National Puppy Day is on March 23, and consumers can expect a nearly constant stream of cute puppy pictures across most social media platforms celebrating everyone’s furry best friends. After seeing these pictures, some consumers may decide that the time is right for a (or another) dog of their own and will begin the process of searching for and purchasing a canine companion. However, exercising caution when shopping online for the perfect pet is important.
Pet scams continue to take a heavy toll on consumers across the nation. According to BBB’s 2021 Scam Tracker Risk Report, pets were the most common type of purchase used to perpetrate online purchase scams, and current data shows little indication 2022 will be much different.
Even though puppies are the most common type of animal used in a pet scam, BBB also receives reports of fraudulent sellers advertising the sale of kittens, reptiles and birds that are never received. In most cases, consumers do not recognize they are interacting with a scammer until they start arranging for the transportation of the animal after purchase.
In February, one consumer submitted a report to BBB Scam Tracker that they lost $1,000 when attempting to buy a miniature Schnauzer online. After paying an initial $400 to the seller, they referred the buyer to a…
