Pet Lovers: Beware of a New Nigerian Email Scam
This is definitely a hazard of shopping for pets over the internet. Chances are you will have to send payment and then hope your pet arrives as promised. While I haven't heard of the Nigerian scam yet, I have heard similar stories. For example, I recently heard from two different people that someone had offered them a kinkajou baby, but on browsing my site were confused to find the picture they had been sent of an adorable young kinkajou for sale was posted in my photo gallery by someone else. Turns out this seller had simply lifted the photo of Calvin from my site and was sending it people who wanted to buy a kinkajou. One can only imagine whether or not this person even had a kinkajou for sale, despite asking people to send him or her a hefty fee up front. When buying online, sight unseen, buyers must be extremely careful. If at all possible try to buy locally or visit the seller -- this also gives you a chance to evaluate the conditions in which your new pet was raised.
Comments
Wow, the same thing happened to me not long ago! I have been looking to adopt a monkey, and found an add that said free monkey for adoption. I sent an email to find out more. The Add said “Jesse Brown” and that he lived in Alabama. He contacted me by phone, and to my surprise he did not have a southern accent, rather a forign accent, and said he was in Camroon, Africa right now on vacation. He told me he would send me a female, and that he had taken his monkeys to Africa with him. Knowing this could be a hoax, I ask how the monkey would be shipped, he said I only needed to send $300 and he would send the papers and monkey to me. I told him I didn’t have that much right now, but would if he would hold the monkey, I even suggested waiting till he was back in the states, and then I could just pick the monkey up myself, he immediatly changed the price to $150 and said the monkey needed a home. Then when I ask for his vets phone number, he told me to leave the monkeys health to him and that he would send health garantees with her. I also tried to trace his calls, but they were all either unknown or disconected. Luckily my sences had told me better early on, but still I was curiouse to see how far he’d go. Sure $150 isn’t much but how many other people was he tricking. I ask for his address as well so I could send him a check when he got home to alabama, but he continued to insist I wire him the money. Of coarse I cut ties, and did not send the money, but imagine if I had? These people are out to get you so look out!!
Thanks for sharing your warning, too. I’m glad you recognized the warning signs. It sure makes me sad that we even have to post these kinds of warnings.
I sent an e-mail about a monkey in Alabama that needed a home - same thing. I got an e-mail in response asking me a lot of questions about myself, my home, my children. The reason for all the questions was to make sure the monkey got a good home. I didn’t answer any questions, but did ask where in Alabama they were located. They responded that they had moved out of the county on “ministry” work. Since I had already decided this was a hoax I replied that all out of country adoptions were just fraud and I wouldn’t be interested. They actually replied that they were doing “God’s work and wanted to find their monkey a home and they were not a scam.” I didn’t reply after that - seemed like a waste of my typing abilities.