Husky and Pomsky puppy scam
This puppy scam hits victims twice! It advertises for husky or pomsky puppies but then also hits up the buyers for additional fees for insurances, vaccines and shipping.
WA ScamNet has received reports from two hopeful husky/pomsky owners who lost a total of around $25,000 in extorted fake puppy sales, insurances and travel fees with false promises of refunds.
The original adverts appeared on Gumtree or Australian trader, online classifieds websites, with a title like “Potty Trained Siberian Husky Puppies For Rehome in LEEDERVILLE, Western Australia for sale”.
WA ScamNet also found other expired ads on australialisted.com using the same wording with only the location as being different. This is typical of these scams where they change it slightly to avoid detection.
The seller
In one of the scams, the buyer received an email from the seller johnsonocar202@gmail.com offering one of two pups for $1700 including transport. The buyer was asked to pay via bank transfer to a Commonwealth Bank account for “Name: Patricia Day BSB: 064148 Account: 658966”.
But the scam doesn’t stop at the non-existent pups.
The fake shipping company
And this is where the second part of the scam hits, and hits hard.
Both buyers received an email from ushippetrelocation1998@consultant.com.
In one case, there was request for another $1,200 to be paid via Western Union for a ‘first class crate plus vaccines’. WA ScamNet can confirm Western Union have since blocked the receiver/seller as a perpetrator of fraud.
The ‘shipping company’ then made several additional attempts to obtain a further $3050 and $3950 from that buyer for insurance scheme purposes.
The fake shipping company attempted to obtain further payments of up to $4,950, promising the puppy and a refund worth thousands and included an insurance certificate.
Two Westpac accounts appeared in both reported versions of this scam:
- BSB: 734054
- Accounts: 649465 or 649561.
In one version of the scam, the shipping company provided a legitimate looking website www.animalairexpress.com to track the shipment of the puppy. When the buyer entered in their ‘tracking number’ it showed the puppy was in the process of being sent to the victims. However, no puppy or refund was received and the website is no longer operational.
Related Scams
-
Fake websites won’t deliver
Read More...Western Australians in search of the bargain of the century could be scammed by fake websites that cleverly copy legitimate enterprises. Consumers need to be wary of ‘great deals’ offered via internet searches or pop-ups as scammers hope to catch victims out when impulse buying on the promise of a super bargain.
-
Buyer beware fake websites
Read More...How do you spot a fake website? The reality is they can look really professional and may have copied official logos, high quality images and even stolen an ABN from a real business. One sign of a fake site can be a recent copyright date but scammers may also put an older copyright date to fool you.
-
vipsupportmail linked to several scam sites
Read More...Online shoppers should be on the lookout for the email address service@vipsupportmail.com, which has been linked to several scam websites.
-
Fake Outboard Motor Websites
Read More...WA ScamNet has received reports about a number of fake websites selling cheap outboard motors.
-
Fake holiday accommodation websites
Read More...WA ScamNet have received five separate reports from consumers who lost money after receiving a call from a company offering cheap holiday accommodation.
-
Fake power tools websites
Read More...Two fake websites selling power tools were recently reported to WA ScamNet. The websites claim to sell discounted power tools with items ordered but not delivered.
-
Fake aquariums and accessories website
Read More...WA ScamNet has received a report about a fake wesite, aquarium center, claiming to sell heavily discounted aquariums and accessories with further reductions offered for payment by bank transfer. Goods were ordered but not received.
-
Fake barbecue product websites
Read More...Consumers need to be careful about which online retailers they use after at least two cases where people ordered barbecue equipment that never arrived.
-
Bogus boating website
Read More...We have had reports about the website www.marinebazaar.com.au, which is bogus even though it appears legitimate at first glance.
-
Bogus Appliances Deals website
Read More...We have had reports from customers about the website appliancesdeals.com.au, which is bogus, even though it appears legitimate.
-
-
Fake massage chair and scooter websites
Read More...WA ScamNet has received a number of reports from consumers who have tried to purchase massage chairs, mobility scooters and children’s scooters from various websites, and never received the products.
-
Fake bulldog puppy website
Read More...Pet-buyers are being warned about online puppy scams - French and English bulldogs puppies being the latest.
-
Facebook puppy scams
Read More...Pet-buyers are being warned about Facebook page scams - Labradoodle Puppies For Sale being the latest.
-
GardenOutdoorSales.com.au
Read More...Do NOT buy anything online from GardenOutdoorSales.com.au, the website is a front to steal money.
-
Cavoodle puppy scam
Read More...Consumers have paid for a puppy either via a website or by responding to an online classifieds advertisement only to find out the whole thing’s a fraud.
-
-
Overstockdeals.com.au
Read More...Fridge deal leaves consumers out in the cold - warning about bogus shopping site overstockdeals.com.au
-
Onsalemarketdeals and directonlinedeals websites
Read More...Do not place orders with the website directonlinedeals.com.au or onsalemarketdeals.com as WA ScamNet investigates if the website is fraudulent.
-
Puppy scammers bite
Read More...WA ScamNet has received three reports of monetary loss to puppy sale scams recently. One victim via email, one via facebook, and another via gumtree.
-
Online free trial offers
Read More...Whether it’s a sponsored post in your social media feed or a pop up advertisement while you’re browsing the web, offers of ‘free trials’ or ‘samples’ are a common sight for internet users. WA ScamNet warns online consumers to be aware of the fine print when accepting a so called free trial.
-
Fake shopping websites
Read More...Consumer Protection has issued an alert about eight bogus shopping websites, now closed, which had stolen the identity of legitimate businesses and conned money out of WA consumers.
-
Kitten and puppy scams
Read More...Don’t let kitten scammers get their claws into your money. It’s a new version of the age-old puppy scam. Scammers advertise a puppy or kitten for sale in the classifieds either in newspapers or online, usually providing an email address as a contact point. The animal being advertised is often a popular breed and the asking price is lower than the market value. The seller requests that payment for a crate and shipping of the kitten or puppy be sent by wire transfer. Sadly the animal never arrives and Consumer Protection has received reports of monetary loss from many heartbroken would-be pet owners.
-
Online auction and shopping scams
Read More...It is possible to buy almost anything over the internet these days. Unfortunately, scammers can use the anonymous nature of the internet to rip off unsuspecting shoppers. Scammers can pretend to be selling a product—often very cheaply—just so they can steal your credit card or bank account details. Similarly, they may take your money but send you a faulty or worthless product instead—or even nothing at all.
-
eBay invoice scam
Read More...An eBay invoice arrives in your inbox for a brand new Guess handbag or other personal product that you never ordered. Confused? You need not be because this is a fake email.