Puppy and Pet Deposit Scam
Fake pet listings collect deposits then demand more fees for shipping, insurance, crates. Pet never existed. BBB: 400% increase since 2017.
🚩 Red Flags
- ⚠Price below market for breed
- ⚠Can't meet pet in person
- ⚠Payment before seeing animal
- ⚠Multiple unexpected fees after deposit
🛡️ Protect Yourself
- →MEET IN PERSON before paying anything
- →REVERSE IMAGE SEARCH photos
- →NO WIRE TRANSFERS: Use credit card
- →ADOPT LOCAL from shelters
More Details
- “Adorable puppies, ready for homes”
- “Deposit required to hold your puppy”
- “Shipping crate fee needed”
- “Puppy at airport waiting for you”
Common Questions
Check for: prices 80%+ off, no reviews on BBB/Trustpilot, recently created domain (WHOIS), only accepts wire/crypto.
Fake pet listings with stolen photos. After deposit, endless fees: crate, insurance, customs. The pet doesn't exist.
Use Ticketmaster, StubHub, SeatGeek. For peer sales, insist on in-app transfer. Meet at venue, enter together before paying.
Dispute with credit card company. Report to FTC and FBI IC3. Always use credit cards for fraud protection.
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Fake online stores take payment for products that never arrive. FBI IC3: 69,271 complaints, $199M losses in 2024.
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73% of Americans targeted(Pew, 2025)
|$470M lost to text scams in 2024(FTC)
|$16.6B total losses(FBI IC3, 2024)