‘I’ve made peace,’ says woman after R100k online pet sale con

Many people have been scammed recently while trying to buy pets and cars online, police say. Captain Vinny Pillay of Umhlali police said almost every week they had a case where a resident had been scammed after paying for a dog or cat.

Recently a Pretoria resident, Alta Badenhorst, who was in Ballito for a holiday lost her pension money buying two puppies.

“I was in Ballito for a holiday when I searched on my phone for a new puppy. I saw these 2 cute puppies for sale and contacted the woman in Upington. The price was R4 200 each and to me, that was a normal price. I paid for both, I then had to add more money for medication,” said the 58-year-old retired bank manager.

After paying for the puppies, she was contacted by a courier company and they said she had to pay R16 000 per puppy for ‘cargo fees’.

“They said that if I do not pay they would not deliver the puppies. That is where they got me because I am a pet lover. I thought of these 11-week old puppies being left alone with no food or water. I paid the R32 000.”

On the day she was expecting her puppies to be delivered she received a call claiming she needed to pay an additional R50 000 because the puppies had been ‘confiscated at the airport by the American Kennel Club’.

“They said all the R50 000 was refundable, so I paid. Then they said, no it’s R50 000 per puppy. I got mad and called the lady who sold the puppies and asked her to pay the other R50 000.

She refused and offered to help with R20 000 if I payed R30 000. I said I did not have any money left. She then blocked my number and since then I cannot get hold of her.”

That was when alarm bells began to ring for the victim, who by this stage had paid out R90 400 for puppies that apparently did not exist.

“I checked with the airport and I was told no animals were being transported in any of the planes on that day. That is when I realised the American Kennel Club does not have an office in South Africa. I have made peace with it and it was a lesson learnt for me. I hope people will be careful and not fall for the trap I fell into,” she said.

Captain Pillay said the other main concern was in the sale of second-hand vehicles.

He said it was becoming more common for con artists to visit car dealerships and take photos of vehicles which are later used to scam people.

“Last week we had a resident who paid for a car that he saw on social media, but after paying he could not find the people he was communicating with. Residents need to be extra vigilant, especially now because we are approaching the holiday season,” said Pillay.