Better Business Bureau warns holiday shoppers that buying puppies online remains risky

RENO — The demand for “quarantine puppies” and other pets increased dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing with it a spike in scams that has persisted even as virus-related lockdowns have abated. Online pet scams, in which an online search ends with a would-be pet owner paying hundreds of dollars or more to adopt a pet that ultimately doesn’t exist, are especially pervasive during the holiday season.

“Families are looking to add furry family members this time of year, since they have more time off, and so more time to devote to raising a kitten or puppy,” said Jane Rupp, President of Better Business Bureau. BBB advises extreme caution if shopping for a pet online.

In addition to a shortage of puppies available due to high demand, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suspended imports of dogs to the U.S. from 100 countries deemed at high risk of rabies. The U.S. imports 1 million dogs each year.

People currently shopping for pets online are very likely to encounter a scam listing in an online ad or on a website. Knowing the red flags associated with this scam can help consumers avoid heartache and losing their money.

Online shopping scam reports to BBB Scam Tracker skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pet scams make up 35% of those reports in 2021. While reports related to pet scams are down slightly from 2020, they are expected to be double this year to those in 2019, and more than four times as many as 2017, when BBB published its first investigative study about online puppy scams.

Scammers frequently capitalize on high demand during the holidays by posting pictures of pets in Santa hats and other holiday gear. When a would-be pet parent pursues the listing, the scammer refuses to let the consumer meet the pet before buying, often claiming it to be due to COVID-19 considerations.

The scammer claims that they must use a pet delivery agent of some kind, often an airline or shipping company. BBB Scam Tracker has received many reports of fake web pages impersonating real businesses for this purpose. The scammer may also demand fees for vaccinations or other last-minute “needs.”

“No matter what the scammer asks for, the owner ultimately finds that the pet does not exist,” said Rupp.

“Unfortunately, that means the consumer has not only lost money — but also the emotional investment they put into hoping and planning for this new pet.”

The largest group of victims by age are those 25-35, followed by those 35-44. The average financial loss reported to Scam Tracker was $1,088. While 82% of pet scam reports involved dogs, other reports included cats, birds and iguanas.

The tactics used in pet scams continue to evolve. Scammers increasingly ask for payment through untraceable cash apps such as Zelle, Google Pay, Cash App, Venmo, and Apple Pay. A review of Scam Tracker data finds that the vast majority of reports listed Zelle as the payment method involving the purchase of online pets.

Lee McDowell-Orozco of Washoe County lost $3,950 trying to buy a puppy in August. When the puppy was scheduled to ship, the scammers sent an email that a special crate was needed to protect the dog in the cargo hold. That was $1,950. Then, the scammers needed an upgrade to a second class crate for $2,000, and finally a first class crate for an additional two thousand.

“That was when I realized I had been scammed,” said the report.

Pet scams are a worldwide problem, with the United Kingdom and Australia reporting large increases in pet scam complaints in 2020 and 2021. Many pet scams originate in Cameroon, according to data from Petscams.com, which tracks and catalogs puppy scams.

Law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad have worked to apprehend pet scammers. In December 2020, the U.S. Department of Justice announced criminal charges against a Cameroonian national living in Romania; among other tactics, the suspect had claimed the pets he was selling had COVID-19 and required would-be buyers to purchase a “vaccine guarantee document.”

BBB recommendations for buying pets online:

See the pet in person before paying any money. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, consider a video call with the seller so you can see both the seller and the actual pet for sale. Since scammers are not likely to comply with the request, this may help avoid a scam.

Reverse image search the pet photo and look for any distinctive phrase in the description on a search engine.Scammers often pass around photos of dogs or steal them from legitimate breeders or pet owners. If you find the same photo in multiple places, it’s a scam.

Research the breed you’re considering and get a sense of a fair price. Think twice if someone advertises a purebred dog for free or at a deeply discounted price. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Find a local animal shelter to look for pets online that you can meet before adopting.

Support legitimate and responsible breeders by researching questions to ask your breeder from websites like AKC.org or BBB Accredited Business Chewy.com.

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

Petscams.com tracks complaints, catalogs puppy scammers and endeavors to get fraudulent pet websites taken down.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) allows consumers to file complaints online, or call 877-FTC-Help.

BBB Scam Tracker tracks scams by location and reports patterns to law enforcement and the media.
Your credit card company can help you freeze your information if you shared the number, even if the transaction was not completed.