be out-of-date, but an empty field? I looked up the phone number I was given and it came back as being associated with scams. (Warning sign #4 and it was loud and clear.) At this point, I was angry. We were trying to help save an adorable puppy from a terrible future. These people were using our soft hearts and good intentions against us. That’s right! They are scammers. That’s what they do. I reported the posting to Facebook. I reported the number and address to scam listings on Google and everywhere else imaginable. I was not going to let my embarrassment at almost having been taken in prevent me from calling these thieves out everywhere I could. That sense of embarrassment is one of the many things that keeps creeps from being caught. People don’t want to admit they were duped. Another trick that keeps them operating is that they use a number and address until it shows up in too many fraud and scam lists. Then, they move on to another bogus address and number. Reporting them doesn’t stop them, but it makes them have to work harder. That’s at least something in our favor.
For a hilarious response to scammers in action try Joe Lycett’s video: https://fb.watch/koctwZ0vAO/
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