SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – A Texas woman has been convicted of stealing $2,000 from a San Jose Couple who thought they were buying a puppy.
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Unfortunately, the teacup Pomeranian named "Jake" that the couple wanted to purchase does not exist. Forty-four-year-old Elizabeth Montes of San Antonio is facing six months in county jail for felony conspiracy and theft, the Santa Clara District Attorney's Office said in a press release.
The websites skylightpomeranian.com and Trans-Pet Express were used to scam dog lovers across the country and the District Attorney's Bureau of Investigation Unit traced it to an African-based scam, the district attorney's office said.
"Con artists all over the world are using love and loneliness during COVID to steal people’s money," District Attorney Jeff Rosen said. "We are finding the crooks. We are prosecuting the crooks. You pay for Jake, you get Jake."
According to the district attorney's office, Montes opened multiple Zelle accounts through different banks and was getting money transferred from victims buying a puppy.
The San Jose couple bought the non-existent Pomerania for $600 in April of 2020. After a while, the couple received an email that said they had to send an additional $1,400 to ensure the puppy doesn't have to be held in a 14-day COVID-19 quarantine, the release said. Another email was sent requesting $1,300 for a "permit," which made the couple realize they were being scammed.
Montes will be sentenced on Oct. 11, 2022, according to the district attorney's office.
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