A Colombian woman is warning others to beware of scammers selling popular pet breeds. A year ago, Sally Stunkle’s Maine Coon died. “I miss my cat so much,” she said, so she began looking for one. Same cat online. Last month, she came across someone selling that breed on Facebook. Stuckel made a deal to buy the cat for $800. I gave her a down payment of $400 on Venmo. Stenkel told the seller that the payment would not work. “It didn’t go right, as she said. So, she said, ‘There’s another way to do it: gift cards.’ Red lights went there. But love makes us stupid,” she said. She bought a gift card, and the seller told her to send the numbers on the front and back of the card. But it didn’t stop there. “She said, ‘We can’t transport the cat until you buy or rent a carrier for the kitty. Another $800.’ On top of that, they asked for another $1,500 in bail and told Stankel she could be charged with abandonment if she gave the pet away. He didn’t pay. Then came the last straw. “The next day, they said, ‘We need one more thing, we need $2,000 from customs.’ The Better Business Bureau says this is one of the few “two-for-one” scams. The victim pays for the missing pet, often paying the scammer more than once to cover the fraudulent transport charges. The agency offers to meet with the seller in person and inspect the pet. If this is not possible, do an image search to make sure the image is from the seller rather than another site. “I see it as the most expensive lesson in my life. So, I’m trying to be. Philosophical about it, but I advise people to research these things carefully (before) you start spending money. Stenkel said she filed a police report about the incident. In Columbia to buy another Maine Coon. She is working with a salesperson.
A Colombian woman is warning others to beware of scammers selling popular pet breeds.
A year ago, one of Sally Stunkle’s cats, a Maine Coon, died.
“I miss my cat so much,” she said.
So, she started looking for a similar cat online. Last month, she came across someone selling that breed on Facebook.
Stenkle made a deal to buy the cat for $800.
“I gave her a $400 advance on Venmo,” she said.
Stenkel told her the seller wouldn’t make the payment.
“It didn’t go as far as she said. So, she said, ‘There’s another way to do it: gift cards.’ Red lights went out. But love makes us act stupid,” she says.
She bought a gift card and the seller told her to send the numbers on the front and back of the card. But it didn’t stop there.
“We can’t transport the cat until you buy or rent a carrier for the kitty, another $800,” she said. I said, ‘I wasn’t told that,’ but I went ahead and did it,” Stenkel said.
On top of that, they demanded another $1,500 for insurance and told Stankel she could be charged with pet abandonment if she didn’t pay.
Then came the last straw.
“The next day they said, ‘We need one more thing, we need $2,000 from customs.’ They were coming from Delaware. At that point, it was like, ‘Stupid, stupid, stupid. And then I stopped,'” Stenkel said.
The Better Business Bureau says this is one of the few “two-for-one” scams. The victim pays for the missing pet, often paying the scammer more than once to cover the fraudulent transport charges.
The agency recommends meeting the seller in person to inspect the pet. If this is not possible, do an image search to make sure the image is from the seller rather than another site.
“I see it as the most expensive lesson in my life. So, I’m trying to be philosophical about it, but I want people to look at these things carefully (before) you start spending money,” Stenkel said. .
She said Stenkel filed a police report about the incident. She is working with a dealer in Colombia to purchase another Maine Coon.