Texas woman convicted of scamming S.J. couple in dog sale swindle

SAN JOSE >> A Texas woman has been convicted of scamming a San Jose couple out of $2,000 for a Pomeranian puppy that never actually existed, prosecutors said.

Elizabeth Montes, 44, of San Antonio was convicted of felony conspiracy and theft March 14, the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office said in a news release May 10. She faces six months in county jail when she is sentenced Oct. 11.

Prosecutors said the DA'S Bureau of Investigations Unit traced the origins of the scam to the Central African country of Cameroon.

Investigators discovered that Montes opened accounts with Zelle — an online money transferring service — through various banks and was receiving money from victims who purchased puppies through skylightpomeranian.com and Trans-pet Express, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said the victims never received the puppies, and bank records showed Montes linked to more than 75 victims.

In April 2020, the San Jose couple sent $600 through Zelle to buy “Jake,” a teacup-sized Pomeranian puppy listed for sale on skylightpomeranian.com, prosecutors said.

Everything appeared normal in the contract and shipping information, prosecutors said, but the couple then received an email instructing them to send an additional $1,400 to the seller to avoid having the puppy held in a two-week COVID-19 quarantine.

When the couple received another email demanding an additional $1,300 for a permit, they realized they were being scammed and reported the crime, prosecutors said.

“Con artists all over the world are using love and loneliness during COVID to steal people's money,” District Attorney Jeffrey Rosen said in a statement.

“We are finding the crooks. We are prosecuting the crooks. You pay for Jake, you get Jake.”