Beware! Tis The Season For Puppy Scams

The Better Business Bureau urges consumers to exercise caution this holiday season when purchasing a pet online. BBB Scam TrackerSM reports indicate that consumers who purchase pets without seeing them in person, use hard-to-track payment methods like Zelle and accept extra charges like shipping insurance or special cages are at substantial risk of being scammed. Because purchasing a pet can be such an emotionally charged experience, BBB urges consumers to be on high alert for scams.

So far this year, pet scams in North America appear to be on the decline, even as losses exceed $1 million and are expected to approach $2 million. That total is down by a third since the peak of more than $3 million during the pandemic in 2020-2021, according to BBB Scam Tracker. Pet scams historically make up a quarter of all online shopping frauds reported to BBB and are on track to be about 18 percent this year. As reports decline, however, average monetary losses are climbing, with an average loss of $850 in 2022, up 60 percent since 2017. BBB has tracked this swindle since 2017 when it issued an in-depth study, Puppy Scams: How Fake Online Pet Sellers Steal from Unsuspecting Pet Buyers.

BBB tips for researching puppy sellers:

• See pets in person before paying any money.
• Try to set up a video call to view the animal.
• Conduct a reverse image search on photos attached to ads.
• Research the breed to figure out the average market price.
• Check out a local animal shelter for pets to meet in person before adopting.

Who to contact if you are the victim of a puppy scam:

• Better Business Bureau – BBB Scam Tracker to report fraud online.
• Federal Trade Commission (FTC) – reportfraud.ftc.gov to file a complaint online or call 877-FTC-Help.

Your credit card issuer – report the incident if you shared your credit card number, even if you did not complete the transaction. Monitor your statements and if you suspect fraud, ask for a refund. It is not guaranteed, but many credit card companies will grant one.

Petscams.com – petscams.com/report-pet-scam-websites tracks complaints, catalogues puppy scammers and endeavors to get fraudulent pet sales websites taken down.

ABOUT BBB SERVING CENTRAL INDIANA: The Better Business Bureau has empowered people to find businesses, brands and charities they can trust for over 110 years. In 2021, people turned to BBB more than 200 million times for BBB Business Profiles on 6.3 million businesses and Charity Reports on 25,000 charities, free at BBB.org. Local, independent BBBs can be found across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, including BBB Serving Central Indiana, which was founded in 1916 and serves 46 counties.