{"id":181544,"date":"2013-11-11T12:02:24","date_gmt":"2013-11-11T12:02:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.petcloud.com.au\/d\/puppy-scams-that-will-break-your-heart\/"},"modified":"2026-02-26T19:32:51","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T09:32:51","slug":"puppy-scams-that-will-break-your-heart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.petcloud.com.au\/d\/blog\/puppy-scams-that-will-break-your-heart\/","title":{"rendered":"Puppy Scams – How to spot them"},"content":{"rendered":"

Don’t let a cute picture and feelings for some company rule your head if an ad pops up. Be smart – as the puppy in the picture may not even be in the fake breeders care – as many Australians have found out.<\/h3>\n

This year Australians have so far been conned out of $300,000 due to online scams.<\/p>\n

How do I avoid being scammed when buying a puppy?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

If you are looking for a new pet, including a pet to rescue, get educated on pet scams BEFORE you buy.\u00a0 It\u2019s not only about cats and dogs. It can be any pet of relatively high value \u2013 macaws, rare parrots, pure bred cats, pure bred dogs, even high value fish have been included in scams.\u00a0\u00a0Some of the pet scams have been from Nigeria or Cameroon and usually<\/p>\n

The thing is, the pet has never existed<\/u> and never did<\/u>! Pet Scammers cheat\u00a0people out of a lot of money every year. It also causes heartbreak and anger, and can involve legitimate businesses across Australia.<\/p>\n

Do your research before getting a pet.<\/p>\n

How puppy scams work:<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

1. The Fake Breeder sets up a fake website or facebook page or group or places a fake ad on Gumtree, along with a fake email address. They also may\u00a0have lots of fake reviews.<\/p>\n

2. (You) the Puppy Buyer makes an inquiry.<\/p>\n

3. The Fake Breeder replies to your email\u00a0with an offer to sell and transport a purebred pet for a lot less money than usual.\u00a0\u00a0They may\u00a0say they are only giving the pet away because their child passed away, or that they moved for a new job and cannot provide enough attention for the animal due to work hours, or their new home won\u2019t allow pets.<\/p>\n

4. The Fake Breeder says they live\u00a0in a Remote location.\u00a0\u00a0The “Breeder” pretends to be located interstate, even perhaps in the Northern Territory.\u00a0 They mention this location because its so remote they know people won’t be able to visit to inspect the puppy.<\/p>\n

5. The Fake Breeder may say they want to avoid paying tax, so they just prefer you to pay by direct deposit to their bank account.\u00a0 The bank account may be located offshore.<\/p>\n

6.\u00a0The Fake Breeder will then try to get extra money out of you by saying<\/p>\n