As more consumers turn to the internet to find new pets, more scams are popping up online.
Experts say a shocking 80 per cent of sponsored advertisements about puppies may be fake, and complaints about pet sales in North America are now in the tens of thousands.
The BBB International Investigations Initiative conducted an extensive study of online puppy scams. The study looks at the scope of this problem, who is behind it, and the need for law enforcement consumer education to address the issue. You can read the full study here.
This scam appears to be centred in West Africa. The study finds a large number of victims are instructed to send money via Western Union to Cameroon. Many of the bogus websites are set up there as well.
“Pet scams are nothing new to BBB,” says Evan Kelly, Senior Communications Advisor for BBB serving Mainland BC. “However to find out such a high percentage of online ads may be fake means scammers have a lot of ammunition to work with. Consumers need to be more aware than ever.”
BBB Offers tips for avoiding puppy scams:
* Don’t buy a pet without seeing it in person. Do an internet search of the picture of the pet you are considering. If the same picture appears on multiple websites, you may be dealing with a fraud. You also can search for text from ads or testimonials to see if the seller copied it from another site.
* Never pay a stranger with a money order or through Western Union or Moneygram
* Always use a credit card in case you need to dispute the charges.
* Research prices for the breed you are interested in adopting. If someone is advertising a purebred dog for free or at a deeply discounted price, you could be dealing with a fraudulent offer.
* Refer to the BCSPCA or Humane Society for tips for finding a reputable breeder.
* Learn about fraud in your area at BBB Scam Tracker.
What if you have been a victim of a puppy scam?
* File a report with BBB’s Scam Tracker
* Complain at Petscams.com
* Canadian Antifraud Centre: Toll-Free 1-888-495-8501
* If you sent money through Western Union, MoneyGram or a Green Dot MoneyPak, contact those companies directly for information about the transactions.
Green Dot 800-795-7597
Western Union 1-800-448-1492
MoneyGram 1-800-926-9400