DOG lovers across Worcestershire have been warned of ‘cynical’ new puppy rehoming scam.
CTSI and Dogs Trust are urging the public to be on the lookout for scammers charging money upfront for puppies and giving out the charity’s address
The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) has teamed up with dog rescue and rehoming charity Dogs Trust to warn of a new scam in which prospective pet owners are being duped into paying upfront for puppies they will never even meet.
Scammers are fraudulently giving the address of the Dogs Trust Leeds Rehoming Centre as the location from which the puppies can be collected, leaving victims disappointed and out of pocket when they arrive and discover they have been conned.
The scam begins with English Staffordshire bull terrier puppies being advertised on Facebook as ‘Kelly staffy puppies for sale’.
Upon enquiry, prospective buyers are told the seller is ‘strictly picky’ about the type of home the dogs will be sold to and then asked a series of questions designed to elicit personal information.
The advert includes photos of puppies playing in a garden and is written in a manner that suggests the scammers are not based in the UK.
When the scam emerged, Dogs Trust contacted Facebook and requested the advert be removed.
However, there is no guarantee similar adverts, potentially using different breeds of dog and other bogus collection addresses, will not emerge in its wake.
Katherine Hart, CTSI lead officer for Scams, said: “This is a particularly nasty scam, because the potential victims are being manipulated into forming an emotional attachment to a new dog.
Adam Clowes, Dogs Trust operations director, said: “When buying a puppy, do your research first, and if something doesn’t feel right, don’t do it. If an advert seems too good to be true, it probably is.
“Never pay for a puppy upfront, and always go to see the mother with the puppies, visiting multiple times before you commit.
“Ask to see vaccination records; any legitimate breeder would be happy for you to come and see the dog with its mother and give that kind of information.
“And no legitimate breeder would ever ask you to pay for an animal’s vets bills before you buy it.”
