by Lifecoach
Mon Jul 06, 2020 6:30 am
As I am sure many of you are in the same boat, I fell victim to a puppy scam. I do a lot of online shopping, but have never bought a pet online or dealt with any shipping of a live animal so I was totally out of my element. I was conversing with a gentleman named (Juan) Carlos Morales ([email protected]) (Ironic seeing as he must have no moral compass!) about a 4 puppies that he needed to rehome. I had seen his ad on our local Buy/Sell Facebook page. His story was convincing, as I am sure most are. His mother-in-law passed away and he needed to rehome her puppies. I did my due diligence to research. He texted me a copy of him with his ID from 754-529-5804. I found his profile at his job. I asked him to video chat which which he declined. (Yes, I know. I feel more foolish as I am typing this!) He offered for me to come to his home to see the puppies for myself, and since I am an 18-hour drive from his location in Southwest Ranches, Florida, that was not an option. He offered many forms for payment Zelle, CasApp, Venmo, and prepaid OneVanilla MasterCard. After everything was set up, He sent me a video of the crate being loaded onto the plane, a confirmation from the delivery service, and a link for tracking her delivery.
After that, I received a call from 407-915-4322 who identified himself as the delivery service Pet Logistics Cargo, Inc. He sent me an email from [email protected]. He stated that I needed to pay for shipping insurance. It was to be refunded after delivery if the shipping is successful. I Googled the company and reviewed the website before sending any money. I sent the money through MoneyGram to have some tracking of it. It was sent to Yenifer Yuliet Buitrago Zapata who was the cashier that would be processing my payment, in Columbia, which is where their headquarters are located. A few hours later I received a call from the same number that stating that my puppy was a 4 hour drive from me in US Customs at another airport. I was told that since the puppy would be switching flights, I was required to have it immunized to prevent any spread of diseases to other animals, and needed to get a City Permit that stated I was allowed to have a pet. This money would also be refunded to me. I once again sent the money through MoneyGram to a Victor Hugo Jimenez Arce in Columbia, who was the cashier this time that would be processing my payment.
After all of that, I was then told that it was too late to get a flight for my puppy and she would be taken care of overnight by a veterinarian. The flight would be scheduled in the morning and I would have it delivered the next day to my doorstep. The next morning, realizing what a huge mistake I had just made, I texted the seller that I know it is a scam. He acted innocent and as a victim too. I then called the shipping phone number which just rang, no voicemail or automated system. I immediately got a call back from the same number. I told him that I would not be sending any more money. He said he would be sending me the updated delivery tracking info via email (which I never got!) When I called him, my caller ID said Equality Debt Solutions. I then texted his number stating that I know it is a scam. He proceeded to text back that they were a reputable company. I received no further communication from the seller or the delivery service. I have reported the fraud to MoneyGram and will continue to report to every location possible to prevent someone else from falling into the same trap.
After that, I received a call from 407-915-4322 who identified himself as the delivery service Pet Logistics Cargo, Inc. He sent me an email from [email protected]. He stated that I needed to pay for shipping insurance. It was to be refunded after delivery if the shipping is successful. I Googled the company and reviewed the website before sending any money. I sent the money through MoneyGram to have some tracking of it. It was sent to Yenifer Yuliet Buitrago Zapata who was the cashier that would be processing my payment, in Columbia, which is where their headquarters are located. A few hours later I received a call from the same number that stating that my puppy was a 4 hour drive from me in US Customs at another airport. I was told that since the puppy would be switching flights, I was required to have it immunized to prevent any spread of diseases to other animals, and needed to get a City Permit that stated I was allowed to have a pet. This money would also be refunded to me. I once again sent the money through MoneyGram to a Victor Hugo Jimenez Arce in Columbia, who was the cashier this time that would be processing my payment.
After all of that, I was then told that it was too late to get a flight for my puppy and she would be taken care of overnight by a veterinarian. The flight would be scheduled in the morning and I would have it delivered the next day to my doorstep. The next morning, realizing what a huge mistake I had just made, I texted the seller that I know it is a scam. He acted innocent and as a victim too. I then called the shipping phone number which just rang, no voicemail or automated system. I immediately got a call back from the same number. I told him that I would not be sending any more money. He said he would be sending me the updated delivery tracking info via email (which I never got!) When I called him, my caller ID said Equality Debt Solutions. I then texted his number stating that I know it is a scam. He proceeded to text back that they were a reputable company. I received no further communication from the seller or the delivery service. I have reported the fraud to MoneyGram and will continue to report to every location possible to prevent someone else from falling into the same trap.