The puppy in the advertisement photo might look adorable, but his owner probably isn’t a missionary working in Africa.

There probably isn’t a puppy at all.

That’s what the state attorney general’s office warned.

A New Hampshire resident recently saw an advertisement in a newspaper and smelled a skunk behind the sale of a puppy. The resident informed the attorney general’s office, so the Consumer Protection Bureau decided it was best to advise people to avoid all offers that involve the wiring of money, even if puppies are involved.

While many people will recognize the “ Puppy Scam ” and similar offers as frauds, there are always a few people gullible enough to fall for them, Senior Assistant Attorney General James T. Boffetti said.

The most intelligent people can fall prey to scams, said Boffetti, who pointed to a New Hampshire lawyer who this year lost $240,000 in an Internet scam.

“Who’s not going to want to help a puppy?” Boffetti said.

And that’s what the unknown scam artists expect, Boffetti said. The combination of a cute puppy needing a home and the supposed easy transfer of cash will lure at least a few people, he said.

Boffetti doesn’t know of anyone who has fallen for the “ Puppy Scam ,” but residents have been duped by previous versions.

The latest scam was spotted by a resident, who thought the newspaper advertisement looked too good to be true, Boffetti said. The resident sent the ad to the attorney general’s office.

Boffetti couldn’t recall which newspaper ran the advertisement, but said such offers appear in publications and on the Internet.

This scam, as with others, promises delivery of a puppy when the sale price and vaccination and shipping costs are paid, Boffetti said. The scam artists use fake or stolen photos in the ads; there are no puppies for sale, he said.

Prospective buyers are asked to wire money first, but sometimes, the scammer sends a fake check in advance that pretends to cover the cost of insurance and shipping, Boffetti said. The buyers soon learn the checks they received can’t be cashed, he said.

The latest scam says the dog owner is serving as a missionary in Africa and needs to sell the puppy.

“Once the money is sent somewhere, say France, there is no way to recover it,” Boffetti said.

Scam attempts of all sorts are increasing in volume, Boffetti said.

The lawyer who lost $240,000 agreed to deposit a check for about double that amount from someone who claimed to be from a company in China. When the check appeared to have cleared, the attorney wired the $240,000 to an account. The check was later found to be phony.

Another attorney recently received a letter from someone who appeared to be a client. The attorney wired money to Scotland, but it wasn’t the client on the other end, Boffetti said.

Boffetti cited another example of a successful scam, one that targets elderly people. Known as the “Grandparent Scam,” an elderly person is told a grandchild is in legal trouble and discreetly needs money to avoid troubling their parents. The grandparents wire money, but it lands in the hands of scammers.

“People should use good judgment,” Boffetti said.

Boffetti urges people to never wire money and provide account information to unreliable sources, confirm who they are dealing with, and trust their instincts.

Update 7/28/10:  Attorney General Michael A. Delaney announced that consumers should be aware of classified advertising scams targeting dog lovers, also know as the Puppy Scam. This scam has circulated over the years and has begun to resurface again, targeting New Hampshire residents.

The scam involves the promised delivery of a puppy when the purchase price and all requested fees such as vaccination and shipping costs are paid, when, in fact, the seller does not have any puppies for sale. Some scam artists use fake or stolen photos in their ads, claiming they are pictures of puppies for sale. The advertisement instructs prospective buyers to wire money in advance and refers them to a money wiring service such as Western Union or Money Gram. In other cases, the scammer sends a check or money order to the victim in advance to cover shipping or insurance costs. They typically send too much money and instruct the victim to forward the overpayment by wire transfer. Of course, their method of payment turns out to be fake, which the consumer only discovers after wiring the money to the scammer. When the puppy is not delivered, the buyer discovers he/she has been scammed and all attempts to contact the seller are unsuccessful. In the latest incarnation of this scam, the dog owner claims to be a missionary serving in Africa.

In order to avoid these types of scams, the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Bureau offers this advice:

* Wiring money is like sending cash. Never wire money or give your account information to anyone unless you are absolutely sure you want that person or company to have it. Purchases online should be made via methods that offer fraud protection.
* Know the person with whom you are dealing and independently confirm your seller's name, address, and telephone number. Ask for and verify references.
* Resist pressure to "act now." If an offer sounds too good to be true it usually is.
* Check to make sure there are no scam alerts issued against the seller. You can search for that information on the internet, or by contacting the Federal Trade Commission or this Office at the e-mail address or websites shown below.
* Trust your instincts. If you do not feel comfortable with the seller or with the suggested arrangements, walk away from any further dealings with that person or company.
* If the seller wants you to use a service you have not heard of, be sure to check it out for reliability - check its Web site, call its customer service hotline, and read its terms of agreement and privacy policy. If you do not feel comfortable with the service, do not use it.
* Simply because an advertisement is in a legitimate media outlet - like the local newspaper or radio station - does not guarantee that the company placing it is trustworthy.
* You should always ask to talk with the seller’s veterinarian prior to purchasing a puppy.

If you have doubts as to whether an advertisement is legitimate, call the Consumer Protection and Antitrust Bureau at (603) 271-3641 or 1-888-468-4454. For more information on consumer fraud you can also visit the Bureau’s website at http://doj.nh.gov/consumer/.

People who have responded to a fraudulent puppy ad are asked to forward the initial e-mail to the Federal Trade Commission at spam@uce.gov and notify the Internet Fraud Complaint Center at www.ifccfbi.gov.

If you have doubts as to whether an advertisement is legitimate, call the Consumer Protection and Antitrust Bureau at (603) 271-3641 or 1-888-468-4454. For more information on consumer fraud you can also visit the Bureau’s website at http://doj.nh.gov/consumer/.

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