Richard Huff's Seattle Social Blog

I've always heard about rampant Internet fraud, but I've only ever personally encountered it in two occasions.  For the most part, Internet transactions are safe and free of fraud.  The ones that are fraudulent seem to be fairly easy to catch.  This one was caught and brought to my attention by a smart individual who ran across an advertisement for "Adorable English Bulldog puppies" [link].  Liking adorable English bulldog puppies [who doesn't], the individual inquired further and requested to see the pedigree.  The pedigree delivered via e-mail was a poorly modified version of my dog's pedigree, originally posted on this very blog.  I've posted the faked pedigree for comparison.

The wonderful thing about the Internet is that you can do a little bit of work to connect the facts and uncover possible fraud.  Tapas' breeder was contacted by the above-mentioned individual, after they did some research on the lineage.  The obvious question was, "How could an English bulldog come from a family of Chihuahuas?"  I'm just curious as to why the fraudsters swapped out the American Kennel Club logo and changed the typeface at the top of the certificate -- both seemingly unnecessary steps to take.

Don't think that I am trying to downplay Internet fraud.  It's a very serious problem with very few solutions.  In fact, posting this entry is one of the few responses available to me.  So,...let it be known that the individual(s) using the name "filly mimi" (fillymimi@live.com, fillymimi@aol.com) may try to sell you a fictitious bulldog pup.  They are probably running the same scam with other names, e-mail addresses, and dog breeds.  Be cautious!  The common thread in their particular scams will probably be their poor grammar. See below:

I hate to say it, but this has the stench of a Nigerian scam.