A Florida woman battling stage four cancer has been defrauded of over $4,000 (£3,200) in an online puppy scam. Danielle Garcia-Culp, who has been fighting the disease for four years, said she was conned while trying to buy a pet to support her through her illness.
Garcia-Culp told News 6 that she saw an advertisement for an Australian Shepherd on Facebook and arranged for delivery from Pensacola to her home in Umatilla. She received a photo of what she believed was her puppy in a crate, along with a tracking number. Subsequently, she was asked for a $700 refundable deposit for crate rental, then a $1,500 deposit for pet insurance, and further payments totalling around $4,450.
“I can only imagine somebody going through a similar situation I am, you know, and that puppy being almost like a lifeline and then it’s not real,” she said. The delivery company, Global Logistics Transport Solutions, was registered through European-based Hostinger. Hostinger determined the website was involved in a fraudulent 'fake courier' scheme and suspended it for violating terms of service.
When News 6 contacted the Facebook page where Garcia-Culp found the puppy, they received an automated response and later a reply saying “Who?”. Meta said it is investigating the page. Garcia-Culp has launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise $4,000, as she lost her job after her diagnosis and is struggling with medical bills and living expenses.
