Beware of Scams
Articles from the Better Business Bureau
Puppy Scams: How to Protect Yourself from Fake Online Pet Sellers
go.bbb.org/puppyscam
If you are looking for a pet to add to your family, be on the lookout for scams. As more consumers turn to the internet to find new pets, more scams are popping up online. Experts say a shocking 80% of sponsored advertisements about pets may be fake.
BBB ScamTracker has 907 reports on this type of fraud and a Federal Trade Commission report found some 37,000 complaints involving pets. A vast majority of those were believed to be puppy sale scams. When you consider that FTC finds that less than 10 percent of victims of fraud actually complain, you can see that the problem is even larger than the numbers indicate.
The BBB International Investigations Initiative conducted an extensive study of online puppy scams. The study looks at the scope of this problem, who is behind it, and the need for law enforcement consumer education to address the issue.
The study also has tips for avoiding puppy scams:
• Don’t buy a pet without seeing it in person. Do an internet search of the picture of the pet you are considering. If the same picture appears on multiple websites, you may be dealing with a fraud. You also can search for text from ads or testimonials to see if the seller copied it from another site.
• Never pay a stranger with a money order or through PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, Western Union, or Moneygram. Meet them in person and pay cash or check.
• Always use a credit card in case you need to dispute the charges.
• Research prices for the breed you are interested in adopting. If someone is advertising a purebred dog for free or at a deeply discounted price, you could be dealing with a fraudulent offer.
• Learn about fraud in your area at BBB Scam Tracker.
What if you have been a victim of a puppy scam?
• File a report with BBB’s Scam Tracker
• Complain at Petscams.com
• Complain to the Federal Trade Commission. Call 1-877-FTC-HELP
• Homeland Security Investigations at the Department of Homeland Security also handles international fraud. Call 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) (from U.S. and Canada)
• In Canada, call the Canadian Antifraud Centre: Toll Free 1-888-495-8501
•If you sent money through Western Union, MoneyGram or a Green Dot MoneyPak, contact those companies directly for information about the transactions. They also download their complaints into the FTC’s Consumer Sentinel database, which police around the country can access.
Green Dot 800-795-7597
Western Union 1-800-448-1492
MoneyGram 1-800-926-9400
Read the complete BBB study here.
Download a PDF of the study here.
Last Reviewed: September 26, 2017
go.bbb.org/puppyscam
If you are looking for a pet to add to your family, be on the lookout for scams. As more consumers turn to the internet to find new pets, more scams are popping up online. Experts say a shocking 80% of sponsored advertisements about pets may be fake.
BBB ScamTracker has 907 reports on this type of fraud and a Federal Trade Commission report found some 37,000 complaints involving pets. A vast majority of those were believed to be puppy sale scams. When you consider that FTC finds that less than 10 percent of victims of fraud actually complain, you can see that the problem is even larger than the numbers indicate.
The BBB International Investigations Initiative conducted an extensive study of online puppy scams. The study looks at the scope of this problem, who is behind it, and the need for law enforcement consumer education to address the issue.
The study also has tips for avoiding puppy scams:
• Don’t buy a pet without seeing it in person. Do an internet search of the picture of the pet you are considering. If the same picture appears on multiple websites, you may be dealing with a fraud. You also can search for text from ads or testimonials to see if the seller copied it from another site.
• Never pay a stranger with a money order or through PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, Western Union, or Moneygram. Meet them in person and pay cash or check.
• Always use a credit card in case you need to dispute the charges.
• Research prices for the breed you are interested in adopting. If someone is advertising a purebred dog for free or at a deeply discounted price, you could be dealing with a fraudulent offer.
• Learn about fraud in your area at BBB Scam Tracker.
What if you have been a victim of a puppy scam?
• File a report with BBB’s Scam Tracker
• Complain at Petscams.com
• Complain to the Federal Trade Commission. Call 1-877-FTC-HELP
• Homeland Security Investigations at the Department of Homeland Security also handles international fraud. Call 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) (from U.S. and Canada)
• In Canada, call the Canadian Antifraud Centre: Toll Free 1-888-495-8501
•If you sent money through Western Union, MoneyGram or a Green Dot MoneyPak, contact those companies directly for information about the transactions. They also download their complaints into the FTC’s Consumer Sentinel database, which police around the country can access.
Green Dot 800-795-7597
Western Union 1-800-448-1492
MoneyGram 1-800-926-9400
Read the complete BBB study here.
Download a PDF of the study here.
Last Reviewed: September 26, 2017
How to Spot a Puppy Scam January 08, 2016
Planning to get a puppy this new year? Watch out for fake websites preying on would-be pet owners.
How the Scam Works:
You want to buy a puppy, so you look online for breeders. You come across a website that appears to be run by dog breeder who has puppies for sale. There are photos of the puppies and guarantees of their health and vaccinations. There is even a section about the breeders with glowing testimonials. The prices of these puppies are lower than those of other breeders (or perhaps even free).
You email the breeder. The puppy is still available, the breeder is happy to ship him or her to you. All you need to do is use a wire transfer (or other untraceable method) to send money to the "breeder." Then, he or she will ship you your new dog.
Don't do it! The scammer will not send the puppy, because the dog doesn't exist. The scammer simply stole the pictures and other information from a legitimate breeders' website.
Tips to avoid a puppy scam:
For More Information
To find out more about other scams, check out BBB Scam Stopper (bbb.org/scam). To report a scam, go to BBB Scam Tracker (bbb.org/scamtracker).
Planning to get a puppy this new year? Watch out for fake websites preying on would-be pet owners.
How the Scam Works:
You want to buy a puppy, so you look online for breeders. You come across a website that appears to be run by dog breeder who has puppies for sale. There are photos of the puppies and guarantees of their health and vaccinations. There is even a section about the breeders with glowing testimonials. The prices of these puppies are lower than those of other breeders (or perhaps even free).
You email the breeder. The puppy is still available, the breeder is happy to ship him or her to you. All you need to do is use a wire transfer (or other untraceable method) to send money to the "breeder." Then, he or she will ship you your new dog.
Don't do it! The scammer will not send the puppy, because the dog doesn't exist. The scammer simply stole the pictures and other information from a legitimate breeders' website.
Tips to avoid a puppy scam:
- Always visit the breeder. Responsible breeders and rescue groups will be more than happy to offer you a tour.
- Search for website warning signs. The reason fake breeder websites look real is because the content is typically stolen from another site. Look for duplicate sites by copying a line from the website into a search engine and looking for identical wording elsewhere on the Internet. Also, search for the domain name on "WHOIS Lookup." Make sure the site is hosted in the country where the breeders claim to be located.
- Pick your puppy up at their kennel or agreed on meeting spot. Don't rely on the breeder to ship the puppy.
- Check references. Talk to others who have purchased pets from this breeder and the veterinarian the breeder works with.
- Pay with check or credit card. If a breeder pressures you to pay by wire transfer or prepaid debit card, it is probably a scam.
For More Information
To find out more about other scams, check out BBB Scam Stopper (bbb.org/scam). To report a scam, go to BBB Scam Tracker (bbb.org/scamtracker).
Remember:
Only current PDCA members in good standing, who have completed at least one AKC title for their pug, are listed in the Breeder Directory. The Pug Dog Club of America does not warrant or guarantee any services provided by its members.
Only current PDCA members in good standing, who have completed at least one AKC title for their pug, are listed in the Breeder Directory. The Pug Dog Club of America does not warrant or guarantee any services provided by its members.