It all started when Annette Cormier saw an ad on social media that said “Puppies to go home,” with photos of a homeless mini-poodle.
Cormier lost her own 17-year-old dog a year ago. She felt ready to receive a new dog at her home, so she sent a message immediately. He spoke to a woman over the phone, who asked for a $ 100 wire transfer to hold the puppy.
Weeks later, Cormier has lost $ 1,600 due to the puppy factory scam and the Better Business Bureau of Atlantic Canada has issued a warning about it.
This scam is more common than people think and is especially effective because it influences people’s emotions, said Kristin Matthews, a spokeswoman for the organization.
“Obviously, people are looking for these puppies to add to their home and a new family member to keep them company,” he said. “[Scammers] it becomes really emotionally manipulative. “
A sudden “accident.”
Cormier said that during the weeks of dealing with the scammer, she seemed considerate and kind and offered reassurance. Cormier said he did not realize it was a scam until he was given two fake pickup locations.
“It’s my loss, my stupidity. I just don’t want anyone else to get stuck in the same situation,” he told Information Morning In the Summer.
Cormier said it started with enough innocence. The person who posted the ad sent her a contract to sign to prove she was the new owner. The collection date was set, but that morning the woman said her mother had an accident, and she and the puppy were in Toronto.
“She says, I’ll send you the puppy,” Corrmier said. “So time passed. Day after day. Okay, where’s the puppy?”
Kristin Matthews, of the Better Business Bureau Atlantic, says people shouldn’t be ashamed to report a scam to their organization’s scam tracker because it helps others. (Submitted by Kristin Matthews / BBB)
The scammer said the transport company wanted $ 3,300 to release the puppy. Cormier said he couldn’t afford it, so they decided to split the cost, with Cormier’s $ 300 wire transfer.
But there was still no puppy or word. The scammer then said the transport company needed more money because it had housed the dog.
Cormier said he paid the amount even though he asked the scammer.
“I said, ‘Are you like, you know, dragging this? Is it really a puppy?’ And she would come back and say, “Oh, well, you don’t have a heart. You are more worried about your money. And this poor dog is sitting in a warehouse somewhere. “
“I made myself feel so guilty.”
These scammers are very good at hiding their identities and become impossible to locate.- Kristin Matthews, Better Business Bureau
Eventually, the scammer gave him a pickup address on Coverdale Road.
The address was an empty lot.
He passed it on to the scammer, who gave him a second address right next door.
“The second address was right next door. Well, yeah, tell me a fool, I went,” he said. “[The resident] he was surprised that someone would come to his house to look for a puppy. We talked for a few minutes and she felt sorry for me for turning around. “
Cormier said that over the weeks, she did have suspicions, but the scammer was always able to reassure her.
“The way he spoke to me in the posts, it’s like, okay, no, he’s very considerate and he takes my feelings into account and that’s fine. Maybe it’s not a scam,” he said.
“When I went to the address and there was no dog there, it’s like, okay, yeah, I’m sure they scammed me.”
There is not much resource
Cormier said he plans to contact the RCMP. He has no hope of getting his money back, but he wants to share his story so people can learn from his mistake.
Kristin Matthews said that unfortunately, once someone sends money, there is not much recourse because scammers use untraceable payment methods and are good at hiding their identity. It’s common for people to feel embarrassed, but that shouldn’t be a reason not to report it through the organization’s scam tracker so other people are aware of it.
“These scammers are very good at hiding their identities and become impossible to locate. So it’s one of those things that, you know, we have to inform them to let people know.”
Cormier’s story does have a happy ending. He was able to find a dog through a recognized source.