Social media hackers drag Pasco County man into puppy scam: ‘I’m not doing this’
PORT RICHEY, Fla. - Pet scams are common, and a Pasco County man says he’s now caught up in one after his Facebook page was hacked.
David Cruz says he didn’t have any idea what was going on until he got a call from an out-of-state friend.
"They told me that they saw that I had dogs that I was selling or giving away or whatever. And I told her I had no idea what she was talking about," Cruz said. "She sent me a copy of the post, and I was like, you know, that's me on the profile picture, but it's not my page. I don't have and, you know, did never have any dogs."
He says somehow hackers got ahold of his page and have been posting and offering puppies. Cruz says he can no longer access the page and has been unsuccessful in getting it removed. Since then, he says several people, including friends, have inquired about money sent.
David Cruz looks at his Facebook account on his phone after it was hacked by scammers.
"The last person I heard was $800. And then, since they've also posted it on my school page. I had a past student call me and say, 'Dave, why do you need another $200 for the dogs? We'll come pick them up.' And I said, wait a minute, I'm not doing this," Cruz said.
He says people are even showing up to his door looking for the puppies.
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"I'm afraid at this point that someone's going to show up at my house with a baseball bat or a gun looking for the dogs or the money," Cruz said.
Cruz told FOX 13 he called law enforcement, but there’s not a lot they can do since he hasn’t personally lost money.
A Facebook post showing puppies that are free with re-homing fee.
Cybersecurity experts say once someone has access to your account, they can also get your personal information. They say it’s important to use different passwords and set-up other verifications.
"Any site that supports two-factor authentication, it's always a good idea to have that set up. And there are a number of services that do that. Google Authenticator is a common free one that's available out there," Chris Jenkins, the general partner with Druid Ventures, said.
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The Better Business Bureau says pet scams are common, but there are clear red flags. In the post on David’s page, it says the puppies are free, and there’s only a rehoming fee.
People have been showing up to David Cruz's home looking for puppies or their money.
"Think about what's being offered, what's being asked of you, and just do a little bit of homework and research," Bryan Oglesby with Better Business Bureau Serving West Florida said. "If a potential friend on Facebook reaches out to you claiming they're selling a puppy, maybe pick up the phone and give them a call."
For more information, visit www.bbb.org/all/petscams.
FOX 13 also reached out to Facebook and did not hear back. The Pasco Sheriff’s Office says these times of scams are more frequent lately. They encourage victims of the scam use the FBI's online complaint form, found at www.ic3.gov.