Dear PetRelocation,
I'm in contact with a family that I'm hoping to adopt two puppies. I'm a bit hesitant because of the distance between us and not being able to meet them.
Do you have any suggestions on how I may be able to validate this transaction? Has anyone with the name Gianluca Carpinelli been in touch with you?
I appreciate all and any of your help.
Thank you,
Stacey
Hi Stacey,
Thanks for checking in with us. We don't have all the details so it's hard to say for sure, but the situation you're describing sounds like it's probably a scam.
-It's great that you want to adopt a pet, but reconsider dealing with unknown parties online. It's much better to deal locally and adopt an animal from a nearby shelter.
-NEVER SEND MONEY TO AN UNKNOWN PARTY VIA WESTERN UNION. If a supposed pet seller ever asks you to wire money to them, cease contact with them immediately. This is a classic sign that you're dealing with fraudsters. PetRelocation will never ask you to send money via Western Union, so thanks for checking in with us to find out what's going on!
-It's okay to be skeptical, especially if you encounter a sketchy looking website or feel pressure from the seller. If it feels wrong, it probably is.
-For more information about puppy scams and what you should do if you think you've stumbled upon one, read this post from our blog.
You may have fallen in love with the idea of those French Bulldog puppies, but in most cases like this, there are no puppies. Scammers simply find cute pictures online and then use them to try to steal money from unsuspecting pet lovers. It's unfortunately common, but you don't have to be a victim!
Hopefully this helps shed some light on the incidence of puppy scams, and hopefully these tips keep you from ever falling for an online scam. Good luck with everything, and please let us know if we can be of further assistance.
Pet Travel Question Details:
Name: Stacey
Number of Pets: 2
Pet Type: Dogs
Pet Breed: French Bulldog
From: Seattle, WA
To: Jefferson, ME