SCAM Report #63 - Winners & Losers .. this week's report

Disclaimer; contrary to what you may have been told, or have been led to believe by imposters in the African country of Cameroon, and elsewhere; Air Animal, the Tampa, Florida based pet moving service for relocating families; is NOT involved in the transportation of pets purchased over the internet.

From the desk of Dr Walter Woolf, the veterinary founder and owner of Air Animal, the pet moving service for relocating families, since 1977, now in our 32nd year of continuous business, from our sole office in Tampa, Florida, USA.

Summary of this past week's reports from across the world.

Canadians continue to be trusting people; sending more per MoneyGram (cash) to Cameroon, for alleged puppies; that never appear than Americans.

Americans were targeted this past week as they are on a regular daily basis as victims of the con & scam artists in the African country of Cameroon and elsewhere..... with fictitious web sites provided the scam victims to allegedly "track" the shipment of the puppies. Of course, after the first transfer of CASH by Western Union and/or MoneyGram, you discover the "tracking web site" do not exist.

Our Briish cousins continue to be targeted as well; the "bait" this past week being African Gray parrots. For those who take the time & effort to read these blogs, you will benefit by knowing of the need for you to obtain a CITES import permit to bring the alleged birds into the UK, with quarantine at your residence; along with veterinary inspection at your residence. A call to your local UK veterinary surgeon will confirm this situation.

Our "down under" friends in Australia continue to take the "bait" from the con and scam artists in Camereoon, and elesewhere. Our Aussie friends would do well to look at the AQIS website ... www.aqis.gov.au .. to familiarize themselves with the imporation of pet dogs, cats, and birds into Australia.

Summary; if you contemplating purchasing and/or acquiring a pet via the internet, you are most likely setting yourselves up to be the victim of a scam from talented and sophisticated con artists in yes, the African country of Cameroon.

If the "deal" seems to good to be true, it is ... there are NO "free" or low cost pets to be purchased over the internet.

Scammer's correspondence revealed .. pet owner says "thank you Air Animal"

An observant & wary UK pet owner shared her recent experience involving correspondence with a "puppy purchase scammer" in Cameroon, Africa ... read it for yourself and save yourself both money and heart ache.

Hello,

I would like to thank you for posting information about this scam on your blogspot. Thanks to your blog notes, we were saved from participating in this scam. I just wanted to send you the type of email we received using your logo and letterhead. Somebody contacted us via phone asking if the money was sent via moneygram to Africa. We asked him why Africa, the he told us that Air Animal has branches all over the world and its cheaper to work out of Africa. I told him that I will contact Air Animal first when they open to confirm this delivery and then get back to him. Of course, by then he started arguing with me and of course I hung up the phone.
If you can post our story on your blogspot, perhaps someone else will be helped as well.

Thanks a lot, Sarah Lopez

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: expressdepots_interuk@englandmail.com
To: nier812@hotmail.com
CC: nier812@hotmail.com
Date: Mon, 19 May 2008 04:05:33 -0500
Subject: PENDING DELIVERY OF YOUR PUPPIES AND PAYMENT INFORMATION

PHONE NUMBERS: 07031920220

& nbsp; AIR ANIMAL MOVING SERVICES
INFORMATION ON YOUR PUPPIES IN TRANSIT
DUBLIN

&nbs p; Welcome to AIR ANIMAL Delivery Service DUBLIN Branch, the relocating pets best friend since 1977. The relationship of pets and people is a treasured one, as evidenced by the love shown with the children and their pets in the world; and is recognized as the human-animal bond. As you contemplate moving your family pet by air as you relocate, you want the best for your pet. AAMS holds the welfare and safety of your family pet as our primary consideration. Whether your pet is an experienced flyer or a first time flyer, Air Animal's pet move specialists, pet owners themselves, understand the relationship you have with your pet and will only provide the best pet moving service for your family pet both,nationwide & worldwide as you relocate.

