Better Business Bureau Photo

By CHAT News Today

Don't be fooled

Beware of puppy scam, says Better Business Bureau

May 12, 2020 | 2:10 PM

The Better Business Bureau is issuing a scam warning to those looking to add a fur baby to their family right now.

The group says there have been more than 500 victims and potential victims of puppy scam reported to BBB Scam Tracker.

“Scammers frequently take advantage of the news to find new avenues for targeting victims,” said Shawna-Kay Thomas, communications specialist at the BBB Serving Southern Alberta and East Kootenay. “The uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, along with some quarantined families’ decision to adopt a pet sight unseen has created fertile ground for fraudsters.”

Many have come across scammers who advertise on websites for animals don’t exist and are never shipped. The COVID-19 pandemic has given scammers reasons to ask for money or explain why they can’t see the pet in person before heartbroken, would-be pet owners figure out they have been conned.

Puppy scams like these were the subject of a 2017 in-depth investigative study by Better Business Bureau (BBB), and they are prolific during the holidays. New data from BBB Scam Tracker shows that these scams have spiked since the COVID-19 pandemic, with more reports about fraudulent pet websites in April than in the first three months of the year combined.

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BBB’s earlier study found that for these types of frauds to be successful it’s usually dependent on bogus, often sophisticated advertisements to hook unsuspecting consumers. Experts believed, at that time, that at least 80 per cent of the sponsored advertising links that appear in an Internet search for pets may be fraudulent.

Victims were often told that they needed to send money for special climate-controlled crates, insurance and a (non-existent) COVID-19 vaccine. There also were several instances where the consumer wanted to see or pick-up the animal but was told that wasn’t possible due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Tips for avoiding puppy scams:

• Don’t buy a pet without seeing it in person. If that isn’t possible, conduct an internet search of the picture of the pet you are considering. If the same picture appears on multiple websites, it’s likely is a fraud. You also can search for text from ads or testimonials, to see if the seller copied it from another website.
• Don’t send money by Western Union, MoneyGram, and a cash app like Zelle or a gift card. These payment methods offer no recourse and no way to get your money back if you are the victim of a fraud. Fraudsters may claim to accept credit cards, but may steal your credit card information to use it in other scams or inform you that payment didn’t go through and request the payment via wire service or gift cards.
• Research prices for the breed you are interested in adopting. If a purebred dog is advertised for free or at a deeply discounted price, and then other payment is required for services like vaccination or shipping, it could be a fraudulent offer.
• Consider reaching out to a local animal shelter. Especially during this time of quarantine, many shelters are looking for fosters to help relieve the animal’s stress and reduce overcrowding at their facilities. Contact your local shelters for referrals.
• If you think you have been scammed, report it to BBB Scam Tracker and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. You also can report it to petscams.com, which catalogues puppy scammers, tracks complaints and endeavors to get fraudulent pet sales websites taken down.