Better Business Bureau warns of sharp rise in online puppy sale scams

The Better Business Bureau is warning dog lovers in search of a pandemic buddy about a sharp rise in online puppy sale scams this year.

The demand for pets has dramatically increased in recent months as people stay home to help curb the spread of COVID-19, according to the BBB. A spike in scams has coincided with this demand, as swindlers capitalize on the situation.

Through Sept. 30, nearly 4,000 pet scams were reported in the U.S. and Canada, more than twice the amount of reports in all of 2019, according to data from the BBB. In November alone, 337 complaints were reported to the BBB, a dramatic increase from 77 reported the same month last year.

“COVID-19 has made for a long and uncertain year, and a ‘quarantine puppy’ or other pet has proven to be a comfort for many people, but it also has created fertile ground for fraudsters,” Steve Bernas, president, and CEO, of BBB of Chicago and Northern Illinois, said in the statement. “People currently shopping for pets online are prime targets for fraudsters trolling the internet looking for want-to-be pet owners.”

Puppies are the most common bait in a pet scam, according to the BBB, but 12% of pet scam reports were about kittens or cats. Fake listings for Yorkshire terriers or French bulldogs are especially common.

According to the BBB, scammers are taking advantage of the COVID-19 crisis by telling shoppers that they cannot meet the animals before sending money, and are using mobile payment apps like Zelle and CashApp to collect funds.

In addition, scammers have made COVID-19 related money requests for items such as climate-controlled crates, insurance and a COVID-19 vaccine that doesn’t exist, the BBB said.

Shoppers were advised to use video conferencing to see the seller and the pet before making a purchase, the BBB said. Fraudsters will most likely not agree to a video call.