Fraudsters Targeting Dog Owners With New Fake Bite Scam

Story ByJohn FengSub EditorJoseph GolderAgencyAsia Wire Report

Video Credit: AsiaWire

This footage shows a smartly dressed man deliberately running into a pet poodle before falsely claiming the dog bit him in a new scam cops warn is targeting pet owners.

The newfangled tactic was discovered by authorities in the city of Lanzhou, capital of Gansu Province in north-western China, while investigating the claim on 21st May.

CCTV footage reviewed by police shows the smartly dressed male suspect holding a briefcase and pretending to speak on the phone when he targets a woman and her large pet poodle.

Pictures Credit: AsiaWire

The would-be scammer waits for the most opportune moment and then runs into the side of the unsuspecting pooch, frightening the dog as he appears to shout and then drop his belongings.

As the dog’s owner turns around, he sees the pedestrian who then reportedly claimed he had been bitten by the fluffy white poodle – and asked the woman to pay for his medical bills.

Lanzhou police did not reveal how the case was settled but said the suspect – and others like him – were now targeting large dogs without leads in the new type of scam.

They have urged members of the public to keep their dogs close by and on leads at all times to avoid the latest scam.

Fake accident scams in mainland China originated with pedestrians intentionally running into cars and then claiming compensation for injury.

The ‘crash-for-cash’ scam is known as ‘peng ci’, which is a Mandarin phrase meaning to ‘touch porcelain’.