After almost falling prey, a Kingston woman is warning of a puppy scam circulating on social media. Arika White says that she encountered the scam after contacting a woman who was allegedly trying to rehome Corgis.
The woman uses various fake profiles to carry out the scheme. She goes by names such as “Flore Kalameo” and “Damas Mi Nete.”
In their conversations, “Flore” claims that the puppies are 12 weeks old, have all of their paperwork, have been dewormed and will receive all over their shots. However, White became concerned when she was asked for an immediate payment.
“I’ve never had to put that big of a deposit down. I even bought a king shepherd and met them at the breeder and paid the remaining $1200,” White wrote to the person.
“Flore” then proceeds to send White her husband’s banking information and her Drivers ID. The banking information includes a SWIFT code, which is used to facilitate bank wire transfers.
Though “Flore” posted in a Kingston Buy & Sell group, she admits that she is located in Toronto. White then offers to travel to Toronto to pick up the puppy but Flore says that they are not in Toronto; they are currently in Greater Sudbury.
Upon examining “Flore’s” husband’s drivers licence, White realizes that the drivers license has been tampered with and contacts the police.
After White warned people through social media, she received several messages from other people that have almost fallen for the same scheme. She says that the scheme has also occurred throughout Ontario.
In deeper investigation, YGK News found that people on social media have been warning of the scam since at least December 29th. “Flore” is also using “Pomsky’s” as well as other dog breeds to carry out the scam. A closer examination of the Flore Kalameo profile reveals that the person exclusively “likes” other Facebook pages located in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Kingston Police has the following tips to avoid encountering this scam:
- Always be wary of websites with poorly-written information, including testimonials and reviews from customers.
- Remember, if a price sounds too good to be true, it is! Purchasing a purebred dog is typically very expensive, so scammers are trying to use low prices to trick you into acting impulsively.
“If you are in the market for a new pet, be sure to research the rescue shelter, pet adoption agency, or licensed breeder before making a purchase,” Kingston Police says.
Excerpts of Arika’s Conversation:
