[murraysmom]

My co-worker is trying to place a 2 year old yellow lab which her sister can't care for any longer. She placed an add on Pet Finder and has so far received 2 responses similar to the one below. I am sure these people are looking for large dogs to sell to research facilities or worse. Ugh!

(I've given my co-worker information on labrador retriever rescue-)

"Hello friend,
I kindly greet you in this warm day,i am John Mclain by name I live in V.A,but presently I am in Los angeles working with the L.A.P.D,I was searching through you advert on the net today and i saw your pet for an adoption,I fell in love with your pet and want to provide a permanent home for the adorable pet i wish to adopt the pet for my family in replacement of shaggy our lovely pet that we lost two weeks ago on our way home from V.A beach,my family will love to have your pet into our adorable home .I want to know the name of your pet for easy naming and tell me the asking price for it also tell me the vafourite food of the pet for good feeding,as for the shipping i will contact a reliable shipping agent that is gonna take the pet from your door step to mine for my family in V.A, I will love you to reply me nonresistively .I awaits your reply.


Regards to your Family,
John "

 

[biscuit]

that is really creepy.

how did your coworker respond? maybe PetFinder needs to hear about this?

 

[murraysmom]

Here's a copy of the other one:

"hello...
Good day to you....i am mrs mercy smith..i saw the advert of your posted pet for sale on PETFINDER..i am very much intrested to adopt your pet..i am married to mr morgan with two duaghter and one boy...name sammy18 tammy 15 and timmy 10...i which to give your pet a lovely home...my family are pet loving family we want to adopt your pet to our home in GEORGIA to replace our late tara.. i don't mind where you are living..there are many
pet transporter in state..i will surely contact one to handle the pick-up...we lost our former pet at the age of ten...the pet die due to her old age we promise to take care of your pet as we did to tara our former pet..we take good care of the pet before we lost the pet....please get back to me with much information regard the pet such as the name of the pet the
food the pet eat so that i can get them available the asking price and will also like to know if the cage of the pet is for sale... i have my cage but i like to buy your pet with the cage bacause your pet might familiar with the cage.i ill be waiting for yout response to my enquries...less i forget the picture of the pet if available....i also have my house picture if you
which to see where your pet will be leaving....my husband is onwer of our
house...your pet will have enough space toplay in...i which my enqiury will favourable attention....
mercy smith"

I think you're right biscuit- Pet Finder should be aware of this. "There are many pet transporters in state..I will surely contact one to handle pick-up"...yeah, right. This is so sinister- hopefully no one would be nuts enough to go along with this!

 

[Louise]

:angry: I've never seen the word "pet" so often in my life! This is really strange. What I don't understand is that if they are people who want pets for lab tests why aren't they more educated?

Lou

 

[murraysmom]

My take on it is that some guy (it seems like the same person wrote both letters) has discovered that money can be made by collecting dogs and pedalling them to labs.

Many years ago, when I lived in the Richmond,Virginia area, we had a rash of large dog thefts - mostly labs and shepherds were being taken- the police thought it was this type of thing.

I guess these monsters have discovered the Internet.

 

[Mikey T]

My take on it is that some guy (it seems like the same person wrote both letters) has discovered that money can be made by collecting dogs and pedalling them to labs.
[/b]

Labs must deal with licesensed brokers there have be a few instances with theft and fraud involved with brokers but it is still rare. Also labs in general like to know ansestry and what not for study control and general deal will mill that raise dogs specifical for lab use.

Given the general tone and apperent command of the english lanquage of the letter writers it is more probable a more sinister end for the dogs. That as being used as bait dogs for training fighting dogs.

 

[murraysmom]

Thanks for the information Mike- this is worse than I thought.

 

[Mikey T]

The Pet Theft Myth

 

[murraysmom]

Now, how did I know you would have an article about this! ! Thanks for posting, as always-

 

[sadeyes2]

That's why I HATE to see a 'free to good home' advert in the local paper. It would be a magnet for these people. It has been published in the media here that dogs should not be left in cars, tied up outside, or for that matter left unattended in gardens, or out of sight on walks because of the dramatic rise in dognapping cases. Horrifying!!!!

 

[woebgon]

I suspect, due to the poor grammar etc. that the person wanting the pets does not live in the USA. The post is very similar to those I've seen from friends who have posted cars for sale on the Internet. The "buyers" either have "clients" in another country where it's more difficult to obtrain dogs or they are involved in some kind of fraud. I suspect the latter. The Internet has become a very scary place to sell anything. People all over the world, including all kinds of criminals, have free access to it. If you doubt that, just look at all the fradulent SPAM you get every day.

 

[Elmer-n-Button]

We should set up a sting operation . . . It hurts my heart to think of innocent animals used to bait vicious dog fighting contestants. My heart hurts for the contestants as well. As with any cause, it takes devotion of those willing to c ombat evil. Time, resources, & devotion. I just want to be sick when I think of the awful sins that man commits against animals.

 

[Soundtrack]

Nope, it's just another version of a common scam. The scammers are working out of Nigeria. How it works is usually they claim that someone owes them money. That someone will send you a cashier's cheque or money order for more than your asking price. You are supposed to cash it and send the buyer the difference. A month later you find out that the cheque is a forgery and you are out your money. They do this for all sorts of goods, not just dogs or livestock.

Here's a page with details Internet scam

Another variant is used on people looking for pets. The "seller" claims to have a dog that they will send to the buyer for only the cost of shipping (usually $200). Usually they claim to be Americans posted overseas. They usually also portray themselves as Christians for added effect. Of course, you send your money but no pet appears.

 

[murraysmom]

Your explanation makes sense- the wording is so similar to those e-mail scams:"Kind sir,I am the son of the deposed king of Mumbala and need for you to hold $2million dollars for me...."

This actually makes me feel alot better- the thought of a scam to use dogs for bait was a lot worse than this kind of money scam-

Although I know those others are out there too....

 

[biscuit]

The Nigerian scam thing makes sense, but the fighting dog thing does, too

gad, there's some creepy people out there.