Beware of Puppy Scams This Holiday Season – BBB

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has warned people to be cautious of online puppy scams, especially during the holiday season. As fake pet and puppy scams continue to increase, BBB says complaints continue to pour into the organization’s Scam Tracker. These complaints see a surge during the holiday season. 

The BBB did a study and found out that over half of the reports show that consumers allegedly never received the pets they purchased especially regarding dog sales. The nonprofit organization encourages shoppers to educate themselves about the scams and be on a lookout for any signs of puppy scams online.

Few things pull at a person’s heartstrings like an adorable puppy or cuddly kitten. Buyer beware when the offer just seems to be too good to be true online. https://t.co/COgqeotlux pic.twitter.com/kr8z22DxRQ

— BBB (@bbb_us) December 13, 2019

The scam works by showing a cute puppy usually as a pop-up on a website. Once you show an interest in the pet, the scammers ask you to wire money through online payment services. The scammer then promises your puppy will be shipped right away but that never happens. 

According to BBB, there are ways to protect yourself from the scam. If possible, you should inspect the pet yourself by arranging to meet with the seller. Always use a credit card in case if you do need to dispute the charges. Do an internet search for the picture of the pet under consideration and if the same picture appears on multiple websites, know that you are dealing with a fraud. Don’t fall for purchases at a discounted price.