Where to report scams
If you've been scammed, get a case number from your local police station. Give them as many facts as you can - the scammer's name, cell number, where you saw them advertise, etc. Save all emails, screenshots of conversations, and note the website where you were scammed. Know the date & time you paid, and the scammer's bank details. You are unlikely to be taken seriously if you don't have a case number. The criminal may be caught for something else, and the more cases against him the better.
By reporting it, you are helping others not to be deceived by the fraudulent website.
Ephesians 5:11, NIV: "Expose the deeds of darkness!"
If the police refuse to give you a case number, send an email to complaintsnodalpoint@saps.gov.za They will sort it out for you. Give the name of the police station and if you can, names who you dealt with, the day & time you went there, and the nature of the crime you tried to report.
If you have lost money through a scam, please click here to report it:
https://za.scampup.info/blog/report-a-scam/ You can do the report from your phone.
Details of scam websites, regardless of country, will be forwarded to aa419, an international anti-fraud group. Include as much information as possible.
There are facebook groups where you can tell your story in order to warn others. You can post your experience, and screenshots here - https://www.facebook.com/groups/report.puppy.scms.south.africa
Put cell numbers on TrueCaller.com & label it "Scam." (Scammers change their name often.)
IPATA has a list of organisations where you can report scams especially if a transport company or courier is involved: www.ipata.org/pet-scams#reportScam
Pressure needs to be put on the free classifieds websites to stop running ads for puppy scams. Misleading advertising is surely a crime? The more people that complain, the better. You can report misleading advertising to the Advertising Regulatory Board. http://arb.org.za/complaints.html It will help if you have a police case number or a reference number and date of the ad.
If the scam is in a newspaper, tell the editor. Some websites, like Gumtree, Olx, Ananzi, and free classified sites, have a "Report Abuse" button near the ad. If it's a Google ad it is more difficult but not impossible. Gumtree etc need to know if Google ads and other puppy scam ads are getting their site a bad name. "Sponsored" ads that come up in Google searches are usually scams.
You can complain to www.hellopeter.com
That forwarded email - is it spam?
Do link to this page from your website. The more we can spread the word, the quicker we can collect information on scams and help to prevent it.