Hopeful puppy buyers have been scammed hundreds of thousands of dollars this year alone, with puppy scammers especially targeting those looking for a canine companion to keep them company during COVID-19 restrictions. Scamwatch has received over 2000 reports and over $700,000 in reported losses in the first half of 2020.

Puppy scammers often set up fake websites or ads on social media or sites like Gumtree and Craigslist, using stolen photos of adorable puppies to lure in unsuspecting prospective puppy owners, taking advantage of the fact that COVID-19 restrictions often mean you can’t visit the breeder in person.

Typically, they will request payment for the puppy via Paypal, and often request additional fees for transport or crate hire. When the puppy fails to materialize, they will disappear or block the puppy buyer, who is left out of pocket with no recourse.

The most common breeds involved in the scams are ‘oodles’ and popular breeds like French Bulldogs, and the scammers pray on the puppy buyers lack of knowledge in identifying a reputable breeder.

Here are our top tips to avoid a puppy scammer:

1. Search on Reputable Sites

Puppy scammers prey on well-meaning but uninformed puppy buyers. You should only use reputable sites that pre-screen breeders like DogzOnline in Australia, and the AKC Puppy Finder in the United States.

Avoid classified sites like Craigslist and Gumtree, and social media ads like those found on Facebook – reputable breeders never use these sites to advertise puppies.

2. Confirm the Breeders Registration

Reputable breeders will be registered with their relevant breed association and they will be able to provide you with their membership number and registered prefix – the name under which their breeding program is run. You can call the relevant breed association, such as the AKC or ANKC to check the breeder is registered.

3. Ask for Videos or Updated Photos

It’s not ideal to purchase a puppy without visiting the breeder in person, but it is not always possible in the current times. If the breeder is tech-savvy enough to sell their puppies online, they will be able to provide you with updated videos and photos of the puppies or even video chat. Most scammers find photos of puppies online to use in their advertisements, and won’t be able to provide current photos or video call to show you the puppies.

4. Check Scam Listing Sites

Websites like Scamnet provide a list of sites that have been confirmed as puppy scammers. This is by no means a definitive list, however it provides an example of the kinds of sites puppy scammers use to try and sell fake puppies.