By now, the criminals in Nigeria and other similar vermin must be thoroughly convinced that we here in America are a bunch of rich fools waiting to be parted from our money. The reason I write this is because yet another round of siphoning loose green backs has begun and some well meaning people have been sucked in for as much as $1500. This time though the scam in question has a special twist to the bait. Internet scammers are soliciting your dollars to assist in the rescue of hapless puppies trapped in third world countries.

The scammers offer the poor canines for free but of course every rescue mission comes with it's price. The puppies will need shots, visas, passports, luggage, boarding passes and such. What boggles the mind here is that kind hearted people are sending money to these solicitors with out even checking their claims out first. It is as if they have nothing better to do than send money to every stranger with a sob story.

Please, if you are inclined to answer any solicitation which asks for your money without first providing substantial basis for your trust, find several people or organizations that you do trust and ask them about it. Blindly sending cash in answer to a slick presentation is like paying money for a car that the salesman promises is kept in a special secret garage on the other side of town. Your best bet is to restrict your philanthropic efforts to projects which are close to your home. There are hundreds of organizations in every city and every state which are completely worthy of your donations. Find one and give it an amount that you are comfortable with.