How to Get Out of Debt With the Get Out of Debt Guy » alaska

BBB Warns Of Phony Puppy Purchases

Amanda Miller — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:57:35 +0000

As an avid animal lover I believe there’s a special place in hell for pet scammers. No, not people that scam your pets, people that are scammer prospective pet buyers.

I will refrain from getting on my soap box about the benefits of adopting animals and the advantages of being a rescue parent (like myself!) but instead will bring to you news recently published by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) warning about pet purchasing scams.

Alaskan, Oregonian and Western Washingtonian BBBs have recently received reports of scams targeting consumers that are looking to purchase puppies online.

I would like for you to know that I am working really hard on not also soap boxing about buying pets online and shipping them.

REALLY HARD

The BBB has reported that:

Legitimate-looking websites and classified ads entice pet shoppers with cute puppy pictures, detailed descriptions, and below-average prices. When shoppers contact sellers and attempt to make purchases, they are directed to wire money – typically overseas – to complete paperwork and secure shipping. Buyers then receive emails that contain shipping receipts, animal crate numbers, flight numbers and times, and other seemingly genuine information.

Unfortunately, there are no puppies; and flight information and courier names are rarely verifiable. BBB reports indicate that these scammers will go so far as to claim that animals have arrived locally, but cannot be released until further processing fees are paid by wire transfer.

One Virginia-based consumer wired $300 to Cameroon for two English Bulldogs that were to be delivered to his home via an Alaska-based moving company, but became suspicious after receiving a second invoice. He then called the moving company, which had no knowledge of the transaction.

When purchasing puppies online, there are several things to consider:

Beware of unreasonably low prices; check the American Kennel Club website for appropriate rates.
Be cautious of sellers that only accept wire transfer payments.
Look for spelling and grammatical errors on websites and in emails; this is a common red flag in overseas scams.
Always seek complete contact information and avoid sellers that are unable or unwilling to provide it.
Good breeders should be more concerned with placing animals in good homes than getting paid; walk away from transactions that seem suspicious – Source.

Another way to avoid getting scammed by phony puppy purchases is to, you know, adopt from a local shelter or breeder? Just an idea.

If you have been scammed and would like to file a scam report, please click here.

Scamming : There’s An App For That

Amanda Miller — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 15:00:09 +0000

From How to Get Out of Debt

Apparently a scammer in Alaska is using a gadget, possibly a smart phone, and making bogus calls mimicking other numbers on caller ID systems.

Last Friday an Anchorage resident was received a call that appeared to come from the Anchorage Police Department. A heavy accented man demanded money and told the woman that he was Police Chief Mark Mew. Unlucky for this scammer the caller had met Police Chief Mark Mew and knew that this wasn’t him calling.

When the man hung up she re-dialed the number he called from and to her surprise ended up calling the police department (that was handy!).

Other residents have received calls with threats of arrest if they don’t send $700,000 from an electronic fraud cases they were allegedly a part of.

Somehow the scammers had the victims’ called personal information, including their Social Security Numbers. The police have issued a warning and I’m sure are investigating this case more in depth.

APD would like to remind members of the public not to share personal information with anyone you have not initiated contact with for bona fide business purposes, or whose identity you are not sure of,” [Lt. Dave] Parker said – Source.

If you have been scammed and would like to file a scam report, please click here.

Now You Know the Debt Settlement Industry is in Trouble When Alaska Cracks Down

Steve Rhode — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:35:40 +0000

From How to Get Out of Debt

Alaska, otherwise known as the last of the rough and tumble frontiers in America, is often the last bastion of lawlessness. Have you watched the Alaska State Trooper television show?

A story by KYUU in Alaska made me chuckle. Apparently Alaska is outraged by the actions of debt settlement companies that are charging up-front fees.

Alaska’s attorney general has joined a group effort to crack down on questionable debt settlement services.

Forty states sent out a letter pushing for changes being considered by the Federal Trade Commission to better protect consumers after an increase in complaints.

Across the nation, it’s clear that times are tough, so more consumers are trying to reduce their financial stress by reducing debt and going to those who are supposed to know best.

“With the recent economic problems there has been a shift by some unscrupulous operators to cash in on people’s problems, essentially,” said Cindy Drinkwater, the assistant attorney general.

That’s why the Attorneys General sent out a joint letter to the FTC that supports the commission’s move to change rules for debt settlement companies, targeting their work on TV, radio, the Internet and via telephone

“(To) prohibit certain kinds of conduct such as requiring up-front fees or advance fees,” Drinkwater said.

The change would also make it illegal for a company to engage in a variety of deceptive unfair representations and practices.

Making promises they can’t keep would be one example. Some claim all collection calls will cease, when actually, in many cases the creditors are never notified that a settlement is in the works and continue to demand full payment.

“Ultimately the problem is that consumers will end up in a much worse financial position because they’ve had to pay these up-front fees. Meanwhile, the interest on their debts has accrued (and) collection efforts continue. Ultimately they may be facing judgments against them,” Drinkwater said. Source

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How to Get Out of Debt With the Get Out of Debt Guy » alaska

BBB Warns Of Phony Puppy Purchases

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Scamming : There’s An App For That

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Now You Know the Debt Settlement Industry is in Trouble When Alaska Cracks Down

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