FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) – Scammers are at it again and the latest involves the search for a new addition to the family.
It’s been two months since Vanessa Sams lost her four legged friend. It left her heartbroken and looking for another dog for comfort. She found one for sale online and agreed on a price and a place to meet. However, shortly before the meeting, things started to feel off.
Sams stated, “right at the last minute, she said, ‘oh there’s a $65 dollar fee that I need you to pay right away for renewing her paperwork.’ I didn’t know exactly what that meant.”
However, luckily for Sams, she declined the sudden request, saying she’d give the money at their meeting.
“I told her I wasn’t going to send her money and she immediately blocked me,” Sams added.
It can be a risky endeavor getting pets from strangers on the internet and it’s something other dog owners aren’t comfortable with at all.
One local dog owner Juan Flores said, “it’s just like anything, you get what you pay for. You have more sense of comfort knowing that pet stores in general have some sort of regulation. It makes it difficult to have peace of mind getting it that way [online].”
Both advise shoppers on red flags and if they should even do it online at all.
“To me, the biggest red flag is if they ask for any amount of money at all, before you receive your dog,” said Sams.
Flores added, “I think people have their own restraints even about getting a dog at the mall….
