A puppy buyer in Ohio is out $1,100 and never saw a dog. The Better Business Bureau’s scam alert this week is a useful map of how that happens, and it lands just as holiday puppy shopping begins.
The buyer found a puppy advertised online, spoke to the person posing as a breeder, and paid by bank transfer. Then came the first delay. Weather, delivery pushed to the morning. Then came the ask: another $1,000 for an air-conditioned crate, refundable when the puppy arrived. The buyer sent that too. No puppy, no refund.
The shape of it barely changes. A polished site or a social media listing, photographs lifted from somewhere else, a seller who answers every question promptly until the money lands. After that come the fees nobody mentioned. Shipping, a different crate, insurance, a vet bill, a nanny for the last leg. Each one arrives with a promise of a refund on delivery.
What this means for your dog: there is no dog, so the work is all in the buying. Ask for a live video call and watch how the seller reacts. Reverse image search the photos. Search the breeder’s name and email next to the word scam. Treat any charge that appears after you have paid as a red flag, especially a refundable one. Pay by credit card, not transfer, gift card or cash app. Check what the breed actually costs, because a purebred at half price is bait.
Sourcing gets murky even when a real dog exists. Los Angeles is suing a rescue over puppy laundering right now.
Or skip the maze. Your local shelter has dogs you can meet in person, and staff who will tell you what they know about each one.