Nigerian scam utilizes puppies

Stephanie Wegman wanted a puppy, and the cash-strapped college student thought she had found a bargain on the Internet.

The senior at Santa Clara University in California exchanged e-mails with James Moore, who was offering his puppy free to a good home because as a missionary recently assigned to Africa, he was too busy to properly care for his longhaired Cavalier King Charles spaniel.

Wegman could have the puppy if she promised a loving home and sent $300 to cover shipping, Moore wrote in an e-mail.

Wegman, 21, of Redwood City, Calif., sent her $300 by Western Union. But instead of shipping the puppy, Moore sent her another e-mail saying there were “problems” and she needed to send $600 for “shipping insurance.” Her demands for a puppy or a refund have been met with another e-mail from Moore, asking for more money.

Wegman was a victim of the Nigerian Puppy Scam, which has been crossing the country for more than a year. Much of the fraud is transpiring on the Internet — e-mails sent directly to consumers or puppy ads posted on legitimate Web sites. Some of the scammers are buying classified ads in newspapers.

The puppies are often advertised as having AKC registration papers. Duped consumers complained to the AKC, as do legitimate breeders who say pictures of their puppies are being e-mailed to people who answer ads for free or cheap puppies in Nigeria and other African countries.

“They apparently pull pictures off legitimate Web sites,” said AKC spokeswoman Daisy Okas. “It started out with bulldog puppies.”

That breed was a canny choice for a scam, since bulldog puppies generally sell for $1,000 to $3,000. Because bulldogs have big heads, wide shoulders, deep chests and narrow hips, they have small litters that generally have to be delivered by Caesarean section. That makes the dogs difficult and expensive to breed.

Okas said while many of the ads are still for bulldogs or English bulldogs, Yorkshire terriers are also featured prominently in fraudulent ads.

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