Dear Client,
&nbs p; we have Two Pug Puppies (Male and Female) in a crate from Mr and Mrs Simon MALIA here at Aams Branch, Dublin, to be transported and home delivered to the address :

United Kingdom.
The puppies have come with all necessary papers needed including the microchip identification with the microchip number ISO 10586 recorded on the Rabies Immunization certificates , But the U.K vertinarians had to conduct another test to be sure of the health, it was done; all was fine and MEDICATION PAPERS where all accurate, the tests have been conducted and the puppies are free from such illnesses that may attack other animals like (Birds & cats).So the puppies are now ready for shipment.

The experienced pet moving specialists at Air Animal Pet Movers .. the IATA air cargo agency ... will handle your pet's move with confidence, professionalism, and trust. Air Animal's NO TRANQUILIZER rule is designed for the safety and welfare of your pet during airline air cargo transport..Air Animal Pet Movers .. registered with the UKDA as an Intermediate Handler ....is governed by the rules, regulations, and mandates of the Animal Welfare Act .. the AWA .. the Federal Law governing scheduled airline air cargo shipments. But it should be noted that this shipment can not be carried out unless the cost for the shipment (£250) is paid for the shipment of the puppies.This payment is to be done to Air Animal's developed 3rd party pet moving service to the moving & relocation industry in CAMEROON ........So we will need you to pay this money as soon as possible, So as to book the next available delivery which will be taking off to your area in 1 hour 45minutes time and will be delivered at your home address. The puppies will be delivered to your home address

YOU ARE REQUESTED TO PAY THE TOTAL FUND AT MONEYGRAM (Also found at the post office and other areas) BECAUSE WE HAVE
THEIR UNITS AT OUR HEAD QUARTERS DESIGNED FOR SUCH TRANSACTIONS, TO THE
DIRECTOR OF AAMS MOVING SERVICES CAMEROON, USING THE ADDRESS BELOW:

NAME :ALANGUE TRESOR
COUNTRY:CAMEROON
STATE: YAOUNDE

NUMBER :07031920220

NB;GET IN CONTACT WITH 07031920220 FOR ANY INQUIRIES ABOUT PAYMENTS
WHEN YOU ARE PAYING THE FEES YOU WILL NEED A TEST QUESTION,MAKE IT TO BE

TEST QUESTION: THE SKY
ANSWER: IS BLUE

For The MoneyGram Payment you can get to either of this agencies of your location
POST OFFICE , JERSEY POST,ISLE OF MAN POST
This payment should be done as soon as possible so the puppies can be home delivered to you on time today,if the fees is not provided the puppies will not be dispatched from our detention and will spend more on daily feeding until the manager confirms the payment of the £250 (G.B.P)
Kindly email us with the 8 digit reference number as soon as the payment is done.Immediately the payment is confirmed then the Tracking Number as well as the flight receipt to ensure a 100% assurance for the transaction will be forwarded to you.
Thanks for using our services




Testimonials
"Mitzi & Bailey arrived safely in GLASGOW Sunday evening." A BIG thanks to you and the AirAnimal Team. I'm very happy and impressed with the service'. Again, thanks a lot for an outstanding door-to-door hassle-free service!



Well, Afri arrived safe and sound, and she is settling quicker than me. She likes to play on the terrace, and is in very good spirits, and coped well with the flight. The whole experience was a lot easier than what I had expected, and we hope to have a happy stay. Thanks again
Melanie and Afri Palma


Just wanted to say thank you for all your help with getting Digger to Newcastle. He arrived safe and sound and is busy catching up on his sleep.
Bringing Digger over has been the thing I worried about most when moving to Newcastle. We had a few hi ccups but these were never your fault and you helped to resolve them very quickly for me. Many thanks
Ed Newcastle


Samuel S. Mueller

"The Move's Not Complete
''Until the Pet Arrives"


This Company is protected by copyright and trademark laws under U.k. and International law All rights reserved. © 2008 AIR ANIMAL shipping services, Inc. | ph 07031920220

As you can see from the above, imitation may be best form of flattery; it is not, as the rogues, thieves, liars, cheats, and imposters in Cameroon are promising you puppies at unbelieveable low prices ... and are experienced in the "bait and switch" techniques of internet scams.

