SNOW SQUALLS.
3
WE BEGIN WITH A NEWS 8
EXCLUSIVEA WOMAN...THOUGHT SHE
WAS BUYING A PUPPY ONLINE...
TONIGHT SHE IS HEARTBROKENAND
OUT SEVERAL HUNDRED BUCKS.THE
BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU SAYS
IT'S HARD TO KNOW HOW OFTEN
THESE TYPES OF SCAMS HAPPEN...
BECAUSE A LOT OF VICTIMS DON'T
COME FORWARD.NEWS 8'S RENEE
CHMIEL IS LIVE FROM NEWS 8
CONTROL WITH THE EXCLUSIVE
STORY...AND WITH SOME TIPS FOR
PROTECTING YOURSELF.RENEE...
3
IF YOU BUY SOMETHING FROM A
WEBSITE LIKE CRAIGSLIST, LIKE
THIS WOMAN DID, IT'S
CONSIDERED A PRIVATE
TRANSACTIOIN.SO YOU ARE NOT
PROTECTED. BUT IF YOU'RE
ONLINE... IT'S NOT ALWAYS THAT
EASY TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN LEGITIMATE SELLERS AND
CROOKS.
"THIS IS THE MOM WITH HER
LITTER, 11 PUPPIES."
DEBBIE...WHO DIDN'T WANT TO
GIVE HER LAST NAME...HAD
BOUGHT WHAT SHE THOUGHT WAS
THIS GERMAN SHEPHERD PUPPY.
HER LAST DOG HAD DIED A FEW
YEARS AGO...AND SHE WAS READY
FOR ANOTHER DOG.SHE WAS GOING
TO NAME HIM DUKE. "FOR MY
BIRTHDAY.AND WE'RE NOT GOING
TO GET ONE NOW. HE'S NOT HERE."
SHE WIRED HER PAYMENT. AND A
COMPANY CALLED PRO PET TRAVEL
WAS GOING TO SHIP THE DOG FROM
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA THIS PAST
TUESDAY.INSTEAD SHE GOT A
PHONE CALL...SAYING THE PUPPY
WAS NOT INSURED AND SHE'D HAVE
TO PAY MORE THAN 600 MORE
DOLLARS."I SAID YOU'RE
SCAMMING ME, AREN'T
YOU? AND AT THAT POINT I JUST
STARTED CRYING." AFTER SHE
TOLD THE ALLEGED PRO PET
TRAVEL EMPLOYEE THAT SHE WAS
GOING TO THE POLICE...SHE WAS
NOT ABLE TO GET IN CONTACT
WITH ANYONE SHE'D BEEN DEALING
WITH. "BEEP. THOMAS IT'S
DEBBIE AND I'M STILL WAITING
ON THAT PUPPY."THE PHONE
NUMBERS...ALL THROUGH GOOGLE
VOICE. DEBBIE SAYS THE COMPANY
LOOKED LEGITIMATE.AND EVERYONE
SHE SPOKE WITH HAD AN ANSWER
TO ALL OF HER QUESTIONS.
"I THOUGHT I WOULDN'T GET
TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF."MEANWHILE,
THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU HAS
HEARD OF SCAMS LIKE THIS...
SPOKESPERSON HOWARD SCHWARTZ
SAYS IF A SELLER DEMANDS A
CERTAIN TYPE OF PAYMENT -
ESPECIALLY IF IT'S UNTRACEABLE
- BE CAREFUL.AND DOING
BUSINESS ONLINE CAN BE RISKY.
"IF YOU WANT TO BUY
A DOG OR A REFRIGERATOR OR
ANYTHING ELSE FOR THAT MATTER
YOU WANT TO SEE IT FIRST, SEE
IF IT'S THE TYPE OF PERSON YOU
WANT TO DEAL WITH."DEBBIE
WON'T BE USING CRAIGSLIST
AGAIN.SHE LEFT THE CROOKS WHO
SCAMMED HER A MESSAGE. "I
SAID THANKS FOR SCAMMING ME
AND HURGTING MY FAMILY. I HOPE
YOU CARRY THIS WITH YOU FOR A
LIFETIME."
THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU
SAYS ANOTHER THING TO WATCH
OUT FOR IF YOU'RE BUYING A DOG
ONLINE...SOME DOGS THAT ARE
FOR SALE HAVE BEEN STOLEN. SO
BE SURE TO GET PROOF OF WHERE
THE DOG CAME FROM.WE REACHED
OUT TO PRO PET TRAVEL FOR A
COMMENT BUT WE HAVE NOT HEARD
BACK.LIVE IN NEWS 8 CONTROL
I'M RENEE CHMIEL.DARREN, ANN,
BACK TO YOU.