Kitten adoption, Petflyers scam

Hello everyone,

Recently I've been in a fraud incident involving kitten adoption. I first answered to a listing on catsadoptions.ca and was in contact with the owner within minutes. The listing looks something like this with an image of a kitten on the right:

Free Kitten to adopt
To adopt for free, a female scottish fold kitten.
Cat breed : Scottish fold
With pedigree. Vaccinated cat. Sterilized cat.
Province : Ontario.
Region : Greater Toronto Area.
Cat ad published on 12-15-2013

After contacting the owner, who goes by Danielle Watson ([email protected]), she sent a direct email to me:

Hello,
Thanks for your mail and your interest about my kittens. I have a male and female available that I'm willing to give out. They are 12 weeks old, vet checked and registered, well trained and love the company of kids and other animals. They are healthy and have all their complete documents. The reason why I am giving out these kittens is because my son is sick and very allergic to animals, so our doctor advised us to give out the kittens. Honestly I do feel sad to give out these kittens away but I got no choice since our son's health is very important to us. All I really want is for the kittens to move into a nice and caring home. Before giving the kittens away, I will like to ask you some few questions:

Have you ever raised a kitten before?
Do you have a mobile number you can be reached on?
Do you have experience with this breed?
Why are you looking for a kitten?
Do you have a vet around your home?
Where are you located?
Will you like to have the male or the female or maybe both siblings?
How soon do you need the kitten or kittens?

Sorry if I had asked many questions, I just want to be sure these kittens get the love and care they need. Looking forward to hear from you.

After my response, she sent this along with three pictures of the two kittens, all of which can be easily pulled from kijiji:

Hiya,
Thanks for getting back to me with answers to my questions. The female is Millie and the male Mickey, they are an excellent examples of the breed. I've attached their photos. They are healthy, intelligent and have a loving and playful personalities. They love much attention and to be pampered, they are 12 weeks old, vet checked, DE wormed, micro chipped and have all vaccines up till date, they are comforted and walk around the house. We recently moved to Montreal, and since you are far from our present location, I shall arrange for a home delivery using a nearby delivery agency in charge of pets transportation which is closer to our home. You will just have to pay for the delivery of the kittens to your doorstep as we are more interested in a caring and loving home for the kittens than the money to be paid on them for their purchase. To arrange for the delivery, I will like to have your full contact details in this order:

FULL NAMES...........

HOUSE ADDRESS.........

CITY............

POSTCODE...........

MOBILE NUMBER..........

LAND LINE NUMBER.........

EMAIL ADDRESS...........

AS soon as you provide me with the above details, I will quickly prepare the change of ownership documents and arrange for a home delivery to your door. You will be paying the sum of $250 to the delivery agency directly. This money you will have to pay will be for the delivery of the kittens to your home. They will have a care and instruction package that will assist you in providing an easy transition to their new forever home. I will also send all paperwork including details of Current vaccinations, Veterinarian examinations, Health certificates, Health guarantees, Pedigrees, Travel crates ,Micro-Chipped (In case ever lost or stolen) and all other health certificates at my disposal, blankets and crates and some food with the delivery agency in charge of transportation of the kittens to your home. Hope you take proper care, cuddle and even spoil these kittens for me OK? and do send me updated pictures as these kittens grow OK?

After giving her my information, she told me to talk with the delivery company about payment method. I receive the following email from the delivery company:

PETFLYERS ANIMAL TRANSPORT <[email protected]>
Dec 16 (1 day ago)
to me
Petflyers | Pet TransportationPetflyers | Pet TransportationIPATA

Petflyers is specialize in domestic and international transportation of family pet. We treat each family individually and offer tailored services to suit their particular needs. We pride ourselves on our ability to offer professional services at affordable prices. We love animals and we love giving our customers great service. So if your pet needs to be relocated you can be sure that we will do everything possible to ensure your pet has a comfortable and stress free trip. And we will find the most efficient way of getting it there safe & sound.

We offer professional pet transport services throughout Canada and between Canada and most countries in the world.

