While The Macon County News takes every step possible to prevent printing false or erroneous information in its advertisements, occasionally an item will slip through. On Dec. 18 and 23, an advertisement in the classified section of the paper ran an advertisement for Free Yorkshire puppies.

When consumers contacted the owner of the puppies, however, the ad proved to be a hoax. The seller stated he could send the puppies, but there would be a freight charge that the buyer would need to cover as the pets were having to come from overseas.

The individual who placed the ad identified himself as “James Wellington” and spoke through a teletype interpreter, indicating he was a hearing impaired.

Several phone calls made to the Macon County News alerted staff to the possibility that this was not a true advertisement. Key indicators of popular scams include a requirement to Western Union money – money is untraceable that way. Often the seller cannot meet in person, either they are out of the country, ill or on business.

Macon County Sheriff investigator Scott Nelson said four people had also contacted the sheriff’s office in regards to the advertisement.

“Unfortunately one person is out some money,” he said. “We see these types of scams a lot, and sadly, with the way the economy is looking, it will only get worse. There are people out there who are just looking to make a quick buck, whatever that means.”

Nelson said the rule of thumb remains: if it looks too good to be true, it is.

He also advised that any time money is required up front, or items are requested or delivered from overseas, the likelihood that the claim is a scam increases.

While The Macon County News works to ensure that advertisements are both fair and accurate, not all advertising can be guaranteed. Ultimately it is up to the consumer to verify the accuracy of the seller before any money exchanges hands. Likewise, it is up to the seller to ensure that any money that exchanges hands is not being presented in a fraudulent manner, i.e. checks are not being written on accounts with insufficient funds.

Scams are continually being discovered, whether through telemarketing attempts, mass emails and even print advertising.

Popular scams occurring right now, said Nelson, include secret shopper programs, claims from “soldiers” in Iraq requesting private bank account information to help transfer money back to the States and fictitious money grams.

In the event that you feel you have been the victim of a scam, contact the N.C. Department of Justice (877) 5-NO-SCAM. You can also contact the sheriff’s department, but, said Nelson, with many of these claims involving overseas business transactions; little can be done on the local level. The sheriff’s department typically contacts the Federal Trade Commission, National Crime Alert and National Check Fraud divisions to help alert these agencies to the ongoing problems in false advertisement.