Woman conned out of thousands for care of sick dog
An Oxford woman who has spent £7,000 trying to rescue an abandoned dog from Thailand now fears that she has been conned.
Artist Jirral Darmoise, 45, first saw pictures of the St Bernard, Balloon, on Facebook a year ago. The dog was apparently suffering from a number of infections.
She sold possessions, including her motorbike, to raise money for Balloon's treatment. But when she flew out to Bangkok on Sunday to collect him, the dog's 'rescuer' refused to hand him over.
"I've been taken advantage of as a dog-lover. I've been conned into paying thousands," Ms Darmoise tells the Oxford Mail.
"I handed over huge amounts of money believing it was helping Balloon get a new, happy home after everything he went through on the street, but I think this woman has pocketed the lot.
"I assumed she was a dog-lover like me - but in reality she was just a crook who wanted to exploit my good nature."
The woman, who posted the pictures on the website of the Saving Saints international rescue charity, claimed she'd found Balloon on the streets. She was caring for him while looking for a home in the UK, she said.
Ms Darmoise contacted the charity and, after a rigorous vetting process, was approved as Balloon's new owner. But when she met the woman who'd been looking after the dog, she was told "You're not having him, and that's that."
Saving Saints founder Anne-Marie Luckhurst says she's 'horrified' by the scam. But similar fraud is widespread, originating particularly in Africa and Thailand.
"Typically, you might see an ad offering a loved pet free of charge because the owners can no longer keep it. The scammers may claim to be missionaries or just to have fallen on hard times," the Scambusters website warns.
"All they want you to do supposedly is to pay the shipping costs. But as soon as you agree and pay, you may get a follow-up message saying the animal has been impounded by customs or is in need of veterinary treatment. And, of course, the 'seller' asks you to pay."
