Puppy Scams: How to Spot a Fake Seller Before You Pay

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If a seller keeps coming up with new fees before the puppy can arrive, treat it as a scam and act today.

1. Stop paying. No new fee will make the puppy appear, whether it's for a crate, insurance, vaccines or customs. BBB says pet scams depend on getting buyers to pay again and again.
2. Contact whoever moved your money, immediately: your bank for Zelle, a bank transfer or a debit card; the app for Venmo, Cash App or PayPal; or the card issuer, gift card company, wire service or crypto exchange. Say it was a scam and ask them to reverse the payment (FTC). For a credit card, contact the issuer now, then follow up in writing: the FTC says a billing-error letter must reach the issuer within 60 days after the first bill showing the charge was sent to you.
3. Save the evidence. Screenshot the ad, website address, messages, names used and receipts. Scam sites vanish and return under new names (BBB).
4. Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, the FBI's ic3.gov and BBB Scam Tracker, and to the site where you saw the ad. File a police report if your bank asks for one.
5. Ignore paid "recovery" offers. The FTC says never to pay upfront for a refund. IC3 says it doesn't work with law firms or crypto services to get money back.

How a Puppy Scam Usually Unfolds

BBB says the tactics have barely changed since its first pet-scam study in 2017:

1. The ad. More than half of pet scams reported to BBB Scam Tracker began on a website found through search or social media. Petscams.com, a group that tracks fake pet sites, found more than 1,000 fake sellers in 2024, nearly a third of them using some form of search-engine advertising, which helps them appear at the top of results (BBB).
2. Looking legitimate. Sites copy real breeders, social pages post fake reviews from several profiles, and some scammers "screen" you to seem careful (BBB).
3. The deposit. You get lots of photos but no visit or video call. The puppy will be "shipped" once you pay, often by Zelle or Venmo (BBB).
4. The fee ladder and the pressure. Next come charges for shots, a temperature-controlled crate or airline fees. If you hesitate, you're told the puppy is sick or will suffer, and that it's your fault (BBB).

BBB's 2025 update includes real cases:

• A Massachusetts buyer lost $3,400 on a boxer.
• A British Columbia buyer paid $250 plus $300 for a crate, then was asked for $900 more for a "sick" puppy and told its death would be his fault.

Puppy Scam Red Flags at a Glance

One red flag isn't proof, but a seller who won't show the puppy live and wants an unprotected payment is reason enough to walk away.

How Common Are Puppy Scams? What the Data Shows

BBB's most recent pet-scam update (November 2025, covering reports through September 2025) counts these reports to BBB Scam Tracker:

Reports fell 21% in 2024, and 2025 looked on track for another small drop. BBB calls this the first sign that the problem may be shrinking. Since 2022, December and January have been the peak months for reports.

Reports undercount the problem: an analysis of FTC fraud surveys from 2005 to 2017, which the FTC cited to Congress in March 2026, found only 4.8% of mass-market fraud victims complained to a BBB or a government agency. In BBB's 2025 Risk Report, pets were the second most-mentioned product in online purchase and counterfeit-product scam reports (3,145 mentions). The FTC adds that people reported losing $2.1 billion to scams that started on social media in 2025, and more than 40% of those who lost money to a social media scam had ordered from a social media ad, puppies included.

BBB names French bulldogs, dachshunds and German shepherds as the breeds scammers use most, with chihuahuas, Pomeranians and goldendoodles also common. Check real prices on our cost pages for French Bulldogs, Goldendoodles, Cavapoos and Pomeranians.

BBB says little money is recovered because so many operations appear to be overseas: Petscams.com traced 31% of about 3,500 scam sites to Cameroon and 30% to South Africa. Prosecutions are rare. In July 2025 a Maryland man got 30 months in federal prison for a wire-fraud scheme that sold nonexistent pets (dogs and horses) and farm goods, receiving more than $930,000 from at least 10 victims (U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Maryland).

Note: BBB's earlier studies published different counts (nearly 4,000 pet-scam reports in 2020, for example) and BBB doesn't explain the gap, so compare years only within this table.

Verify Any Seller in 15 Minutes

1. Search the photos and the words. Reverse-image search the photos (FTC) with a tool such as Google Lens or TinEye. Then search a distinctive sentence from the ad in quotes, because scammers copy text too (AKC).
2. Search the seller. Search the seller's name and website with "scam," "review" or "complaint" (FTC), and check BBB Scam Tracker.
3. Run a live video on your terms. Ask to see the puppy with its mother and have the seller say your name. Video alone isn't proof: BBB reports a scammer who tried an AI-generated call, given away by out-of-sync audio and a hand with too many fingers. An in-person visit is still best.
4. Check claims at the source. Confirm any registration with the registry itself (AKC). Look up the parents' health tests on ofa.org, where OFA says every certification can be verified. Our guide to finding a responsible breeder walks through it.
5. Contact the vet yourself. If the seller names a clinic, find its contact details on your own and ask whether they can confirm the seller is a client (some clinics won't share details), as the FTC advises for pet-related calls.

