Ive been scammed!

[Carleney02]

Yes that's what it says! I got scammed! IM AN IDIOT! Unlike most of you i do not currently have a yorkie! I have been looking for weeks and thought i had finally found one that fits me and my budget. I have no problem spending whatever it takes to bring a new puppy home but my husband does not agree! He doesn't mind that i want a puppy he just thinks i should pay anything or a lot when im going to have vet cost and grooming and such after i bring one home! Anyways i found an add and i fell in LOVE! the add said that this woman had 2 yorkies 17 weeks old and due to hard times she had to move and her new land lord says NO DOGS! so i emailed her and we talked some and she said that i could have them BOTH *they were sisters and had always been together* all i had to do was pay the shipping cost to have them sent to me, I readily agreed both pups were beautiful and the cost was only 265.00 it was to good to be true! I sent off the money and you guessed it never heard from this woman again! My husband is FURIOUS and im heartbroken i wanted the pups so much! Anyone have any thoughts on this? Im still going to continue my search just a little more carefully and i will have a hard time getting my husband to help now but.... I have been looking into rescues but i havent found a pup that tears at my heart strings yet or that i can afford.I tried to attach a photo of the puppies i was supposed to get but its not working so i have made my profile picture the pic i was sent!

[Rachael x]

Hi and welcome to YT.
I'm so sorry that you got scammed you were not an idiot, these people know what they are doing and im sure they have scammed many many people before.
The whole 'you can have the pups for free just pay the shipping' is a very old and common scam, if it sounds too good to be true. It usually is.
These sickos will pull anything from pretending to have a disability to pretending a loved one has died to scam you out of money, you really need to be careful.
Try typing "puppy scams" in Google and see a few that come up, be very aware of anyone who lives in another country and only wants you to pay the shipping. Especially the Cameroon scam.
I dont think its wise to send someone money for a dog you have not seen in person, im sure someone will be able to help you with breeders closer to home. Good luck in your search!

[katy-yorkie]

Hello and welcome to YT. My husband bought both of my Yorkies and he found a lot of scams. Of course he knew they were scams and didn't respond to them. That is sad. You will find your perfect Yorkie, you just need to be careful, I wouldn't buy a Yorkie that needed to be shipped.

[QuickSilver]

How did you pay for the dogs? If it was via check, credit card, or Paypal, can you stop or rescind payment for goods not delivered?

[Vinniedoggy]

There are a lot of scams out there. The best way to avoid them is to work with a reputable Yorkie rescue organization or just a doggie rescue organization. There are so many out there, and many Yorkies and other dogs in need of good homes.

[Teresamag]

I'm so very sorry you were scammed. Hopefully you will be able to get your money back. Please let the rest of us know who this person is and where they are located (ad if possible) so we can help prevent other people from being scammed by them too. Below is a copy of a page on my website on how to help prevent being scammed when adopting a puppy. Please refer to it when you are looking for your next baby and let me know if you have any questions. Good luck in your puppy search,
Teresa

I hear from people so many times about how they or someone they know were scammed or how they are worried about being scammed. Too many times people are cheated out of their hard earned money or disappointed when the puppy they thought they had adopted never arrives or does arrive and is significantly different than what they bought. In order to help people be aware of scams and how to prevent them I came up with this webpage. I'm also including some ideas to help you identify a good ethical breeder and avoid the people who are not.

The best thing is to visit in person or have someone you trust visit the breeder to make sure they are on the up and up. Sometimes just walking into a person's house gives you a "sixth sense" if you should trust them or not. If you have a bad feeling at any time please listen to yourself. However if you live too far away to visit (like many people do), I have several suggestions, you can do any one of these suggestions or all of them.