Scammers target Ireland, UK, and Scandinavian pet owners

The scam game is the same; two puppies for only transportation costs ...that's the "hook" they use to have you wire money to Cameroon. The Cameroon rogues, scammers, thieves, and bad boys are now targeting potential pet owners in Ireland, the UK, as well as the Scandinavian countries of Norway & Sweden.

Once the "hook" is set with several hundred Euro's ... there are "additional charges" due for veterinary inspection, microchip implantation, and destination service charges. If you have wired funds to an alleged office of Air Animal in Cameroon, cut your losses now and discontinue your communications with the bad boys of Cameroon.

Advice from Air Animal Pet Movers; 'tis simple .. discontinue your conversations with the thieves in Cameroon. Should you call them on their mobile phone numbers they give you, and you tell them you're not interested; the rogues will get angry with you. Their anger is that you have identified the "puppy purchase game" and no longer with to participate.

For the record; Air Animal Pet Movers is based in Tampa, Florida/USA .. and does not engage in puppy transportation where financial transactions are involved. Air Animal Pet Movers is a pet moving service provider to the relocation marketplace.

Internet Fraud - puppy purchase scams

Con Artists, phlim phlam artists, imposters, internet scammers,rip-off artists, etc are looking for puppy buyers worldwide with deals too good to be true. Here are some of their “story lines” and deceiving promises and tales …

You have found a classified ad in your local newspaper; or a posting to Craigslist.com, or a web site, etc advertising two puppies; typically Yorkies or English Bulldogs and have responded via email. You rarely have the opportunity to reach the seller/broker by telephone. You have chosen to enter into a lengthy email relationship with what turns out to be an overseas person alledging to be a branch office of Air Animal or other easily recognized animal transport agency or service.

You are told a variety of "stories" .. one for example is as follows ....the owner was forced to move out of the country suddenly (new job) and the puppy is still your waiting for a new home. Do not succumb to the sense of urgency created by the con artist.

In order to expedite the puppies purchase and move, you are asked to wire US dollars to Laounde, in the country of Cameroon, on the African continent. The con artist is working out of an Internet cafe, and not in what we would regard typically as an office. The person you may end up talking to barely speaks English, and when doing so is difficult to understand,

To acquire this puppy, either a Yorkie or Bulldog, at an unheard of low price. You are encouraged to wire money (US Dollars) to a total stranger in another country.

Or , the imposter, con artist, trickster will identify a “middle man” contact (usually a woman) in for example: Tennessee/USA ...to have you send your hard earned dollars to.

You will be asked to send money via Western Union wire transfer or Wal-Mart’s Money Gram transfer no later than a Friday or a Saturday. The scammer imposes an artificial deadline; and becomes angry when you do not comply.

Then you are told additional funds are needed for insurance, veterinary procedures, customs inspections, etc. The imposters, scammers, con men, rip-off artists set the "hook" with a small amount of an early remittance; and then seek to have you wire more money for additional services.

In all classical stings, scams, rip-offs, etc … a sense of urgency is created by the con artist to move you along into the sting. Do not succumb to the urgency!

You are instructed to contact Air Animal.com to finalize receipt of pet over a weekend --- typically on a Saturday or Sunday. Guess what? Air Animal Pet Movers, based in Tampa,Florida has business hours of 8 - 5 .. Monday thru Friday, and is closed on Saturdays and Sundays.

You then discover Air Animal is closed on weekends (i.e. Saturday, Sunday)

By Monday, you contact Air Animal by telephone concerning the delivery of your theoretical puppy purchase, which never existed in the first place. You've been had !

Air Animal Pet Movers is NOT engaged in the sale of puppies, kittens, etc nor engaged in the transportation for either buyers, or sellers of any type of livestock; nor any type of pets.

Air Animal Pet Movers is the Tampa, Florida based pet moving service for relocating families; both nationwide and worldwide.