We understand that every job is different and that every customer and every pet has different needs. It is the level of personal service our customers receive which separates us from our competitors.
Slide background

Moving pets safely and comfortably to their destination is our only business.
Our nation wide attended ground pet transportation service eliminates the trauma and inconvenience of moving pets by other methods and provides for the best possible care during the journey. We also offer carrier cushions, animal toys and other quality transportation accessories you may purchase to make your pet's journey more comfortable.

We offer 4 basic levels of service:

Airport to Airport
Door to Door
Airport to Door
Door to Airport

We are professional pets movers responsible for the relocation of pets to their new families. When your contract is with us, you are assigned a personal pet move counselor who will work with you to arrange the fastest, most direct flight for your pet. We work with your relocation schedule to ensure as smooth a move as possible.

OBJECTIVE:

Petflyers Animal Transport is committed to providing a safe and comfortable travel experience for all of our customers, including pets. Our pet's flights and delivery services are relatively stress-free. Our major objective is safe delivery for our customers and pets as well.
For safety reasons, we prefer you choose the most direct flight and delivery cargo to your destination. This will help reduce the stress on your pet. If warm temperatures are a concern, pets are flown preferably early in the morning, evening or an overnight flight used. We also issue a kennel/carrier for small sized pets. There is enough room for the pet to stand and sit in a natural position, turn around and lie down. The kennel door is also closed securely. But for larger animals as seen in one of our pet travel planes, a kennel is not required

DEAR CLIENT,
YOU ARE WELCOME TO OUR AGENCY, THE NUMBER 1 IN CARGO AND PETS TRANSPORTATION AND HANDLING WORLD WIDE, AND WE ARE REPUTABLE IN PERFORMING OUR DUTIES EFFICIENTLY. WE HAVE A PACKAGE (A MALE & FEMALE SCOTTISH FOLD KITTENS) WITH US HERE AT OUR AGENCY PENDING DELIVERY TO YOUR HOME.

SENDER'S DETAILS

COUNTRY.................CANADA
NAMES.....................DANIELLE WATSON
CITY..........................MONTREAL, QUEBEC

Delivery Type.............................Door Step

.............PETS DESCRIPTION...........

Breed......................Scottish Fold Kittens
Sex.......................Male & Female
Age.......................12 Weeks Old
Weights......................20.12lbs
Height.......................25.02cm
Kittens ID.....................................AFP/00235/TQ/08 (Need this to Receive Kittens)
Enclosed Documents.....................................KC Registration Certificates
Shot Records
Birth Certificates
Feeding Manuals
Health Manuals
Pet passports
Insurance Certificates
Microchip Censor Kits

EXPECTED RECEIVING ADDRESS

COUNTRY............................CANADA
NAMES................................ omitted
ADDRESS........................... omitted
CITY/STATE........................ omitted
POST CODE.......................omitted
MOBILE NUMBER...............omitted
LAND LINE NUMBER..............omitted

PAYMENT DIRECTIVES (DO EMAIL THE CLIENT SERVICE FOR DIRECTIVES BEFORE MAKING PAYMENT)
YOU ARE TO USE OUR DIRECTOR'S ADDRESS IN OUR DEVELOPING BRANCH IN CAMEROON BELOW IN MAKING THE PAYMENT OF $250 ONLINE USING A CREDIT CARD/DEBIT CARD SO THAT WE CAN ACTIVATE THE FLIGHT TICKETS OF YOUR KITTENS AND ISSUE YOU A COPY OF THE FLIGHT TICKETS AND PROVIDE YOU WITH THE FLIGHT NUMBER FOR YOUR PARCEL IN TRANSIT SINCE OUR ACCOUNTS IN CANADA ARE CURRENTLY UNDER AUDITING.

ADDRESS TO USE ONLINE AT THE WESTERN UNION WEBSITE

FIRST NAME........................WHALID ABDOUL KARIM

LAST NAME.........................DAJANI

COUNTRY...........................CAMEROON

ZIP CODE...........................00237

YOU NEED A TEST QUESTION AND ANSWER WHILE MAKING PAYMENT

QUESTION...................SENDER?

ANSWER.....................[omitted]


ONCE YOU ARE DONE WITH THE PAYMENT, DO EMAIL THE CLIENT SERVICE FOR QUICK ACTIVATION OF THE FLIGHT TICKETS AND THEN EMAIL US THE BELOW INFORMATION

SENDER'S NAMES.....................................

