Through catsadoptions.com I found a pure breed ragdoll kitten to adopt, and was to be transported from QLD Brisbane to VIC Melbourne for $400.
Quick Summary of Scammers Information:
• Owner of the kitten, email address: [email protected].
• Email address, posing as a website: [email protected] instructing me to make payments via Western Union to: Anita Godoy, of 32 Goldon Park, QLD Brisbane 4030
• Constant phone calls from the Transport Company : +23798055384
Signs of scam:
• Kitten owner post ad from Melbourne, only to later on find out she’s from QLD Brisbane. So therefore, requires the kitten to be transported.
• Kitten owner did not screen me once for suitability.
• Kitten owner provided inconsistent photos of her litters. Some brown, some lilac, some cream ragdoll kittens (litters don’t differ that much from each other I don’t believe).
• Kitten owner also provided inconsistent photos - some old and some new photos, but they look more like images snippets than actual photo files.
• Kitten owner then claim to have registered the kitten for transportation and will be contacted via the transport company for further information
And the plot thickens, more signs of scam:
• Relentless phone calls from a non English speaking person from the pet transport company telling me to check email for delivery and payment instruction.
• Relentless phone calls from +23798055384 which I googled and found it’s a number from CAMEROON. Why are they using INTERNATIONAL couriers when it’s supposed to be from QLD to VIC, Melbourne, Domestic transport? Alarm bells ringing***
• You cannot call this number back as it will not even ring, but only they can call you.
• Email from pet transport company posing as a Website from World Wide Pets Transport LTD. Various dodgy signs!:
o Supposedly a professional business but somehow uses a Hotmail address to send emails out which also poses itself like a website…mm question mark much??!
o Email very very poorly written
o Images on the email shows world map with wild life animals on them such as tigers, pandas, and even ELEPHANTS?!?! And this is supposedly a pet transport company! Not the bloody zoo association!
o I googled the company and it does not exist
o Email holds no other information apart from instructions on how to make the money transfer via Wester Union.
o Money to be made to Anita Godoy, of 32 Goldon Park, QLD Brisbane 4030. I googled the address above and it does not exist
Luckily other’s have written very similar scams on the internet which I was able to read up on. I have not lost any money thankfully, but I hope they don’t send me viruses now that they won’t be getting their money. Thank you to those who posted similar stories. Thank you! Thank you! And now I feel I need to do the same and warn others of this, that is why I’m posting my stories. I hope you too can pick up on similar key identifiers such as their Hotmail and contact no before it’s too late. I have also reported this scam to the ACCC.
Quick Summary of Scammers Information:
• Owner of the kitten, email address: [email protected].
• Email address, posing as a website: [email protected] instructing me to make payments via Western Union to: Anita Godoy, of 32 Goldon Park, QLD Brisbane 4030
• Constant phone calls from the Transport Company : +23798055384
Signs of scam:
• Kitten owner post ad from Melbourne, only to later on find out she’s from QLD Brisbane. So therefore, requires the kitten to be transported.
• Kitten owner did not screen me once for suitability.
• Kitten owner provided inconsistent photos of her litters. Some brown, some lilac, some cream ragdoll kittens (litters don’t differ that much from each other I don’t believe).
• Kitten owner also provided inconsistent photos - some old and some new photos, but they look more like images snippets than actual photo files.
• Kitten owner then claim to have registered the kitten for transportation and will be contacted via the transport company for further information
And the plot thickens, more signs of scam:
• Relentless phone calls from a non English speaking person from the pet transport company telling me to check email for delivery and payment instruction.
• Relentless phone calls from +23798055384 which I googled and found it’s a number from CAMEROON. Why are they using INTERNATIONAL couriers when it’s supposed to be from QLD to VIC, Melbourne, Domestic transport? Alarm bells ringing***
• You cannot call this number back as it will not even ring, but only they can call you.
• Email from pet transport company posing as a Website from World Wide Pets Transport LTD. Various dodgy signs!:
o Supposedly a professional business but somehow uses a Hotmail address to send emails out which also poses itself like a website…mm question mark much??!
o Email very very poorly written
o Images on the email shows world map with wild life animals on them such as tigers, pandas, and even ELEPHANTS?!?! And this is supposedly a pet transport company! Not the bloody zoo association!
o I googled the company and it does not exist
o Email holds no other information apart from instructions on how to make the money transfer via Wester Union.
o Money to be made to Anita Godoy, of 32 Goldon Park, QLD Brisbane 4030. I googled the address above and it does not exist
Luckily other’s have written very similar scams on the internet which I was able to read up on. I have not lost any money thankfully, but I hope they don’t send me viruses now that they won’t be getting their money. Thank you to those who posted similar stories. Thank you! Thank you! And now I feel I need to do the same and warn others of this, that is why I’m posting my stories. I hope you too can pick up on similar key identifiers such as their Hotmail and contact no before it’s too late. I have also reported this scam to the ACCC.