Crime & Safety
Puppy Scams Net Canton Residents
Several Canton residents have recently been scammed out of hundreds of dollars.
CANTON, MI — Most people like dogs, especially puppies. Scam artists are capitalizing on that fact by luring people longing for canine companionship into paying for dogs sight unseen. Canton Police reports that several residents have been recently scammed out of hundreds, and some cases, thousands of dollars.
Canton Detective Sgt. Dan Traylor said some victims have lost as much as $1,200 in payments to out-of-state websites, according to a Canton Observer report. The puppy scammers ask for payment via prepaid cards like iTunes — something a legitimate pet store will not do, Traylor added.
Folks in Canton and in Michigan are not alone in falling victim to the scams. In Ohio, 40 puppy scam complaints had been made by early May, according to a report in the Freemont News Messenger. Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine told the newspapers the average puppy scam victim lost about $600.
Find out what's happening in Plymouth-Cantonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
(For more local news, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from Plymouth-Canton Patch, click here to find your local Michigan Patch. Also, follow us on Facebook, and if you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)
The story is much the same in Pennsylvania. Also in May, three African nationals were arrested in Butler County, which sits in the state’s northwest corner, for selling boxer puppies fraudulently. The men allegedly took payment via Western Union and scammed several people before being caught, according to a report in the New Castle News.
Find out what's happening in Plymouth-Cantonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Back in Canton, Traylor suggested several tips to avoid a puppy scam. He told the Canton Observer people should do online searches to seek out reviews and complaints against the company they’re thinking about doing business with.
Also, don’t be convinced of the company’s authenticity by its phone caller ID. Traylor said technology makes it easy for scammers to program fake caller IDs. He also said to use credit cards - which offer fraud protection - instead of pre-paid cards.
Photo by Lisa L. Wiedmeier via Flickr Commons
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