Pet Shipping and "Pet Transport" Fee Scams

Shipping is where many puppy scams pile on extra fees. BBB's 2017 study found fake transport companies with their own websites billing for crates, insurance and shots, then claiming the puppy was stuck at an airport.

• Agree on the full price before you pay. BBB warns against surprise kennel or customs charges and against distant sellers who promise to ship.
• Find any airline or transporter's website yourself rather than using the seller's tracking links.
• Imported puppies have to be older. Since August 1, 2024, every dog entering the U.S. must be microchipped, be at least six months old and arrive with a CDC Dog Import Form receipt (CDC). By our reading, an overseas seller offering a 10-week-old puppy is describing an import the rule doesn't allow.

How to Pay, and What Never to Use

The FTC is blunt: "Only scammers say you must pay with gift cards, a payment app, cryptocurrency, or a wire transfer service like Western Union or MoneyGram."

• Zelle offers no purchase protection and recommends not using it to pay people you don't know.
• PayPal Purchase Protection excludes "Friends and Family" payments, and "item not received" claims for items collected in person (U.S. terms, January 26, 2026). AKC calls a credit card or PayPal Goods & Services usually the safest option.
• A credit card gives the most protection, the FTC says, if you have one.
• Get the deposit in writing: the amount, whether it's refundable and when the balance is due. Pay the balance at pickup; if a promised registration application isn't ready, AKC advises waiting until it is.

Fake Rescues, "Rehoming Fees" and Lost-Pet Scams

The same tricks work without a breeder. The FTC has warned about fake SPCA or shelter staff who claim your pet was hit by a car and demand $500 (June 2025), and about scammers impersonating real shelters and animal hospitals to collect "donations" with stolen or AI-generated photos (June 2026). BBB warned in 2025 about scammers answering lost-pet posts, claiming to have found the animal or selling paid "pet search" services.

If a "rescue" or private owner wants a rehoming or adoption fee upfront, run the same checks before paying. Our adopt-or-buy guide covers how to check a shelter or rescue.

Before-You-Pay Checklist

• The photos and ad text don't turn up anywhere else.
• You've searched the seller's name with "scam" and "complaint."
• You've seen the puppy in person or on a live video you directed.
• You've checked any registration claim with the registry itself and the parents' health tests on ofa.org.
• The price is in line with the breed.
• You have the total price, deposit and refund terms in writing.
• You're paying by credit card or another protected method.
• No puppy under six months is being shipped from overseas.
• You're ready to walk away at the first new fee.

Written by Kailun Zhang, who is not a lawyer or a fraud investigator. This guide summarizes the FTC, FBI, BBB, AKC and CDC sources below and isn't legal or financial advice.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I tell if a puppy seller is legit?

A real seller lets you see the puppy in person or on live video, shows health tests you can verify with OFA, puts terms in writing and takes a payment you can dispute. Walk away if the photos appear elsewhere or new fees appear after you pay (BBB, FTC).

Is it safe to pay a puppy deposit with Zelle, Venmo or Cash App?

Not to someone you haven't met. Zelle offers no purchase protection and advises against paying people you don't know. The FTC says only scammers insist on payment apps, gift cards, cryptocurrency or wire transfers, and that a credit card gives you the most protection.

Do real breeders ship puppies?

Some arrange transport, but BBB warns against distant sellers who offer to ship and against surprise crate, insurance or customs fees. Since August 1, 2024, every dog entering the U.S. must be microchipped and at least six months old (CDC).

Is a video call enough to prove the puppy is real?

It's a minimum, not proof. In 2025 BBB reported a scammer trying an AI-generated video call. Direct the call yourself, ask to see the mother, and visit in person if you can.

Can I get my money back after a puppy scam?

Sometimes. Contact your bank, card issuer or payment app immediately and ask them to reverse the payment (FTC). For a credit card, follow up in writing: the dispute must reach the issuer within 60 days after the first bill showing the charge (FTC). Never pay for "recovery" help.

Where do I report a puppy scam?

At ReportFraud.ftc.gov, ic3.gov (the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center) and BBB Scam Tracker, plus the platform where you saw the ad. File a police report if your bank needs one.

Related Reading

• How to Find a Responsible Dog Breeder
• Adopt or Buy a Dog? A Practical Way to Decide
• Dog Breeds A–Z
• French Bulldog First-Year Costs
• Goldendoodle First-Year Costs
• Cavapoo Price and First-Year Budget
• Pomeranian First-Year Costs