An Australian dog breeder has been targeted in an international scam operation that has left victims devastated and thousands of dollars out of pocket.
The breeder has been running a popular cavoodle-breeding operation since 2019, and has tens of thousands of social media followers, but was shocked to open her front door one day to see an excited family wondering where their newborn puppy was.
They had sent $500 to what they thought was her bank account but she had to break the news that she didn’t have any puppies available. After chatting with the devasted family she quickly realised scammers had made fake replicas of her social media page and managed to lure in unsuspecting people looking for a puppy.
There wasn’t just one replica profile either. One of the biggest replica accounts has attracted close to 10,000 followers, while other much smaller operations have a few hundred. Realising the scam was just the first part of what is now a growing trend. The Victoria Police were informed of the scam but they told her to contact the Australian Federal Police (AFP), as this was a money muling operation.
What is money muling?
Victims are told to transfer money to a bank account – in this case an Australian bank account – which is then forwarded onto the scammer’s overseas account.
The Australian account is owned and operated by a ‘mule’, who receives a commission in exchange for letting the scammers use their account. These mules can often be students looking to make some quick cash without having to do too much work, according to the AFP.
Money mule advertisements or offers can take a variety of forms and the criminals may even fake a website to add authenticity [to] the scam. Some of the adverts can direct you to websites, which can infect your computer with viruses.
The scammers don’t immediately ask for your bank account details but that could be one of their targets, as well as seeking a money transfer.
How to avoid becoming a victim
The biggest tip to ensure you don’t become a victim of money muling is to always double-check who you are sending money to.
Ensure you can call the person and get a few details to verify they are who they say they are. Research them to see if they come up in any articles mentioning scams, and be suspicious if someone starts asking for a lot of information about your private life, especially your bank details. Also be very wary of doing a money transfer because these funds are usually very difficult to be retrieved by your bank.
By: Kylie Gilbert – Animal Care Australia Dog Representative. Originally published: March 2024 ACE Newsletter.
