One of my friend’s Golden Retrievers passed away a couple of months ago, at the age of 13. After mourning the loss of his friend for a couple of months, he wanted to get another puppy. So like most other people, he went online to find a seller. After agreeing on the cost, the puppy that he paid for arrived on his doorstep.
For many of us, buying online is nothing new. But be warned, there is a puppy selling scam going around.
Just like my friend, Mr Jenkins recently lost his dog of 15 years and wanted a new puppy. And just like my friend, he went online and selected one he liked.
After messaging back and forth with the seller, he paid $1000 through a mobile payment app and the seller informed him that the dog should arrive sometime during mid August. However, the dog never arrived.
At first, he thought that maybe that the delivery was delayed to covid, or maybe the package got sent to the wrong address. But after waiting for a few more weeks, he started to realise that this might’ve been a scam. But who scams others using puppies?
As it turns out, a lot of people. A lot of people think now is the perfect time to adopt a pet. And as most people are staying at home to avoid catching the virus, the majority of sales are now processed online. And scammers have jumped at this opportunity.
The number of online pet scams in the United States and Canada have jumped up to 2100, from 700 during the same time a year ago.
How to Protect Yourself From The Scam
The most common breeds that scammers use are French Bulldogs and Cavoodles. If you think that the seller is reputable just because they have a good looking website, think again. While some spam Craigslist or Gumtree with fake postings, others have elaborate websites loaded with fake testimonials.
The sellers would also seem genuine as well. They would ask questions such as where the local vets are and if the buyer had raised a puppy before. These questions are used to determine if the buyer would be a good fit for the puppy. Just because they seem concerned, doesn’t mean they actually are.
To avoid being scammed, buyers should schedule a video call with the owner and the puppy they are ordering to ensure that everything seems legit.
If possible, pay using an online payments system that also has fraud prevention such as Paypal instead of bank transfer or Western Union. Either way, you’ll probably not going to see your money back. But at least Paypal has a good reputation of preventing scammers from using their service.
But since most scammers are often located outside of the country, it is extremely unlikely that you will get your money back.
