USA (MNN) —
Africa Inland Mission (AIM) has received numerous calls and e-mails to verify
the validity of newspaper classified advertisements offering Teacup Yorkie
puppies for adoption in the United States.
The person
placing the ads, when contacted, claims to be a missionary serving with AIM,
and he asks the interested party to split the costs for shipping the puppies to
America. Unfortunately, this is a
scam.
According to
AIM's Web site, the fraudulent ads generally appear as follows:
"TEACUP YORKIE PUPPY FOR ADOPTION. I want to give my lovely baby out to someone
that is God-fearing & will take good care of her. If you are interested,
please contact me via e-mail: [email protected]."
The puppy scam is not new,
according to Canada's Phonebusters. Authorities
who have been dealing with the con say the stories are the same, although details
differ slightly.
In one version, the dog owner is
said to reside in Africa. Sometimes he says he is an American, serving in the
Peace Corps. Other times, he claims to be serving with a mission gorup. Either way, he promises to send the dog once
the victim sends $200 to pay for shipping.
Usually there is another request
for more money, explaining there were some complications clearing customs. If
the victim pays the second fee, the scammer usually disappears.
Pray that the hoax does not
damage the integrity of the mission team. Pray also that the con artist would be
caught.
