Puppies used in latest advance-payment scam

The lure of a cute little puppy. It is a weakness that many animal lovers have succumbed to. And now it's now being used as bait for a variation of the time-tested advance-payment scam.

Animal lovers beware: the Oregon Attorney General's office is warning about this scam after it surfaced in that state. The ASPCA has a page dedicated to educating people about avoiding this kind of scam.

Here's how it works. The scammer places an ad for a puppy (or a purebred dog) that needs a home. The ad says the dog is free to whomever can give it a good home. Then comes the catch. Once the contact is made, the person who supposedly has the dog requests that money be wired to cover the transportation costs of safely getting the puppy to its new home.