The Porter Police Department is warning people to be mindful of scams when surfing the web looking for dogs or cats to buy; and at the same time is encouraging families wanting a pet to think of the Porter County Animal Shelter first.
According to the PPD, a Porter resident reported on Tuesday, Jan. 26, that she’d been badly burned in a fraudulent transaction after searching “Dachshund puppies for sale.”
The Internet search yielded the Baltimore phone number—the purported Baltimore phone number—of a purported seller of Dachshund puppies, “although the complainant was led to believe that the puppy was (initially) in Indiana,” the PPD said.
The victim was instructed to purchase $800 in Walmart gift cards for the actual purchase of the puppy and then a further $900 in Walmart gift cards to cover the costs of delivery, crate rental, insurance, and even a COVID vaccine for the puppy.
But it was all a con, the PPD said. “Scams such as these are common on the Internet and difficult (if not impossible) to find the perpetrator, since they often change cell phones frequently. Pay-as-you-go phones that require no proof of identity are commonly referred to as ‘burner’ phones. The phone is used briefly and then discarded.”
“The Porter Police Department would encourage anyone seeking to purchase a pet to contact the Porter County Animal Shelter as a first option to provide a loving home for cats and dogs that are currently being cared for at the shelter,” the PPD urged.
Visit portercountyanimalshelter.org for more information on a forever friend.