10 DIGIT MTCN (WESTERN UNION) NUMBERS.......................

ONCE YOU SEND US THE ABOVE DETAILS, WE SHALL THEN LET YOU KNOW ON THE DEPARTURE AND ARRIVAL TIME OF THE KITTENS TO YOUR HOME AND ALSO PROVIDE YOU WITH COPY OF THE FLIGHT TICKETS AND THE FIGHT NUMBER IN WHICH YOUR PARCEL IS IN TRANSIT WITH AND AND YOU SHALL SEE AS THESE KITTENS CHANGE LOCATION UNTIL THEY GET TO YOUR HOME. THIS IS A 100% GUARANTEE WE GIVE TO CLIENTS WHO USE OUR SERVICE.


Enjoy Our Service Nationwide Pets Delivery and Transportation Service
Secretary : Peter & Valeriya Melville

WE LOVE YOUR PETS!
petflyers
PETFLYERS SPECIALIZE IN DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORTATION OF FAMILY PETS.
We treat each family individually and offer tailored services to suit their particular needs. We pride ourselves on our ability to offer professional services at affordable prices.
Services we offer include;
Providing Travel Crates
Arranging Veterinary Certification
Procuring Export and Import Permits
Booking the most direct and convenient flights & Preparing the export documents
Collecting your Pet from your residence and lodging it on the on the flight
Customs clearance and deliveries upon arrival
We also arrange the import of pets from other countries and deliver them from the Quarantine Stations to your residence when they have finished their stint in quarantine.

your pets safety and well being is are greatest concern and key to our success. We will work with you to arrange the most direct flight and delivery times to maximize comfort during your pets air and land travel.
We are happy you are considering our pet shipping and delivery services and look forward to helping you with the difficult process of pet shipping and delivery. We are here to ease your mind and spirit and let your pets air travel and delivery be as comfortable as possible
...........we do everything to make our customers happy ........

CONFIDENTIAL MESSAGE
Note, please this message is highly secretive and confidential. If you are not the original recipient of this mail,kindly email it back to the director of Nationwide Pet Delivery and Transportation Services Service using this address below.Any attempt to copy or print this message shall be considered as fraud.
Airlines Legal Department.
Also this message is to serve you confirm your email address

Once they received my WU number, they sent me another email telling me it's urgent:

PETFLYERS ANIMAL TRANSPORT
Dec 16 (1 day ago)

to me
Dear Client,
Accept greetings from Petflyers Animal Transport and our staff. We earlier confirmed the payment you made for the delivery of a male and female Scottish Fold kittens. It was noticed that your kittens needed to be transported in two electronic temperature regulation crates. This was alerted by the Anchorage Pet Inspection Team of Canada, as the crates which were brought by your sender were rejected (not electronic) due to the foreseen climate between North York, ON and Montreal, QC. Therefore we wouldn't be able to proceed with the delivery as two electronic temperature regulation crates are recommended for the delivery of both kittens, else your pets risks dying or falling sick in the process of delivery.

We hereby, call on your attention that two electronic temperature regulation crates are needed before we proceed with your delivery. These crates should be provided today so that we can prepare the kittens for the next available flight to your location. Due to our reliability we would make provision of these crates but it comes along with an additional fee of $1000 for both crates.

Note: These Crates can be re-sold to us at the same cost upon arrival of the kittens to your home

This means that if you do not want to keep the crates, then upon delivery we shall refund you the sum of $900 + Western Union transfer charges. But if you want to keep the crates for personal usage, that is buying it from us, it would cost you the total $1000. Your co-operation will be very much appreciated and will facilitate and fasten the delivery process. The payment is done using the same address and procedures earlier provided by our service. As soon as you are done with the payment, immediately forward the email of payment confirmation you will receive once your payment is successful or the money transaction control number (MTCN) to our service.

Thanks for using our services,

Awaiting your kind and urgent reply,

Kind regards,

The management.

