Puppy scams & bad sellers

· A beautiful puppy at a price slightly below market, advertised on social media, a classified site, or a slick standalone website
· The seller will only communicate by text, WhatsApp or email — never a live video call
· Payment requested by wire, gift card, Zelle, Venmo, Cash App or crypto, all of which are irreversible
· After you pay, unexpected fees appear: a special crate, insurance, a vaccination, customs. Each one is 'the last one'.
· The puppy does not exist, and the photos are stolen from somewhere else

· Reverse image search the photos. Stolen images are the single fastest tell, and it takes thirty seconds.
· Insist on a live video call where they hold the puppy and, when you ask, show the mother in the same frame. A scammer cannot do this.
· Search the exact text of the advert in quotes. Scam listings are copy-pasted across dozens of sites.
· Ask for the veterinary practice name and call it yourself.
· Check the kennel name against the relevant breed club and against OFA health testing records at ofa.org, which is free.

Never wire money, never send gift cards, never use a peer-to-peer app for a stranger. A legitimate breeder will accept a traceable payment method, and a deposit should be documented in a contract.

A different problem from fraud. With a backyard breeder the dog is real, but bred without health testing, temperament consideration or adequate rearing. The signs: several breeds available at once, puppies always in stock, no health testing offered or verifiable, no questions asked about you, willing to release before eight weeks, and meeting in a car park rather than at the home where the puppies were raised. Backyard breeders are not always dishonest — many believe they are doing something kind — but the outcome for the puppy is the same.

· Health tests the parents for breed-specific conditions and shows you the results, which you can verify yourself on ofa.org
· Asks you as many questions as you ask them, and seems prepared to say no
· Has you meet the mother, at the place the puppies were raised
· Does not release before eight weeks
· Provides a contract, and takes the dog back at any point in its life if you cannot keep it
· Is contactable in two years' time when you have a question

· Report to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov and to the FBI's IC3 at ic3.gov
· Report to your state Attorney General — around half of US states have puppy lemon laws
· Contact your bank immediately; wire recalls are occasionally possible within hours
· Report the listing to the platform, which sometimes stops the next person

If the process feels frictionless, that is the warning. A good breeder is slightly inconvenient — a waiting list, questions, a visit, a contract. Rescue is the same: an application and a home check are signs of a good organization, not obstacles.

· Federal Trade Commission (reportfraud.ftc.gov) and the FBI IC3 (ic3.gov)
· Better Business Bureau pet scam tracker
· Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (ofa.org) — verify health testing yourself, free
· Your state Attorney General — puppy lemon laws exist in around half of US states
· AKC breed club directories — parent clubs maintain breeder referral and codes of ethics

Every check on this page is free and takes five minutes. The reverse image search alone stops most of it.