Burnsville, Minnesota – April 15, 2014 – Better
Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota (BBB) is warning consumers
nationwide about a significant uptick in fraudulent pet breeder/seller websites
falsely claiming addresses in the Twin Cities area. Three recent cases where
consumers thought they were dealing with legitimate kennels led to individuals
being swindled out of hundreds of dollars and left without the pet they thought
they were adopting. BBB reminds the public that it’s very easy to create
authentic-looking websites and scammers are good at telling people what they
want to hear.
“Preparing to buy a pet for yourself or your family can
be a very exciting time,” said Dana Badgerow, president and CEO of BBB of
Minnesota and North Dakota. “It can also be expensive, so scammers know they
can get people’s attention by claiming to offer pets for free or at a large
discount. Unfortunately, these ‘offers’ are just hooks to try to reel in more
victims.”
BBB has uncovered three bogus entities involved in the
recent cases of fraud: Fenando Pomeranians, Happy Husky and Maliz French
Bulldogs – also doing business as Manuh French Bulldogs. All three entities
have authentic-looking websites and claim to be located in the Twin Cities.
However, though they have local phone numbers, BBB has determined none of them
are legitimate and any pets featured on their websites are likely cribbed from
the websites of real kennels.
Pet scams begin when fraudsters – posing as a legitimate
kennel or breeder – create a fake website or place an ad offering free or
inexpensive puppies. They usually communicate solely through email. Consumers
are often taken in by the sincerity of the scammers. The con artists may say
that they don’t care about money and just want to find a good home for their
beloved puppies. Generally, as the scheme unfolds, scammers collect payment
from hopeful consumers via wire transfer. In cases where puppies are advertised
as free, scammers will usually ask for fees to cover last-minute transport or
airport fees. Sadly, people who fall into any of these schemes wind up without
a pet and out any money they paid or wired away.
“These scammers are greedy,” added Badgerow. “After collecting
payment they will often ask for more funds, citing unexpected factors or costs.
They are remorseless and devious.”
BBB offers this advice when considering the purchase of a
pet:
· Don’t
be fooled by a slick website. Scammers can easily create professional-looking
websites which lure you in with copied pictures of adorable puppies from
legitimate sites.
· Visit
the breeder. It is essential to visit the breeder at their home to see the
entire litter, the care and conditions provided to the puppies prior to making
your purchase.
· Watch
out for breeders who seem overly concerned with getting paid. Any reputable breeder
will be far more concerned with the appropriateness of the potential pet home
than how soon they will get paid. Make sure you have clear expectations —
ideally in writing — of how and when payment will be made.
· Be
especially wary of any breeder who demands that you wire money or insists you
can only pay with a prepaid credit card.
Beware of ads with multiple misspellings and grammatical
errors; many pet scams originate from overseas, particularly Africa, so
scammers usually do not have a good grasp of the English language.
If purchasing a pedigreed pet, be sure the breeder
provides documentation of the parents’ registration with the American Kennel
Club. This ensures that the pet is in fact a legitimate purebred animal. It is
then your responsibility to register your pet with the American Kennel Club.
Bring all pets to see a veterinarian immediately for an
independent examination, and any necessary shots, to establish a baseline for
later health care.
· Report
a scam. Anyone who has experienced a dog-related scam should report it to their
local authorities, as well as your BBB.
