Sometimes doing a good deed, like adopting a pet instead of purchasing one at a store, will kick you in the butt.
A man, surnamed Chan, was recently one of the victims of a pet adoption scam. Chan saw a post on an online forum about adopting cats. After exchanging several emails with the owner of the cats, Chan was told the cats were not in Hong Kong and that he had to pay a transportation fee of HK$6,000.
Although suspicious, Chan convinced himself it wasn’t a scam as the owner seemed genuinely concerned about the cats – asked Chan what the living conditions would be like – and had presented Chan with proper ownership documentation. Yet, after transferring the transportation money to the owner, Chan never heard from the owner again.
Lawyers say that as most of these fraudsters are from the mainland, it’s extremely difficult to track them down. Police reported 150 cases of Hongkongers being cheated of money from pet adoption scams in the past year.
Source: The Sun
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
