Beware of “quarantine puppy” scam, warns BBB

Thousands lost as puppy scams increase during COVID-19 pandemic

(KYMA, KECY)-The Better Business Bureau (BBB) warns of a recent spike in quarantine puppy scams. You heard that right!

With the pandemic, scammers keep finding ways to target people looking to add a new member to their family.

This gives scammers more opportunities to ask for money upfront. Scammers also make excuses as to why buyers can’t see the pet in person before heartbroken, would-be pet owners figure out they have been conned, says BBB.

BBB warns consumers as an increase in puppy scams have nearly doubled during the past few months. Victims claim to have lost hundreds to thousands of dollars in deposits, specialty crates, COVID-19 sanitation, insurance, shipping and other fees.

Since January 2020, BBB has received a total of 61 puppy scams reported on BBB Scam Tracker, and a loss of over $30k just in the Pacific Southwest region.

BBB recommends the following tips to avoid getting caught in this tear-jerking scam:

• Visit the pet in person. Proper precautions can allow visitation with a possible pet, such as maintaining social distancing and wearing facial masks. Consumers can also ask to see a puppy over a live video chat. Use reverse image search to locate if the picture of the puppy appears on different sites.
• Avoid payment methods that can not trace the seller. Methods that offer no recourse and no way to get money back for victims of fraud include wire service, gift cards, or apps such as PayPal or Zelle. Credit cards may be accepted but fraudsters will steal the information to use it in other scams. 
• Research breed prices. Purebred dogs advertised at discounted prices may be fraudulent. Look out for additional fees for services such as vaccination, shipping, special crating or Covid-19 related charges, which could be a sign of a scam. 
• Reach out to local animal shelters. Adopting from verified shelters alleviates potential scam threats. Shelters are looking for families to adopt or foster, which helps reduce overcrowding at facilities. Humane Society of the United States refers consumers to local shelters.
• Report scams to BBB Scam Tracker and the Federal Trade Commission.  Consumers also can report to petscams.com, which catalogs puppy scammers, tracks complaints, and endeavors to take down fraudulent pet sales websites.