GREENSBORO, N.C. — "I wanted a puppy since my neighbor got a puppy," said Mila Zimmerman.
A lot of families are in the market for a puppy this holiday. It's a common gift. Be ready for scams.
Let me share with you the latest scam that hit Mila's family in Pennsylvania.
"My friend had family that was giving puppies away, but they were asking for a re-homing fee so people would not just say they wanted them, but come pick them up," said Marissa Zimmerman.
Marissa saw a friend's post on Facebook about selling Yorkie puppies. She knew his family from high school, so she sent him a message.
She offered to pay cash since the two knew each other, but he insisted on half the payment upfront.
"If you just send half the money now, you can pay the rest of the money later in cash", said Marissa.
She paid by Venmo, $100, but that's when things got strange.
"Within a few minutes I got the text I thought was from Venmo, that said that the money didn't go through," said Marissa.
When she checked her account, the money had gone through, yet he wanted her to send it again.
"He was like just try it again, and I was like no, this wasn't meant to be," said Marissa.
What happened? Turns out her friend's account had been hacked, so she was talking to a scammer instead of her friend.
What about the money she sent from Venmo?
It's gone. That's the thing about any cash app you use, once you send the money, it's gone. Cash apps don't work like a bank.
Before you send money in a situation like this, talk to the person, not just by text, to confirm to who you're sending the money.