Now in the midst of my emotions, I neglected to detect anything suspicious with this and proceeded to make another transaction, but only half of what they asked for because of card limits. However, as I explained my situation to them and how it was impossible for me to make a full transaction in one day, they seemed to be extremely urgent. This made me suspicious and after getting advice from my family, I went ahead and cancelled the transaction, while Western Union helped me refund my $500. I told them I made a mistake and won't be paying the fee. They urged me to pay them up due to the kittens' health but I replied:

Hello,

Since the weather is so cold this week, I believe it is best if we waited until it gets warmer. In that case, please return the kittens to Danielle Watson. As for the delivery fee of which I had already paid as of yesterday morning, is it possible to ask for a refund?

Sorry for the inconvenience caused.

Thank you,
(name)

They replied:

PETFLYERS ANIMAL TRANSPORT
10:11 AM (3 hours ago)

to me
DEAR CLIENT,
THE WEATHER SHOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM AS LONG AS YOUR KITTENS ARE TRANSPORTED IN THE RECOMMENDED CRATES REQUESTED BY THE ANCHORAGE PET INSPECTION TEAM OF CANADA. AFTER A MEDICAL CHECK UP CARRIED OUT BY OUR VETS, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT YOUR KITTENS ARE IN VERY GOOD HEALTH AND CAN BE TRANSPORTED TO YOUR HOME SAFELY IN THOSE RECOMMENDED CRATES. IT IS NOW IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO RETURN THE KITTENS TO IT'S SENDER AS IT WILL VIOLATE OUR RULES AND REGULATIONS.

KIND REGARDS,

THE MANAGEMENT.

And in response:

Hello,

So are you saying that whenever a client is asking for a refund, you'll have no choice but to keep all their pets? Whenever there's a hurricane or any other weather issues and it requires additional tools and services yet the client is unable to pay for the costs, which were not known to their prior knowledge, you'll have to keep the sender's pets for good?

Regards,
(name)

And never heard from them back. Yet it doesn't end there. In fact, Mrs. Watson had been frequently and urgently emailing me throughout this exchange. At first it was calm, but there were multiple times when she asked me "all good your end" and as an indicator of suspicion, I asked:

Hi Danielle,

Yes, may I have your contact number please in case if anything comes up?

Thanks,
(name)

There was no reply so I told her that I'll wait till it gets warmer and asked if she thinks it was possible for the delivery company to refund my initial payment. She replied, which I only saw this morning:

Danielle Watson
12:51 AM (13 hours ago)
to me
Hi (name),

It's due to this cold weather that the agency wants the kittens to be transported in electronic crates so they can be warmer and more comfortable during the delivery. The kittens have been for long pending delivery at the agency now. The kittens are doing well, but it is really important for them to be transported in warmer crates. Please do make the payment for these crates so that the delivery can proceed. The payment for the crates will be refunded to you by the agency upon arrival to your home.

Thanks,
Danielle

-------
Danielle Watson
7:27 AM (6 hours ago)
to me
Good morning (name),

I am very worried for the little ones at the agency. Please do make sure they are delivered to your home today.

Regards,
Danielle
------
Danielle Watson
9:51 AM (4 hours ago)
to me
Can you please tell me what's going on?

Once I saw these, I replied:

Hello Danielle,

Sorry for making you worry. I am currently asking them to return the kittens back to you. I will personally look for a domestic delivery service for you, I hope that is alright.

Best,
(name)

She returned with the following:

Danielle Watson
10:15 AM (3 hours ago)
to me
Hi (name),

Please don't do this. The fur babies will be in panic and too afraid. They might very depressed. Why can't you just proceed with this courier. If you are unable to pay for the crates, let me know so I can see how I can help.

Thanks,
Danielle

I responded very frankly:

Hi Danielle,

What they are requesting is something out of the ordinary, I'm afraid (and honestly, also very confusing.) One, a Petflyer company, one that solely depends on transporting animals and whose motto is to offer tailored services and for the pets to be delivered safely at an affordable price, is asking for additional prices that are sky-high. Moreover, how is it possible that they don't have the crates beforehand when they know it's winter and also a company whose livelihood depends on the pets' safety? Second, they are telling me to make payment to Cameroon, when the delivery company is based in Australia. Third, as per company rule, they would have to keep the sender's pets if the other end cannot afford it. So whenever there is a problem at either end and the transaction cannot be completed, neither side can keep the pet which also means this company is looking to take the pets for their own...??? And lastly, they are not returning any of my questions but urging me on to purchase those crates when they already know I am unable to do so.

