Hello,
I was on the Forum for the first time earlier to let you all know that I am on the look-out for a Tom that needs re-homed.
I'm not sure how much is on the Forum about scams, but I'd like to relate some of the problems I had last weekend when trying to buy a kitten from various freead sites. It turned out to be an absolute nightmare. The sites are full of fake, scam ads from a gentleman in Cameroon and I wasted a lot of time [and gained a hefty 'phone bill no doubt], telephoning numbers advertising Bengals all over the country that turned out to be this **** in Africa. He first said [in a strong Cameroon accent], that he was in Aberdeen, and when my partner said he did not sound Scottish he told her he had just moved from Canada. He told us he had a Bengal kitten for nowt but that it would cost £100 to have it delivered. My partner told him that we did not want any animal delivered and we would look elsewhere. We then telephoned another number in Middlesbrough, not to far from us, and lo and behold it's the same idiot answers the 'phone. This time he tries to direct us to a website, kittensforadoption.co which has to be seen to be believed. It is chocka with ads for exotic cats and kittens all over the country, all fake, all scams, same photograph on different ads, incorrect breed on ads, all with mobile or landline numbers in Cameroon. They hook gullible people in with email photographs of YOUR kitten, called Little Freddie, Frankie etc, offer to save you the trouble of collecting it, but it will cost £100 for delivery. Laughable, except kind, honest people are getting robbed. I sent the gentleman an email telling him in no uncertain terms what I thought of him and what I would relish doing to him when I found him. He has not replied.
I checked the free ads more carefully and there are further ads that are straight copys of genuine ads with the Con Artists number substituted. I reported them all to the various sites and some of them were removed only to re-appear a couple of hours later.
So, lesson well learned.
Anyone got a Bengal to re-home? Not from Cameroon please.

Regards,
Chris

Free ads are really not the best place to be looking for a bengal. Not only are they full of scam listing they are also full of back yard breeder adverts for poor quality, unheathy kittens most of which aren't actually even bengals (or whatever breed they are listed as). If you are looking for a bengal cat and are happy to take an adult cat rather than a kitten I would recommend looking at some reputable registered breeder websites to see if anyone has any ex-breeding cats that have been retired and are looking for a forever home, most breeders only ask for a nominal fee to cover neutering costs so it is a great way to get a beautiful, purebred, pedigree bengal on a smaller budget

What Jenda said is spot on. Free ads are pretty dodgy, I would stay well away.
Try finding some breeders in your area and see if they're advertising any ex studs or queens. I got my Alex who was an ex stud for a very small fee and he's an absolute darling.

And a similar dog scam exists here in South Korea. I dunno if he was from Cameroon but an African gentleman tried to pull a similar con on my neighbour with a British Bulldog mentioned on SK's only English language rescue site!

We've had great fun running up his phone bill trying to reverse the scam but it is sad that a lot of people fall for this.

Hello,
Apparently the Cameroon cat scam is truly international, lots of good people getting caught out in the USA for instance. It's not just cats that are being offered, think of something, they say they can get it. You want a monkey? They can get you a monkey!
I reported the scam to a cybercrime site, cybercrime.ops, Cameroon pet scam, if your interested, and looked at emails that other people had received from the scammers and it is quite astonishing the web of lies and trickery that these criminal goons come up with.
I feel it is most unfortunate that despite reporting these malicious ads to the freead sites that they are still posting them and ruining the service for honest advertisers and people who view them in the hope of buying or re-homing pets. Still, it's the world we live in and 'twas forever so.
As for my search for a cat who needs a home, I have emailed a couple of local breeders, more to follow, in the hope that through their contacts they will be able to find the right puss for me, and I have posted a home offer on this forum.

You mentioned Aberdeen, does that mean you're in Scotland? It would also probably help if you gave information on how far you're willing to travel to re-home a bengal so that members who have bengals who need new homes can contact you

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sorry ignore my previous message, I see you've already posted a thread offering a new home

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Hello,
I would be able to travel 100-150 miles or so to collect any cat that may be offered. I would be getting a friend to do the driving and he would drive any distance but I think 150 miles would be far enough for a cat taken from his home by a stranger and put in a carrier. I am in the process of emailing local Bengal breeders to ask them if they know of any cats looking for a home.
It is a long time since I kept a cat myself but I have chosen two out of three of my partners rescue cats and they have all turned out to be fantastic, real characters. I think I go to visit the cats rather than my partner these days but don't let her know!
The feral kitten I took in years back was something. He was one of a very young litter that was found when a local colliery was being demolished, sadly killing the queen and one of his litter-mates. The litter was taken home by a miner that had worked there and raised by his tabby queen. I ended taking one of them, The Mighty Boris, and he had a long and happy life with me. I live alone [through choice!] but now feel that it is time for some feline company again, and as I like big cats with big personalities, I am hoping that a Bengal would like to share my home. And must say that I think they are the most beautiful cats that I have ever seen.

Checkout Macclesfield and Buxton local RSPCA website , they have a 5 yr male spotted bengAl looking for a home.

Hello,
Thanks for letting me know about the Macclesfield/Buxton cat. I was given a fantastic Bengal Tom last week, and he is all I can manage, but here's hoping that the cat you mention finds a good home soon.
Here's a 'phone photo' of my cat, Jimmy. I'll post some better ones when I get my camera back [my partner borrowed it to use on Safari in Tanzania].