Porter Police Warn Of Scams After Puppy Purchase Goes Bad
A Porter resident reported on Tuesday that she had been scammed in her attempt to purchase a puppy through the internet, according to Porter Police.
The resident attempted to purchase a puppy through the internet after searching for ‘Dachshund puppies for sale’. A Baltimore area phone number was involved in the communication although the complainant was led to believe that the puppy was (initially) in Indiana, Porter Police told RNS.
The victim purchased $800.00 in Walmart gift cards for the purchase and then another $900.00 in Walmart gift cards to cover fees for delivery of the puppy, crate rental, insurance and even a covid vaccine for the puppy.
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 used in a practice referred to as a ‘burner’ phone. The phone is used briefly and discarded)
The Porter Police Department would encourage anyone seeking to purchase a pet to contact the Porter County Animal Shelter (or your local shelter) as a first option to provide a loving home for cats and dogs that are currently being cared for at the shelter.
The Porter County Animal Shelter website is portercountyanimalshelter.org