I am sorry to have so many reservations about this company but honestly, they are making me very uncomfortable with proceeding any further transactions. I do not want to see your kittens harmed so if worse comes to worst, I'll personally go to Montreal to negotiate with them.

Best,
(name)

She then started to appeal to me emotionally:

Danielle Watson
10:47 AM (3 hours ago)
to me
Hi (name),
My kids love these pets and I know they will react badly if anything happens to them. I an now heartbroken and devastated. I am willing to make the payment for the crates immediately. How much do they request for these crates?
Waiting,
Danielle

I asked her that it costs $1000 through Western Union and if she was definitely sure about that. She said she could only pay half now and asked me to pay the other half:

Danielle Watson
11:10 AM (3 hours ago)
to me
I can pay $500 now. Please can you pay the other half and let this delivery proceed?

I responded with: "Hi, No I don't think I can due to my card limits. I am so sorry." She then asked me, "What's your card limit?" I told her that I previously used the card for the initial fee and that the bank is monitoring and questioning my transactions now so I won't be able to move the money. (oh god I shouldn't have said that but oh well, what's done is done)

She responded with an emotionally charged email:

Danielle Watson
11:18 AM (3 hours ago)
to me
I can only afford $500. Please can't you look for a solution? I don't wanna be mad. Please let's arrange this ASAP. Please!!!!

To which I replied: "I am currently negotiating with the petflyer company but they have yet to get back to me. Did you have a number you reached them with?"

She said to call them at: 00237 9509 8329

Much to my surprise, I received a call from a private caller almost immediately, saying that they're Petflyers and that they're currently in Montreal with the kittens. I asked if the kittens were with them and that unless it's payable to a Canadian branch, I won't be able to do much. They said they couldn't hear me well and told me to repeat, which I did with the additional "I can't give you the details but I won't be able to pay". They also asked me to confirm my address (...which I did...). I asked them if they're able to fit both kittens into the crate and they brought up the Anchorage Pet Inspection Team of Canada , saying they couldn't and in response, I told them to return the kittens. They said it's a rule that they can't, and that I can just pay for the other crate while the owner pays for the first one. They kept telling me that they're a professional, legitimate company and that there are really kittens with them.I didn't know how to respond so I told them I'll get back to them, requesting for the number. They hesitated, telling me that they'll be in contact with me instead but I insisted on getting the number. They provided me with the same number Ms. Watson gave: 00237 9509 8329

I returned an email to Ms. Watson:

Hi,
I just received their call. Is it not possible to pay the other half? I really can't do anything here, unfortunately.

To which she replied:

Danielle Watson
11:44 AM (2 hours ago)
to me
Please (name), $500 is all I can afford. I'm in tears due to this present situation. I'm pleading with you to make an effort for these babies. Please help me put an end to this developing catastrophe. It's Christmas and I don't want my kids to be unhappy. If I had the money, I will happily pay for it.

Being quite sympathetic towards this message, I sincerely wished this was authentic. So in response:

Danielle,
Yes I will try, but I am very troubled as well. May I reach you at any number?

And she returned with an email that was significantly less emotionally-charged, almost written by another person (or just really good at making the switch):

Danielle Watson
11:52 AM (2 hours ago)
to me

Dear (name),
Many thanks for accepting to help solve this issue. If I've been emailing you ever since, it is because I have a hearing loss and can't hear well on phone. Email is a better means of communication for me. I am always connected on my computer at home. I always have my iPad with me when I go out for a move as well. What did they say? Are the kittens alright?
Thanks,
Danielle

I responded, forgetting that hearing loss was her reason for not owning a phone number:

Hello Danielle,

The kittens are alright, but the phone number does not have a Montreal area code. Did you call a Montreal number and if so, what is it?

Regards,
(name)

She repeated that she communicated with them via email due to her hearing loss. I did not respond. She sent me another message saying "All good your end?", to which I never responded.

----------
Here is the information condensed:
Scammer: Whalid Abdoul Karim Dajani
Country: Cameroon
Company they used: PetFlyers Animal Transport ([email protected])
Phone Number: 00237 9509 8329
Other collaborator: Danielle Watson (<[email protected]>)
Method of payment: Western Union

Sorry for the long recap and thank you for your time!