1. Talk with the breeder on the phone, don't just email them. If you are looking at their website call the phone number posted on the website and any number they give you by email to make sure they are the same person. Sometimes you can do a reverse phone number lookup on the internet to make sure the name matches the phone number. This doesn't work if the person's phone number is unlisted. (for example, my number is unlisted).
2. Not all good breeders have a website but most of them do in this day and age. If you are looking at their website look at the counters. Websites with higher counters show they have been breeding long enough that if they were scamming they would have been caught.
3. When looking at the website look for a professional looking website. It doesn't have to be fancy but should be clean and well organized. The website shouldn't have lots of typo's or poor grammar. Check out the backgrounds in the pictures on the website. You don't have to be a professional photographer to take decent pictures and there should never be junk, trash, dog cages, etc in the backgrounds of the pictures. If someone doesn't take care to show their puppies in the best possible light how can you be sure they cared enough to take care of the puppies as they should?
4. Be aware of questionable claims. The old saying "If something sounds too good to be true it usually is" really does apply here. No reputable breeder will advertise a puppy that weighs 7 oz at 11 weeks and then show a picture of a 2 week old puppy. If the price for the puppy is way below the usual price of a Yorkie puppy question the breeder as to why. Especially if it is way lower or they are only asking for "shipping fees".
5. Ask for (and call or email) references. Ask for their vet's phone number and previous puppy buyers. Any reputable breeder will be glad to give out their vet's number. I can understand with privacy concerns if they don't want to give out puppy buyers phone numbers but frequently the good breeders have several puppy families who have agreed to give references for them. You can also check out their guest book on the website for comments from previous puppy buyers, click on their email addresses and ask for references.
6. If there is a particular puppy you are interested in ask the breeder to take another picture for you and include a specific item. I like to ask for a comb or brush, or even something unusual like a flashlight or toothbrush. This helps to make sure the breeder actually has the puppy being advertised and hasn't stolen the picture off the web. (Don't ask for a coffee cup, dollar bill, a soda can, or a can of soup-those are done too often in pictures.) You can also get a good idea of the size of the puppy when compared to the item you ask for.
7. As an alternative to # 6 ask the breeder to take a picture of the puppy with a piece of paper that has your name printed on it. If the "breeder" makes an excuse why they can't give out their vet's phone number or can't or won't take a picture that you requested please run the other way. (other than they don't have the item to put in the picture, you can always request another item.) If they say they can't take the picture because their camera is broken or they don't have one be very suspicious.
8. Of course a good breeder will usually only have one or two breeds that they raise. I would recommend that you not buy from a breeder who has multiple breeds. I would much rather adopt a puppy from a Yorkie Specialist than from someone who raises seven different breeds.
9. Be cautious about adopting a puppy from another country. Usually the US and Canada are pretty safe but overseas or third world puppy adoptions are very suspicious, especially if the price is very low. This is where a lot of people get scammed.

If at any time you have concerns that aren't eased by talking with the breeder please look elsewhere for your puppy. There are too many good, ethical breeders who will be glad to assist you in finding the newest member of your family.

[QuickSilver]

The key word being "reputable". Some puppy brokers have started posing as rescues. There are a lot of sick people out there. You have to do your research. Sorry you had to learn that the hard way.

[chachi]

The best way to buy a puppy is to buy from someone locally where you get to see the pups otherwise you are taking a chance of being scammed

[Sammy Mommy]

I'm sorry that this happened to you. You are not an idiot!! You are a trusting person who was taken advantage of. Try to buy a dog from someone in person, that way you can see where the pups have been living, etc. Good luck!

[Carleney02]

Thanks everyone i paid via western union so the money is a loss the sad thing is i knew i just knew it was to good to be true but i have a good heart and i didnt want to believe it besides look at those faces i was in love and i had to have them! ive learned a lot about the scams of these pups and yes it was a camroon scam but i believe that the woman actually lives in Florida the screen name she used most often when messaging me was cidney_jane she also uses the email pets_delivery@aol.com and airport_delivery@yahoo.com! I hope that someone catches her i did turn over her Ip address to the authorities but i dont know if there is anything that they can do. Ive also contacted a few rescues but the ones i have found that have what i want seem to want to charge me outrageously for a full grown dog w all kinds of issues. I dont mind the issues health or otherwise i can provide the love and vet care that a dog needs but if i was wanting to spend a fortune i would go to a breeder and get a puppy i just thought rescue would be a good idea. I have done rescue with my other past pets and it was so rewarding to help..... I just want a new family member to love the ppl i have been in contact with so far just want to make a buck!

[Priincess10]

Sorry to here about that I almost got scamed to twice, but good thing my husband told me reasearch about scam especialy when they asked me to send the money to cameroon and they wanted it threw western union. Its funny how they get cought on there act. But be carefull from now on and if they ask u to send it threw wester union dont do it. Soon you will find your best friend(yorkie) dont give up either.

[Teresamag]

So sorry this has happened to you. Never use Western Union to send money to someone you don't know. Just remember that Karma is a B**** and will bite this horrible person on the butt sometime. You may not know it when it does but it will happen.
If you are patient and wait I'm sure something will come up. Get your name out with your local shelters as looking for a Yorkie, talk with a few breeders to see if they have any retired momma dogs they are looking to place in a pet home, check with rescues, and watch here on YT. Sometimes people come on here looking to rehome a pet because they can't keep them for some reason. I think this has worked out well for several people, you get a great pet and someone finds a great home for their Yorkie that they can't keep.
Good luck & keep us updated.

Teresa

[marcie]

I can only imagine how sad you must be. But please do not beat youself up over it. Use it as a lesson learned while you search for your new pup.
I have had the wool pulled over my eyes a few times, too.

[Rhetts_mama]

So sorry that you were scammed. It's unbelievable how the scammers know just what to say to take people in. There are a lot of people out there who are due a big dose of Karma.

You've already been given some good advice here. I hope you stick around and pick up more tips so that you can find your future pup.

[Buster Brown]

I am so sorry to hear that you were scammed. It is disgusting the way people prey on others good intentions. I hope you find a wonderful yorkie soon. Good luck with you search.