Avoiding Pet Scams:
A Guide to Buying a Puppy Online Safely
Puppy Scams - The Reality Of Online Fraud
We have all seen pictures of extra cute, flashy puppies and fallen in love. You ask the price and, surprisingly, it’s within budget. The dog is usually farther away than you were originally looking for, but for such a nice puppy at such a great price, it feels like a solution can be found. This is the premise of the scam.
I’ve done it too. I saw a picture of a dog and heard my heart tell me that he was "the one." I paid a very low amount to a guy from Craigslist with an accidental litter. That dog turned out to be the most magical blessing I have ever known. He is amazing in every way, but he is also a mutt. I say that with nothing but love. Not every dog needs to be a high end papered purebred, some of the best dogs are unknown combinations of breeds. They just don't command the high prices that registered dogs do and a lower price is reasonable. Because scammers can steal more using high priced breeds, mixed breed dogs aren't used in this type of scam as often. In my case, it was a local deal done in person and I was incredibly lucky.I believe that your heart will tell you when you have found the right puppy, but you still need to be careful that it is a real puppy and not an ILLUSION specifically tailored to speak to your heart. Beyond the financial loss, the emotional toll, the heartache, the sorrow is what makes these frauds so devastating. Affordable dogs absolutely exist, but you are just NOT going to find a high end, purebred dog for $800. If you see that type of price, it is either a puppy mill trying to offload a sick animal or it is a total scam. In either situation, you need to walk away. You are dealing with a liar and there is only heartache ahead. As hard as it feels in that moment, remember that there is a real puppy in your future, one that you can actually hold in your arms and cherish for a lifetime.
These scams usually involve a high deposit for the puppy by saying there are a lot of people interested to create a sense of urgency. It is human nature to let your heart take over when you are under pressure. As soon as you give them even a modest deposit, it becomes much easier for them to convince you to invest more because you don't want to walk away and lose what you’ve already paid. Once they have you on the hook, they find ways to increase the cost. They might claim someone else offered more or they might ask for exorbitant delivery fees.
Eventually, the realization hits that this is a lie and the buyer refuses to pay anything past the money they have already lost. Sometimes this happens at the first deposit and sometimes it happens much later. People often feel like they are "safer" because they haven't paid the full amount yet, but you must keep in mind that the scammer's goal is not to get the full asking price of a dog that does not exist. Their goal is simply to get as much as you are willing to give. Once the well runs dry, they block you and move on. These scams are common because they work. Manipulating someone’s desire to love a new puppy is a highly effective tactic.