Ruffle is here. In fact, her bloating has reduced enough for her to curl
up. She still has no pain, and is just comfortably and happily slipping
away; it is just happening very, very slowly. Now she is coming to love
having fresh herbs to rub her head in, and is using up all my home grown
mint and basil. She seems to like this both instead of or in
supplementation to perfume.
We are calmer now.
A large number of people were aware that scams are being seen quite a bit on
the Internet now and wanted to know how to protect themselves and how the
fml could get a reputation as being a place which is not profitable for scam
artists. Some generalized but excellent information about scams can be
received from police public safety officers who have instructional sheets
showing the trade marks of scam artists (not all of which are used by any
one of them) such as using post office boxes, telling heart rending stories,
having exaggerated claims, asking for money which will go to them instead of
to a fund you can verify such as one with a vet, never being visited by
someone who is known as reliable, etc.
For otherselves what we can best do is see that people are verified by
reliable sources before sending money. This is our OWN responsibility. It
is NOT Bill's, not our carriers, but our's, just as our own mistakes
combined with their finesse at gaining our sympathy and trust let telephone
scam artists get rich. That said, DO remember that scams ARE a crime and
report any committed against you.
How can you protect yourself? First off, make sure that the people you give
money to have been verified by those you trust or verify them personally.
(That is one of the great things about giving to a LOCAL shelter; you can
visit it, learn who their vet is, etc.)
Those who are verifying must have done more than just talk with the people.
After all, they can be scammed, too, especially if they are trusting souls
or well affected by a heart-rending story. You need folks to actually know
the person's background, to have seen the shelter, to have worked with the
person, or such.
Let's look at what sort of people I would be inclined to trust. I trust our
first moderator (Chris) and I trust Bill because both have a long history of
helping ferrets here. I trust Pam Grant whose STAR Ferrets, shelter, and
educational work have made her an amazing source. I trust Troy-Lynn Eckhart
and Dick Bossart from whom I have purchased very important information on
rabies studies and legislation (BTW, Dick, when does your new ferret care
book come out? I have inadvertently lost the publisher's address in all the
confusion with our sick ones. Apologies for any inconvenience. I am sure
others will want to know, though I know you don't self-promote so you would
normally not mention it unless pushed by someone.) I trust Bob because I
know enough of what he does to know that he has the background he claims and
he has an address which further shows that. I trust Pam Green who does the
FAQs. So on, and so forth.
When these people and others like them whom I have come to trust say that
they KNOW from direct experience that a person/shelter/charity actually
exists and is what it claims to be then I know that I am not just running
into someone who is great at writing profitable fiction. You know who you
trust here. You know who has been working for years and years to change
legislation, who runs nationally well known shelters and shelter
publications, you know who knows each other -- not just by phone or any type
of mail but in visits to each other's organizations/shelters. You read who
has worked directly with whom in transporting ferrets to new homes, setting
up shows, going to pet shows in general to run information booths, etc. You
KNOW people who do all this legislation work, information work, and so on
interact, so you know that if someone (especially if the person claims large
vet bills) who asks for direct funding but does not ever seem to be
mentioned as a subject of direct visits by local, national, or whatever
ESTABLISHED and TRUSTED sources may be suspect.
A really big plus is when the person wants money sent to NOT to her- or him-
self but to a trusted vet, even more impressive when the vet is a known
ferret vet. Face it, you can at least (and always personally SHOULD)
confirm that a vet hospital exists by using telephone information service
for the number -- which you then dial to see if the address given is right,
even if you are not in the same area. Those who offset other costs by
having a veterinary care fund are sending a message of professionalism AND
letting you know that the animals are well cared for.
Trying hard to be visited by a trusted person but failing due to the
trusted person's problem is a plus.
Just use sense. It's your responsibility, your money, your call.
Sukie
[Posted in FML issue 1612]
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