Puppy mill or Scam??!! - Page 1

I've got an advertisement in the local newspaper & the Pennysaver to sell my last puppy and got a very strange phone call last night in response.  The message left on voice mail identified the caller with an IP number and his name (Peter Cole) and instructed me to email him at the email address he left to give him more information on the puppy.  I sent an email as instructed with info.  Today I received an email from him that raised all  kinds of "red flags" and wondered if anybody has had this happen to them.  I am condensing the tale here.

First of all, it reminded me of the "Nigerian" scam because he wanted to send me a cashier's check with an overdraft on it, the extra money will be for shipping.  I am then to take the check and cash it and keep my part of it for the puppy and his representative will come and pick up the extra money and the puppy.  He says he's in Illinois (I'm in CA) and all the rest of the info is to be sent to an agent in New Jersey.

I don't know what to think about this.  My husband thinks it's from a puppy mill person.  Either way, I told my husband that I'll give the puppy away before I sell her to anybody like this.

Anyone got any ideas/answers?

Thanks

 It is a scam. DO NOT RESPOND further. You will end up with a check that does not clear, out some money and no pup. This happens all the time. When your gut says it sounds fishy, it likely is. This board unfortunately is plaqued by people who do this or something similar. Many, many people advertising pups have received this kind of call and/or email.

AGAIN, this is a scam. BEWARE and use common sense.

YES! 

It is either a puppy mill or a scam....both are currently going around in GA.  Don't do it!  Please! 

SOUNDS LIKE BOTH.

SOUNDS SHADY.

DON'T KNOW HIM. WILL KEEP EARS OPEN. I LIVE A LITTLE CLOSER IN MICHIGAN.

SEE ALOT OF ADS. WILL SEE IF I SEE THAT AD IS HERE ON SUNDAY'S PAPER.

I DON'T BOTHER WITH  THOSE ADS.

I HAVE REPLIED TO SOME AND YUCK.!!

ONE LADY IN INDIANA HAD ALL HER DOGS BEHIND THE JUNK YARD AND THEY WERE ALL IN SHIT CONDITIONS, PUPPIES COVERED WITH SHIT. SORRY CALL IT LIKE IT IS.

AND SHE SAID," OH CAREFUL IF THIS FEMALE GETS OUT SHE WILL RIP YOU TO SHREDS".

I TOLD HER BYE.

HAD SOME LADY AROUND HERE A FEW YEARS AGO PICKING UP LOOK ABLES(MIXES), AND SWITCHING PAPERWORK(FORGING PAPER WORK OR SWITCHING FOR DEASED PUPS). MAYBE SAME RING.??

BUYER BEWARE IS ALL I CAN SAY.

Hi, I recieved the same phone call using the very same name wanting to buy my male. This is a scam. I knew this from the get go. I did email him to make sure. After he emailed me again I told him to get lost.

reminds me of what i am going through with my ad on petfinders.com. i live in minnesota. i posted an ad for baby hamsters. i had responses from texas, louisiana, and pennsylvania. not one ever acknowledged they are hamsters. all referred to "the pet to be rehomed". all insisted on cashier's check. two said (different names  and locations) their daughter is very sick, they need new pet to make her get better. i answered them all, if you want to drive to duluth minnesota for a hamster you can just have one. the pennsylvania guy responded with thank you for your quick response. i am happy to learn the pet is healthy and ready to go. i need your contact info for delivery of the certified check and will send my pet carrier man asap. i would come but i am in a board meeting.   

I had specifically mentioned the hamsters are newborn, not ready yet for 3 more weeks, and that there was no charge. i was going to reply again but thought, wait a minute, why would someone send a guy hundreds of miles just for a hamster? it just didn't make sense. i placed ads in the local paper and people that called refused to drive even 15 or 20 miles to pick up a critter (rat in that case). so i never answered the pennysylvania guy back again. i get other scam e-mails too, so and so is the only son or daughter of such and such important person who died and left them money but they can't get it unless it's deposited in another account, can i help, crap. i responded to one, with, you pathetic loser, i wasn't born yesterday, and it was returned to my e-mail saying, undeliverable as addressed.....