Best guess is that there is a pet scam ring whose members work together sharing names and contact information among themselves. Last week, I came across a web site I was convinced was a scam. I made contact through that web site stating my interest in one of the pictured Maltese puppies for sale. I had to complete a form with my contact information. The next day I received a text from a number with an Arizona area code stating the puppy in which I was interested had not been sold. What a surprise!! I returned the text posing a series of questions regarding where they were located, information regarding the mother & father, the weight of the parents, if the “breeder” is in possession of both parents, etc. I received a return text stating that they are located in Tucson and could ship the puppy. No other information. I texted back letting them know that shipping would not be necessary, that it would be no problem for me to drive from Texas to Arizona, or just catch a flight and pick up the puppy at their address. No reply. Total silence from that end – until tonight when I got the text from a person I had never contacted. Message: “This is Justin Ray. It is about the Maltese Puppy.” I sent a return text asking, “Are you a breeder.” An hour later and still no text from Mr Ray. If I hear from Mr Ray again, I will see if I can get the name under which he is advertising puppies and submit an update.

I believe that when I did not take them at face value and started asking even the simplest questions that the person with the Arizona area code passed my contact information to the person with the Nevada area code. Maybe they were hoping I would be feeling frustrated with the lack of response from the Arizona scammer and would give up and deal with the Nevada scammer with no questions asked. It does not matter which one you deal with, the money you immediately transfer by wire or green dot or other means goes straight to an overseas partner scammer – usually somewhere in Africa, Europe or Russia.

A pet scammer has whatever breed of puppy you want. Does not matter what breed you want. A pet scammer does not like questions — at all. They want a buyer to transfer the money required for the puppy and cost of shipping with no questions asked. After the initial payment is made and the time draws near for the plane to leave with the puppy on board, the buyer will always receive a call or text announcing the puppy is at the airport, the plane is about to take off, but that there is suddenly a problem at the airport which prevents shipping of the puppy until even more money is paid – either another crate needs to be purchased, or another airport fee has to be paid and it has to be done right then, or the puppy will not be shipped. So a buyer either sends more money and crosses his fingers hoping that the transaction is not a scam, or he realizes he has been taken, that the puppy never existed, and he cuts his losses.