Vast majority of online puppy ads are fraudulent, report shows

By STEPHANIE ZIMMERMANN • Sep 26, 2017, 5:29 PM ET

Most online listings for puppies are fraudulent ads from scammers, according to a report released Tuesday by the Better Business Bureau.

The scam has become so widespread – thousands of consumers have been ripped off, with losses estimated in the millions of dollars – that virtually anyone looking for a puppy online is likely to encounter it.

“All the BBBs across the country have recorded this scam on a regular basis and it is increasing,” said Steve Bernas, president and CEO of the Chicago bureau, adding that officials are bracing for expected scams involving “free” homeless pets displaced by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria.

The report looked at online ads for pets – primarily for puppies but also kittens, parrots and other animals – and identified fake websites, stolen photos and phony shipping services. They concluded that up to 80 percent of online ads for puppies are fake, with most appearing to originate in the West African nation of Cameroon and many sites registered in just the past few months.

Consumers who fall in love with one of these pets online are asked to first send money for a special shipping crate and transport, and provide other fees for insurance, vaccinations, medicine, food and water. They send the money, but no one sends the puppy.

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