Dog for Sale Scam

Dog For Sale in the Park Scam: How It Works

Imagine you are on vacation or walk in a park, having a lovely time with your significant other. As you are walking or sitting on a bank you meet a man with a beautiful dog.

You ask if you can pet the dog, which is very friendly, and the man says yes and explains that it is a very expensive purebred dog. As you are chatting, the man realizes he forgot his wallet at the convenience store around the corner and asks if you would mind watching the dog for a few minutes while he goes to pick it up. You agree.

---

Scam Detectors Most Trusted Websites in Online Security

1. Guard.io (100): Surf the web safely. Clean up your browser, remove maliscious extensions and check for privacy violations.
2. Incogni.com (100): Delete your personal data from the internet and protect against scams and identity theft.
3. ExpressVPN (100) Stay secure and anonymous online - Best VPN Out There

---

As he walks around the corner you are approached by an impeccably dressed woman who asks if she can pet your dog. You allow her to pet the dog, and she comments on how beautiful it is and that she has always wanted a dog such as this.

She then offers you $500 for the dog, but you tell her the dog does not belong to you; therefore you can't sell it to her. She hands you her business card and asks you to pass it on to the gentleman who owns the dog to see if he is interested in selling the dog.

 

The man returns without having found his wallet. He looks very troubled and explains that he needed the money in his wallet to pay off a gambling debt – or some other hard-luck tale. He asks you if you want to buy the dog for $200. You decide to take advantage of the situation – shame on you – and offer the man $200 for the dog, figuring you can turn around and call the woman, sell the dog for $500 and make an instant $300 profit.

The man agrees to sell you the dog for $200 since he is desperate. He leaves and you call the woman to give her the good news, only to discover that the number on her card does not work. Now you are the proud owner of a dog you didn't really want – and a considerably lighter wallet.

Dog For Sale Scam: How To Avoid

Be aware when talking with strangers anywhere, especially if they start telling you a hard-luck story about needing money and losing a wallet, or something similar.

Realize that these professional scam artists often work in pairs – like the man and woman in the scenario above – and you will never be able to out-scam a professional scam artist. There is no such thing as an honest quick buck. Just enjoy your vacation and keep hold of your hard-earned money by being honest and aware.