Beware of the “Pandemic Puppy” Scam
Living through this time is tough that is why it is easier with a loved one or a pet. Unfortunately, some scammers are trying to ruin all of the new puppy fun by scamming people out of lots of money and getting no puppy in return.
When I adopted my dog last year I went to the shelter, because I didn't have a specific breed I wanted. There are some however, who are looking for specific breeds because of behavior or allergies so that is where an online breeder comes into the fold. An online breeder will have puppies of a specific breed and often because of that the puppies will cost a lot of money.
That is where the scam starts as people have said some online breeders are really scammers taking money and not giving you a puppy in return. According to the Wall Street Journal, the puppy scam is becoming the biggest scam this year with over 1,000 reports of puppy scams told to authorities.
The puppy scams have gotten worse during the lock downs and pandemic because shelters have reduced hours and people are traveling less. The scammers are looking for people who don't want to travel to get their pet and often threaten the buyer with more fees because of it. After all of the fees have been paid, some scammers will then add more fees like for you to pay for the pet to get to your house. However, if you don't pay for the travel costs of the pet then scammers often threaten you and the pet with violence. This is where this scam takes its last and darkest turn, which has led buyers to call the police or the Better Business Bureau. This scam has already affected thousands of people and millions of dollars, see more below.
There haven't been a huge wave of puppy scams in Michigan but there have been in Wisconsin so it could make it's way over here. You can see more about it here.