Beware of puppy scam
By Lynne Terry, The Oregonian
December 15, 2009, 10:35AM
Nothing, apparently, is sacred for scammers this holiday season, not even peppy puppies.

The Better Business Bureau says that people in Oregon and elsewhere looking to buy or sell puppies have been hit by scammers placing online ads.

Dawn Cowles, a Beaverton woman, was hit in October while trying to buy two English bull dog puppies, which can cost $1,500 apiece.

“I was in a rollover accident and we lost one of our dogs,” Cowles said. “My husband and daughter always wanted a bull dog but we didn’t want to spend the money on them. But after the accident we decided to go ahead.”

Searching online while recovering and in pain, she found an ad supposedly placed by a couple who said they were giving away bull dog puppies because they had moved and could not keep them in their apartment.

The couple, who said they lived in Alaska, said Cowles could have the dogs for free provided she paid for shipping. Through emails, Cowles was referred to a moving company that supposedly had an office in Alaska.

After several emails, Cowles ended up wiring $1,000 for various expenses to the company’s supposed headquarters in Cameroon.

She never saw the dogs and did not get her money back.

“I’ll never do that again,” she said.

The Better Business Bureau has received several other complaints from people across the county, including a breeder in Alaska who has been asked by a potential buyer to wire money, said Kyle Kavas, spokeswoman for the BBB in Lake Oswego, which serves Oregon, western Washington and Alaska.

“A lot of the scammers are out of state and some are out of the country,” Kavas said. “They often involve wiring money.”

The BBB advises consumers to buy locally and to avoid wiring money. She said consumers looking for puppies should check the breeder's credentials or buy from a reputable store.

In the end, Cowles and her husband bought two bull dog puppies from a breeder in Madras.

They paid $3500 for Sadie and Dodge — in addition to the $1,000 they paid to the scammers.

“They’re worth it,” Cowles said. “They’re good dogs.”

-- Lynne Terry

People are dumb how hard is it to say oh they want me to pay before I have the product sounds iffy. or to even google something before you buy see there reputation.

Seriously? The lady wasn't too bright. Maybe it was the drugs she was on from recovering. Why would she get a dog all the way from Alaska?

There are shelters all over the place. If you want a dog, go to one. No one needs or should pay for a pet. Plenty of homeless animals looking for good homes.

I think the lady was in Alaska

the dog was supposedly coming from Cameroon (Africa) THAT should have been a red flag right there

EDIT: sorry I'm wrong. the lady was in Oregon buying puppies from a person in Alaska with a comany based out of Cameroon

and in the end they bought puppies from Madras (India) and paid $2500 for em

they seem to have more money than sense