In-Person and Internet Puppy Scams
Scroll down this long page to view information on the Top 6 scams, to find the scammer list, or report a scammer!
Federal Trade Commission Video on Money & Puppy Scams
https://consumer.ftc.gov/media/79960^Or click open this link^
TOP # 1 Pet Scam in the World!
Counterfeit Teacup Puppy Sellers:
There are a massive amount of counterfeit teacup and toy dog sellers that will tell you what you want to hear just to get your money, then 4 months later your dog is 3 or 4 times the size you wanted and may not be the breed you thought you were buying. Many people have a collection of dogs trying to get a real teacup.
Breeders that are into breeding large quantity of puppies and do not have the time it takes to raise teacups will try to talk you out of wanting a teacup by telling you they are unhealthy so that you will buy the Toy Size that they offer.
In a veterinarian, dog groomer and trainers opinion a TOY DOG can get up to 20 or 25 pounds.
​
Asking to see the parents will not help because they show the same parents to everyone that walks through the door. AKC registration will not help you because The American Kennel Club (AKC) has Yorkies, Maltese, Chihuahuas, etc registered through them that weigh as much as 30 pounds. Call and ask them, they will tell you over the phone they don't limit dog registration by weight. Puppy mills love to register their dogs through AKC to make you believe you are buying from a reputable source.
​
TIP 1. If size is important to you "Ask For A Written Size Guarantee"
Breeders that have true teacups know their value and don't sell them cheap. They are proud of them and are willing to stand behind them with a written size guarantee for the puppy's adult weight. Counterfeit teacup puppy dog sellers use words like CHARTING. They will say " This puppy is CHARTING to be to be X amount of pounds or they offer excuses for why they don't offer one. Some people will call the breeder back to complain when their dog doubles in size. Many times the breeders response is "My opinion of a teacup is 10 to 15 pounds" or "Just because it was a teacup as a puppy does not mean it will stay a teacup" These are the answers they give if you can reach them at all. They use pay as you go phones to sell several litters or block your phone number at your first complaint.
TIP 2. Purchase an older puppy that is closer to adult age so that you have a better idea of what size it will be full grown. Young puppies grown at a faster rate and have growing spurts up to 6 months of age.
Never open or click on websites with these words next to them: SPONSORED, AD or unsecure in address bar. Scammers pay for ads to be on the first page.
Most secure site will have a lock in the top left hand corner right before the website address. However, some can be deceiving a unsecured page will have a URL that starts with HTTP instead of HTTPS, which indicates that it does not have Transport Layer Security (TLS) or a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protecting its requests. Unsecured pages are vulnerable to having their data stolen/recorded by cyberattackers.
Click open one of these link buttons to check and see if a website is secure.
Click open this logo button to watch a video that explains how to recognize
a unsecure sites when shopping online.
TOP # 2 Puppy Scam in the United States!
Western Union & Money Gram Scammers: Scammers that take pictures off of Pinterest and other breeder's web site and have you send the money Western Union, Money Gram, Pay Pal, Zelle, or Cash app for a dog you will never see!
TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM THE MONEY SCAMMER: Call Their Bluff! If you feel that you maybe dealing with a scammer tell them that you are going to jump on a plane and fly to them and pick your puppy up in person and you are NOT going to pay them one penny until you get there. Let them know that all you need is their full name and address. You can also ask for the name and phone number of their vet so that you can verify that they really own a dog or breed them. If they do provide an address google it to make sure it's not a empty field or warehouse.
You will be surprised at how fast they will stop communicating with you because there is no puppy and nowhere to go!
TOP # 3 Puppy Scam in the United States!
Tricky health guarantees that offer long term coverage against genetic and hereditary diseases will not protect you against the number #1 reason puppy's die within the first 10 days after purchase. The most common reason new puppies die is contagious diseases such as Parvo and Distemper or parasites like worm infestation, Coccidia or Giardia. That is why it it important for you to read your purchase agreement and be willing to accept the request made by the breeder on the health guarantee.
TIP: Take your puppy to the vet ASAP and take a fresh fecal sample with you. You don't want to wait until your health guarantee has ended to find out that your puppy has a health problem that could have been detected by a licensed veterinarian right away like a cold that turned into pneumonia, heart murmur, or birth defect.
TOP # 4 Puppy Scam in the United States!
Craigslist Buyer's you maybe also meeting someone that is the front for a puppy mill that will give you an alias name and has a pay as you go phone number. Leaving you with no one to contact if your puppy dies a few days later.
​
TIP # 3: Take a picture of their license and them also let them know up front I will need to see your drivers to make sure it is the same name on my health guarantee. You can also Google phone numbers to see if it is a pay as you go phone and do a search for their address on Google Earth or Google Maps.
TOP # 5 Puppy Scam in the United States
Beware of people that suggest a meeting place other than their home or place of business. You are at risk being robbed or murdered by meeting someone that insist you bring cash. Many times couples work together and a friendly lady lures you to the place they plan to you rob you at.
​
TIP: PROTECT YOURSELF FROM BEING ROBBED: If you can't go their home or business, you need to insist on meeting at a police/fire station. Take someone with you who has a concealed weapon permit. Beware of anyone not willing you meet you at a safe and secure place. Google the address to make sure it is not an empty field or warehouse.
TOP # 6 Puppy Scam in the United States
Scammers use false and photoshopped photos to lure unsuspecting people in. These fake/photoshopped pictures have solid black eyes that were inserted to match the shrunken image. Do a Google search on the image and you will see it is posted at several other website sites or Pinterest. See the examples below.​​
