Pedigree Puppy rip off
Animal lovers buying pets over the festive period this year have been alerted to an international pet scam which incorporates the advertising of cute looking pets available for purchase, which often do not even exist.
Trading standards officials have confirmed the discovery of a number of classified ads, found in free local newspapers and online were aimed primarily at conning consumers into parting with large sums of cash.
Officials also revealed that the ads offered a variety of pedigree puppies and other exotic animals at discount prices. Some even claimed to offer the non-existent pets up for free adoption.
Cash is then requested for veterinary, quarantine and delivery costs.
The trading standards manager at North Lanarkshire Council, David Roderick who is also head of the ‘Scambusters’ team who work alongside Dundee City Council, said:-
One or Two Things You Might Like:“Often these pets do not even exist.
Consumers should look out for telephone numbers beginning with ‘070′. These are known as personal numbers, but your call could be redirected anywhere in the world and cost up to 50p a minute from a landline, or considerably more from a mobile phone.
Not all 070 numbers are connected to this scam, some are legitimate sales avenues.
The other things to look out for are a ring tone that differs from the standard UK double ring; and an echo on the line. Both are indicators that the call is connecting outside the UK.
If the seller asks for a money transfer to cover delivery, quarantine or veterinary costs, buyers should be very wary.”
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