GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – It appears nothing is sacred when it comes to scammers getting their money. Not even the traditional puppy shopping for Christmas.
“This is a huge thing. It tends to have a bit of an uptick this time of year because a lot of people like to give puppies for Christmas,” says Susan Bach of the Better Business Bureau, “You shouldn’t buy a pet unless you’ve had a chance to meet it in person.”
Reports have increased 39% since 2017 when BBB first alerted consumers about the problem in the in-depth investigative study, “Puppy Scams: How Fake Online Pet Sellers Steal from Unsuspecting Pet Buyers.” In the last three years, BBB received nearly 16,000 complaints and Scam Tracker reports from consumers about “businesses” selling puppies and other pets. The FTC estimates only about 10% of victims report these crimes – so the problem is likely more widespread.
The study notes that in approximately 60% of reports to BBB regarding dog sellers, consumers allegedly never received the pets they purchased.
Scammers are setting up fake websites to draw in those searching for specific types of puppies.
“The way the scam works is that people are shopping for a designer puppy, a particular breed that’s hard to find, or a good deal on a popular pet,” Bach says, “The seller wants money for shipping, insurance, a special crate – it goes on and on. Once they know that they have a victim on the line, they make up more excuses about why they need more money.”
But as smart as they are, scammers often use the same images and descriptions across multiple sites.
“If you are shopping online for a pet and they send you a picture, you’re going to want to search the internet to see if that picture has been used anywhere else,” says Bach.
Scammers will often try to take payment through wire transfers. But again, that request should raise some flags.
“If somebody requests that you wire them money, that should be a red flag of a scam,” says Bach.
Never send money via Western Union or Moneygram to people or companies you don’t know and trust. Once the money is wired, it is gone for good. The same goes for prepaid debit cards or gift cards. Always use a credit card in case you need to dispute the charges.
If someone advertises a purebred dog for free or at a deeply discounted price, you could be dealing with a fraudulent offer. If they state that they register their dogs with a specific organization or registry, confirm by contacting the registry or organization directly.
Bach says to “Do your research before you even go online. If you find something that is priced too good to be true, you may be starting to be involved with these kinds of scammers.”
If you’re unsure about a seller, go to petscams.com to see if it is legitimate or bogus. Questions about businesses can always be directed to the Better Business Bureau.
